Mar
29
Written by:
Different Voice
3/29/2010 7:00 AM
My sixteen year old son excels at math and science. He has always enjoyed these subjects and he is readily able to grasp new concepts and ideas in these subject areas. He is also an avid reader, reading pretty much anything that has words. Writing, however, is different. He has never enjoyed writing and has had to work at making himself do it. Although he has the skills and is a good writer, he just doesn’t like to write. As he has struggled with having to write even though he doesn’t like it, my message to him has been, “Even if you are the most intelligent person in the world, if you cannot communicate your ideas to other people, they are meaningless.”
I believe this same concept applies to ministry. You may have planned the most extraordinary Christian Education event your church has ever experienced. Yet if people are not aware the event is happening, they will not come. Although you have heard it before, the message here is worth repeating – communicate, communicate, communicate!
Communicate early. As soon as you plan an event, let people know. Even if it seems like the event is months away, begin publicity asking people to “save the date” or “mark your calendar” and watch for details as the event draws nearer. This allows people to plan ahead and begins to raise awareness.
Communicate often. If you place an item in your church newsletter once, you will reach the people who read that newsletter. Particularly as an event draws near, increase publicity. I am not sure that it is possible to publicize too much! Also, remember to continue to communicate information about regular and reoccurring ministries, such as Sunday School, midweek offerings, monthly dinners and so forth.
Communicate as many ways as possible. I have been told that in order to effectively publicize an event, you must use at least seven different means of communication. Use as many ways as you can think of to spread the word about your ministries: newsletters, bulletins, email, church website, text messages, posters, door hangers, flyers, announcements in worship, Facebook, Twitter, table tents, etc.
Although I frequently hear people complain about poor communication, I have never heard anyone complain about too much communication. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
~Sally Hoelscher
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