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5 Resolutions for Your Communication Ministry

It’s the time of year for resolutions, revamping and planning for 2013. The end of Advent marks a bit of a break for church activities until Lent kicks off on the road to Easter. Now is a great time to get caught up and kick off some new and influential ways to engage your community. So here are a few ideas that we can help you get started.

1. Step up your web game. If you’re not actively (and creatively) using your website and social media presence, you’re missing out on a lot of ministry opportunity. We can help the ministry that’s just getting started with E-Zekiel.

2. Start using more video. Posting sermons is one thing, but actively using the resources and creative people in your midst to develop in-house video production can transform the way people engage the gospel. Then embed the video right into your website using E-Zekiel TV.

3. Make communication ministry part of your lifestyle. Too often church communication is segmented, generic and unorganized. Bring it all together with Thrive. Manage e-mail, social media, print and your website all in one location.

4. Develop a communication team. Communication shouldn’t be done by one person working alone, and it shouldn’t be done by random people who don’t communicate with each other. Develop a team and then set goals, benchmarks and standards.

5. Pray every day that the words of our Father will reach those who need to hear them most and that your communication ministry will do everything it can to be faithful to that calling.

From Gutenberg to You

Around 1400 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable type. A short time later, a bunch of arthritic and carpal tunnel syndrome plagued scribes breathed a sigh of relief. About 400 years later, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph, which allowed us for the first time to send information down a wire. Not long after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, which allowed us to send voices down the wire. These technologies were followed by wireless broadcasting -- first with radio and then with television. Time marched on and the Internet and mobile technology emerged and evolved.

But here is something to keep in mind. When the printing press was born, we didn’t stop writing things by hand. And when TV was born, radio didn’t go away either. And when high-speed Internet connections developed, every other form of communication remained in use. The new communication forms didn’t necessarily replace old ones; they co-opted them, each one building off the last. And most of the major shifts have happened within the past 100 years. While there may not be as many land lines being used for the telephone any longer, we still use phones. And there is a direct lineage to the keyboard I’m using now, to an idea that Gutenberg had all those centuries ago. It’s the convergence of all these technologies that makes this age such an interesting one to work in communication.

Society has a lot of different options when it comes to connecting with each other. Some are heavy social media users while others prefer mobile and even others still want a piece of paper in their hands. This is why professional communicators understand that they need to take a layered approach to communication. We can’t simply rely on one form or the other and be effective.

And this is what makes Thrive so amazing. We’ve taken convergence to the next level by bringing control of multiple communication mediums all under the same roof. You no longer have to bounce from software to software to get the job done. It’s not just that it makes effective communication easier and cost effective, but it also allows you to become more effective reaching people where they are. On the web, on the phone or on paper, it’s all there and it’s waiting for you.

Learning From The Best

It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…

Recently I helped a church communicator who had hit a plateau with her design work. As the person she bounced her projects off of, I started to notice a definite repetitiveness and predictability with her designs, and I called her on it. Her response was that she was out of ideas and had hit a creative slump.

The advice I gave her is the advice I’m giving you. Go look at the work of designers who are better than you and learn from their work. Don’t copy their work, but look at it for inspiration. How are they using color combinations? What fonts are they using? Are they using shapes or images in any particular way that you find creative or interesting?

What you will most likely find is that your next design will have a different feel and will open up some new creative doors for your work and then they get better from there. But, keep looking at the designs of others that will inspire and motivate you to do better work.

This technique works equally for graphic design as it does sermon structure and presentation. Find the people that you admire, and learn from them to enhance your own ability.

The work of the graphic designer I spoke of dramatically improved almost overnight. She found the type of designs that really spoke to her and communicated the “feel” that she wanted to convey and from that, she found new inspiration and as a result now has gained a bigger following of fans and customers.

Do likewise.

Speaking Tips for Ministries: Introduction

We exist to help ministries. We know that some ministries have the ability to have professional communications coordinators on staff. However, many ministries have entire communications programs run by volunteers. Since we recognize this and exist to further a ministry's reach, we have decided to spend the next few weeks looking at speaking tips.

Speaking is an integral part of the communications field. Most ministries have an effective main communicator but other than that, unless they have a shadow they are training, the only other prepared speaker is the communications coordinator. Since most of these positions are filled by volunteers, this leaves little opportunity for them to be full-fledged trained communications professionals.

That is where this blog series comes into play. We will line out tips on effective speaking practices. These are things one would learn in a basic speaking class. Though they may have been learned before, they can still be taken as reminders as to how to give the appearance of a polished speaker.

