You’re already up to your eyeballs in work. The last thing you need is more to do… but up to date communications is important and, thankfully, easy. But why do you need to do it? Let’s take a look:
You’ve been more or less stuck at home for three months. It’s left you with questions about life, faith… basically everything. When you were a kid, you went to camp, and have vague memories of hearing about Jesus. “Maybe that’s the answer,” you think. You go online and look up churches in your area, and up pops First Baptist Church in your search. The website indicates that service times are at 10 am on Sunday, but you’re not sure… has this been updated? Is this church taking any COVID precautions?
Undeterred, you decide to check out their social media feeds… Nothing. No updates for the last six months. “Hmm,” you think. “Maybe I’ll give them a call.” You dial the number and a cheery voice mail answers and says, “Services are at 10 am. Please leave a message, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas!”
You decide the church must have closed some time ago, and move on to the next thing.
Providing newcomers with accurate information is critical if you actually want to invite people into your community. So what are the most important steps?
- Update your website
It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be accurate. Make sure your service times are correct, and include information about any concessions that are being made for COVID-19. Need to sign in to Zoom? Make sure people know how to get the link. Watching on YouTube? Remember to ask people to subscribe. Meeting in person? What are you doing to keep everyone healthy? People need to know they’re physically safe before they’ll take spiritual risks. - Be present on social media
Share a little of the ministry of your church, post an article, share a photo of your church building, or post a video of your latest sermon. You choose your favourite platform, and don’t try to do everything. We recommend starting with Facebook. Where you go from there is up to you, but don’t be afraid to post the same information on more than one platform. Not everyone uses Twitter or Facebook, but most people have one social media favourite. - Record a new voicemail message
Make sure your church’s voicemail reflects current information about your church service. When people call, they want information fast. Is your church meeting in-person? When? How? What do they need to know before they arrive? Try including a brief message before offering choices to be directed to someone’s voicemail. - Change Ye Auld Church Sign
As you ponder the next pithy pun or spirited Scripture to post, remember that for someone walking or driving by, service times, methods and those pesky COVID concessions are still important. - Rinse and Repeat
As things change, whether going forward or backward, develop a checklist and decide who is responsible for ensuring that the latest changes are reflected wherever newcomers might come across you. You never know who God is tapping on the shoulder to come and be a part of your church family.
Feeling a little lost? We’re here to help! Email us with your questions, and we’ll do our best to help point you in the right direction!
