As a church, we communicate with several distinct groups simultaneously. It is important to clarify that communication extends beyond written or verbal messages; we communicate through our actions. Whether your ministry focuses on addressing homelessness, advocating for prison reform, or engaging with local students, these actions signal what your church values and believes. In this evolving season of ministry, we must pivot how we communicate our identity and mission to our stakeholders—the people we serve and those who serve alongside us.
Pivot No. 1: Be Consistent — One of the most vital shifts we can make is ensuring consistent communication with our stakeholders. Both our congregation and our community need clarity on the church’s current focus and goals. While we will discuss specific outreach strategies in the next pivot, it is essential to establish a system for developing a church communication plan. This plan should inform your members not only about future initiatives but also about the impact you have already made during this challenging season.
Effective communication serves as the bridge between your vision and your impact. By maintaining a steady flow of information regarding your ministry’s response to current events, you build trust and momentum. This transparency is an essential component of connecting with your congregation and community, ensuring everyone remains aligned with the church’s mission.
Our church sends out a weekly email that highlights the work of the ministry and how they can join us in serving. I previously mentioned that our pastor sends out weekly robocalls to every member of the church as a way to communicate and pray with them before Sunday morning worship.
We also send out an email each Monday to those who visit us online, thanking them for joining us and inviting them to join our daily prayer call, and of course to join us again for worship soon. Whatever way you decide to handle it, the point here is to make sure that your communication is consistent.
Pivot No. 2: Have a targeted plan — Since we have so many different groups in our stakeholder list, we must be targeted in our communication. We have to create clear lines of communication for those we serve. What will they expect during this season, what can they do during this season and when do we expect to shift out of this season?
We also need a line of communication for those who serve with us. What can they expect from us? How can they help us as we serve during this season? Where do we see our church going and what do we need from them? These and several other questions or statements will be needed for us to communicate with clarity as we pivot.
Pivot No. 3: Consider the mode of communication — Simply put, we need to be clear on how we communicate to the guest, those who are visiting or considering visiting our church. In this season pivoting your means of communication might mean that you focus more on your Facebook posts and Facebook groups. It might mean that you post certain information to Instagram and different information to Twitter. You can check out my friend, Nona Jones, and the work she has done on social media engagement for more details on the how. The point here is that as a church we need to pivot how we communicate with stakeholders outside of the church to make sure that it is clear where we’re going.
Don’t let this season pass you by and not make a point to focus in on how you communicate with those who have a vested interest in what God is doing through you. What would you add about communication? How has your church made a pivot in how it communicates during this season?