With practice, the art of public speaking can be harnessed to do great things for a ministry. The key is effective communication. This happens not simply through saying the right words, but presenting what needs to be communicated in an effective and understandable manner.

Not only will we cover general speaking tips, but we will also look at creating effective presentations. We will look at how the appropriate dress factors into communication. We will also cover how to use your body for things known as gestures to better explain the subject at hand.

Many people have a fear of speaking in public. We hope that we can help people realize not only the importance but the ease with which speaking in public can come from a person. With some practice and determination, any person can end up effectively sharing the vision for a new ministry opportunity or they can simply be doing the announcements at the end of a sermon. So join us as we delve into the next few weeks of looking at speaking tips for ministries.

If you know of any tips you are needing or would like to hear more about, simply drop us a question or comment in the comments section at the top of the article. We would love to help you in any way possible. Enjoy the ride!

Speaking Tips for Ministries: Preparation

Most of the time, when thinking of speaking from a ministry standpoint, we think of a sermon. However, there are many other speaking opportunities that arise during the course of ministry. There are many different ways in which a person can prepare to speak. This week we will look at a few different preparation methods and what speaking engagement they fit best.

In many cases, people like to prepare in some form before they speak. This rings even more true for those who aren’t particularly comfortable speaking. First a person needs to know the manner in which they are speaking. Is it formal or informal? Is it a serious matter with technical information or a general speech, which everyone will need to easily understand? Once the setting of the speech has been determined, then a person can begin to study and prepare the text of the speech. Aside from simply studying the speech material, the next step in a polished speaking experience is deciding an order in which to present the material. After an order has been decided, then it’s really up to the person’s presenting style and speaking comfort on how they approach sharing the speech.

Full Text Speech

These speeches are typically highly technical or require very sensitive information to be shared which needs to be conveyed precisely. A person will prepare to speak with full text in front of them in these scenarios. Many times a person who has little experience in public speaking will want to do this with any speech they present. The downfall of this method is that it lowers the amount of eye contact and thus audience interaction. This is why we only suggest this method in the above-mentioned scenarios.

Bullet Point Speech

This type of speech is one which requires little technical knowledge to be shared that isn’t already memorized by the speaker. With a bullet point speech, a person is able to still remember the order in which they are conveying information while engaging the audience through eye contact, gestures, and other interactive measures. When a person is comfortable speaking, this is one method many will choose to use in order to remember things while still being able to freely speak as the audience reacts (not feeling tied down to a script).

Outline Speech

This type speech is closer to the full text speech but not as stripped down as a bulleted speech. Very similar to the paper outlines we had to make in school, outline speeches lay out a speech beyond just the main points. If there is a part of the speech which needs to be directly quoted, this is the most typical form a speech will be laid out in. As a person becomes more accustomed to speaking they should graduate from full text speeches to this one before moving to bulleted speeches.

No Assisting Materials

Speeches that are on the fly typically happen without any assisting materials. This also happens when the speaker memorizes the material. The hardest part ends up being whether the speaker can remember and convey the entire topic successfully. Though rarely suggested, this is a way that some people are most comfortable with. These are typically speeches of little significance or are simply a follow-up speech to emphasize previous made points.

As always if there are any questions about how to prepare a speech or speech delivery methods, leave them for us in the comments. Also if you have any tips on what has worked best for you, we would love to hear those also!

Speaking Tips for Ministries: The Topic

For many people, preparation is not a strong point. However, when it comes to speaking, preparation is important. Simply stepping up to the microphone and “winging it” is not something that typically goes well. So we will take a look this week at how topic selection and speech content are keys for effective speaking.

Speech Topics

There are times when a person gets pressed to speak and is asked to come up with a topic. Should this happen to you, there are two things to consider.

1. Speak on a topic you know well

Speaking on a topic the speaker is comfortable with will allow for a smoother go of things. Whether it is the preparation or the presentation, both will go over better if the speaker is well versed in the topic they are addressing.

2. Speak on a topic that will resonate with the audience

Sometimes speaking on a topic a person is well versed in won’t cut it. Speaking about quantum physics to the children’s church won’t exactly go over well. Making sure that the topic chosen fits the audience is key in helping with both audience participation and attentiveness -- both of which put a speaker at ease when speaking.

There are other times when the topic is known. When a topic is known, there are a few elements that are key to making sure the topic being communicated is understood and thus conveyed outside the venue in which it is presented.

Before we cover these elements, let us clarify a few things. Many times when we think of speaking, we look to the people behind the pulpit giving us a sermon. Though this may happen, as communications professionals, we will often be speaking about an event or providing details that need to be conveyed. In these instances, the following elements need to be communicated clearly and effectively.

