Four Things I Learned About Marketing (and Life) from My Dad
Some people think that marketing is a bad word, particularly when it comes to church. It’s not so for me. My father was in marketing…
Browsing: Communication
Articles
Two-Minute Leadership
Leaders communicate a lot, for leaders must find many and varied ways to keep the vision before the people. I have learned that I am…
Focusing Your Congregational Communication
How do your church members get information? Is everything communicated through the bulletin or announcements at church? Or do you communicate with your congregation through…
How Full is Your Menu?
Occasionally I like to visit a local Mexican restaurant. As I scan the menu, I search for items I’ve never tasted. However, I often feel…
How to Make the Most of your Church Newsletter
Even in this day of instantaneous communications, the church newsletter is still an important part of a congregation’s overall communication strategy. Why? Because it is…
Getting Your Congregation’s Story Right
Congregations, particularly mainline and established congregations, commonly tell either safe or weak stories about themselves. In an earlier era, when identity and purpose were clearer…
Leaders Learn the Art of Making Announcements
Making announcements? Whether it’s at your service, meeting, or event, there are things you should know about people if you want them to hear what…
Multicultural Fluency and the Discipline of Dialogue
The Bible has much to say about community. In the very act of creating humanity, God initiated community. For community to have the equality that…
Helping a Congregation Connect to Mission
My congregation has been in an ongoing mission partnership with the Child Rescue Center and Mercy Hospital in Sierra Leone, Africa, since 2000. However, there…
Your Church’s Creation Story
In The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, University of Southern California president Steven Sample makes the case that all leaders should discern the creation story for their…
Communication Strategies for Addressing Conflict
Whenever I work with churches that are experiencing serious conflict, especially those that have reached the point of impasse, communication issues commonly emerge. Regularly, parishioners…
The Transformative Power of Listening
Religious leaders are often socialized to be better at speaking than at listening. It is understandable that preachers want to preach, teach, and lead with…
Focusing Your Message
Ann Michel offers a variety of suggestions to help churches improve different kinds of communication by prioritizing messages. Sometimes church members are poorly informed because…
Outside-in Thinking Improves Church Communication
Ann Michel writes about tailoring the methods of church communication and the content of messages to specific internal and external audiences. Why does church communication…