Two years ago today I started my current role: Executive Director of White Rock Center of Hope (WRCH) in East Dallas, Texas. On the occasion of starting year three, I'm looking back at the first two years and then looking ahead. Duration in Context This is just the second time in my life I've stayed in the same full-time role for longer than two full years. The first was when I served First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Naples, Florida in the 2000s. I have, however, managed to Read More …
communication
Ignored Announcements (#1531)
Every congregation I have served has included a time for announcements prior to each service of worship (in one parish the timing varied and such would occasionally shift to the end of the service). These verbal announcements are easily ignored and usually ineffective. Recognizing this I have previously shared some best practices, mentioned the 80% rule as one way to cut down the number of verbal announcements, and even passed along a hyperbolic description of announcements as Read More …
Effective Leaders Ask for Feedback (#1515)
Over the years I have encountered people in functional leadership roles who discouraged feedback, those who tolerated feedback, and others who welcomed and valued feedback to such a degree they were intentional about seeking it from a wide variety of constituents on a regular basis. Unfortunately I have had both bosses and mentors suggest that while there is a role for feedback it should be limited as excessive requests suggest that one lacks vision and the drive needed to move oneself and Read More …
Ministry Leaders & Social Media (#1101)
BSM Almost all current ministry leaders completed their formal education BSM (Before Social Media). Most pastors, musicians, and educators learned a great deal about their professions, including how to communicate information about such with constituents and (ideally!) to a wider audience of prospective participants. Reality Check What happens when the communication and marketing channels they know best no longer resonate with their constituents? Increasingly people want to Read More …
Church Communication Survey (#1095)
In recent months I have given more attention to the topic of church communications than I have in many years. It is astonishing how poorly most congregations identify and leverage the appropriate tools in support of their communication strategy (even more troubling are those congregations who just "play with" the tools without any formal strategy to offer guidance in their use). So What? Paul Steinbrueck, co-founder and CEO of OurChurch.Com, recently offered an introduction to the Read More …
Your Church’s Facebook Presence (#1067)
Monk Development's "2013 State of the Church Online Report" contains data gathered from a diverse group of "over 50 churches spread across the United States" that seek to serve their congregation's through the web (p.2). As I reviewed the report, I found myself returning again and again to a statistic that provides a benchmark for congregations seeking to develop a presence on Facebook. According to Monk's research, "the average for likes vs. total weekly attendance (TWA) is Read More …
Don’t Over Communicate (#0754)
Maurilio Amorim is CEO of The A Group, a media, technology and branding firm in Brentwood, TN that consults with some of the country’s largest ministries, leading churches, and Christian publishers. Recently he blogged about the importance of not over communicating. While it is easier than ever for ministries today to communicate with constituents, it is also more essential than ever to communicate effectively. To avoid over communication Amorim suggests Segment your Read More …
2012 Trends to Ponder (#0613)
Sociologist Bradley Wright teaches at the University of Connecticut. I have mentioned his work on several occasions, including reviews of his two most recent books: Upside: Surprising Good News About the State of Our World (2011 – my review here) and Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You’ve Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media (2010 – my review here). Earlier this month he blogged Read More …
A Church Style Guide (#0603)
Since completing my formal education, I have served exclusively in large mainline congregations. Communicating well is important in all congregations, but especially so for larger parishes. Regardless of how many people may have formal job or volunteer responsibilities for specific aspects of communication, it is essential that they all operate from the same playbook. Without a church style guide to provide direction, it is impossible to ensure continuity in design standards or Read More …
Within 24 Hours (#0598)
It has been several years since I made a resolution to begin a new year. This year, however, I opted to make a few resolutions. One resolution is to reply to e-mail within 24 hours. While I have generally done so, I have not always sought to provide feedback to all people within that time horizon. So What? Because I currently have multiple employers (and in boxes) and a varied schedule, e-mail is often the easiest way to reach me. Rather than use different rules to guide Read More …