Who

Who does this involve? This is the question, which should be answered here. If it relates to everyone, state that. If it relates to certain demographics communicate this, and make sure that this is communicated in a way that people understand why it is for that certain demographic.

What

It can be very easy for us to get bogged down in details. When communicating, make sure the “what” of the topic is shared in a way where people understand. If people do not understand the reason and subsequent purpose (why) of the topic, then they will not find it noteworthy.

Where

Location is key for anything. We have blogged about it a few times. The “where” is something that should be communicated so people can know where to go or how to document the topic communicated (if it has already taken place).

When

Timing is everything. That’s what they say right? A proper timeframe must be communicated to avoid confusion. Just like location, if people don’t understand when something is set to take place or the timeframe of it, they are less likely to attend.

Why

What is the purpose? Who will benefit from this? Though it may be the toughest to answer, giving people the “why” behind it all may be the key point in helping them jump into action.

How

Though probably less important, the "how" is still a question which must be answered. Volunteers or employees, a set price or donation; these questions need to be answered for people to understand fully and the message be communicated effectively.

Though this sounds more like a report than a speech, these things are important as communicators. Making sure these questions are answered will help people be at ease about the situation and more willing to participate and share with others.

The Social Spotlight: Becoming a Spot of Light

Over the past nearly three months we have put a spotlight on the main social media spots around. We've looked at each of them for their uses, then taken the time to walk through how to set each up individually. This has been a great time of taking a step back and looking at the many benefits of each social media platform. It also lines out for us how easy it is to use these platforms.

With Google+ we saw the need to set up a profile simply for search engine optimization. With Google+ a ministry is able to create practically their own website within a social media platform. Though not a popular site for interaction, the benefits warranted looking at this site first.

We then tackled Facebook Fan Pages. The most popular of social media sites for ministries, this is one most ministries probably already have. We looked at the importance of having this for any ministry, and the fact that nearly every active ministry member will participate makes this a must-have social media account.

In our fourth week we looked at Facebook Groups. Though not as widely popular, this is a great place to rally volunteers. Keeping people updated and on task in a way where you know every member will be notified are the key takeaways from this platform.

Next we looked at Twitter. An easy way to keep up with and connect with members, tweeting is an easy platform to manage, and it is an essential platform as one of the quickest ways to update people. If members are following, this is an efficient way for them to get your message.

Need a job? Have an opening? This was where LinkedIn stepped up. It's a great place to put a job out in an effortless manner. LinkedIn is also a great place to find a qualified individual to fill an open position.

YouTube helps a ministry be visible online. One of the highest in search results this helps a ministry create an image online like no other platform can. Use this platform right and thousands will know what your ministry is up to.

Put your ministry on the map with FourSquare. Though a lesser social media site, it’s still an important one to at least set up. This will help anyone searching for the ministry location find it and see a small bio also.

For the creative types Pinterest is the place to be. It's a great place to stick ideas and projects out for followers to approve. This sharing site is a great tool to get creative with ministry members.

We have looked at many social media platforms. In our final week we looked at Account Managing Platforms. These can relieve a lot of stress that comes from managing this many platforms. They are a great way to keep up with many of the platforms all in one place, which is something we recommend since most ministries are footed through volunteers or staff with multiple duties.

With all of these tools in your belt, a ministry is set to go. We encourage you to take the step into social media. Whether it is one or all, we would love to talk to you about setting up your social sites to maximize your ministry potential. We hope this series has benefitted you in some way. Now you can get out there and be the light online.

Why Your Brand Matters

When it comes to branding and ministry, a lot of people get their hackles up at the mere thought of mixing marketing with Jesus. For some this conjures up images of Super Bowl-style commercials advertising churches. In other words, marketing equates incorporating everything that is superficial about society into the story of a humble carpenter who saved the world.

In fairness, there is definitely some of that out there in marketing land. But, like it or not, the image of a ministry can make or break it. When I speak to ministry leaders about branding, I generally lead off with two basic questions.

1.) What is the name of your church? I don’t really care what the name on the sign is, but rather how have the people in the community labeled it? Just like restaurants are known for what’s good on the menu (or what isn’t), ministries are known for what they do and how they treat people. Good or bad.

2.) If your church closed down today, would anyone besides the congregation notice? This is really an extension of the first question, but it gets to the core of the issue. Is there anything about your ministry that people notice? Good or bad. If no one noticed, that also speaks volumes.

It is what we are known for that creates our personal brand. And as ministry leaders we have a choice. We can take ownership of that brand and help others see our ministries as we see them, or we can let others dictate that brand for us. We’re all known for something, as people and as churches. We all have a name. And it’s not necessarily what’s on the sign.

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