The Telling Congregation
Assessing Your Congregation's
Communication Evangelism
Why Communicate?
The communication task of the Church began on a hilltop in Israel some twenty centuries
ago when Jesus commanded his disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with
you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20 NRSV). Generally, Christians
have called this communication "witnessing," and for most of the last
two-thousand years this witnessing has been conducted primarily through the medium of
face-to-face communication; one person telling another the story of how God has been at
work in their life. The apostle Paul, and other first-century Christians, began to employ
a more modern (for the time) communication technology for their witness, the technology of
writing. Well over a thousand years later, Martin Luther made use of an even newer
communication technology for his witness, the technology of print.
Today, Christians have a multitude of communication technologies available for their
use, from telephone to television, from radio to the World-Wide Web! To be sure, good
old-fashioned face-to-face sharing of the story remains the first, best, and most
effective method witnessing. Yet, in our increasingly media-soaked society, Christians and
their neighbors are communicating less and less by means of face-to-face encounters, and
more and more through various media. In order to continue to be effective in our witness,
the Church needs to become adept at communicating by means of the modern media
technologies that are all around us.
Whether your congregation is large or small, urban or rural, it has two distinct
audiences with whom it must communicate: The first is the internal audience, that is, the
individuals and the various groups of members who make up the congregation. Members need
to continually witness to one another in order to inspire, motivate, comfort, and inform
one another. Some of the media congregations often use to reach this audience include
sermons, worship bulletins, newsletters, and telephone contacts. The second audience for
witness communication is the external audience, that is, those who are outside the
congregation but are persons with whom the congregation desires to share the Good News.
The purpose of using media to communicate with this audience is to prepare them for, and
bring them within reach of, the personal, face-to-face witness of congregational members.
Some of the media your congregation might use to reach this audience include news
releases, newspaper advertising, church signs, radio spots, direct mail, the Internet, and
more that are suggested later in this guide.
Others who use the modern media do not use them for witnessing. The messages that
businesses, governments, and other organizations use the media to carry are called by
words such as "marketing," "advertising," or "public
relations." Using the media for witness is different from these, but it involves many
of the same processes for planning and design used in the creation of other media. The
purpose of this guide is to
- Help your congregation identify its internal and external audiences for witness.
- Assist you in selecting appropriate messages for use with each audience.
- Suggest ideas for appropriate, cost-effective media for reaching each audience.
How To Use This Guide
Use this guide to reflect on your congregation's communication ministry. Contents
include:
- Marks of a Communicating Congregation...A Story For Reflection
- A Communication Evangelism Checklist With Sixty Ideas For Effective Witness Through
Media
- A Communication Planning Guide
A Story For Reflection
Marks of a Communicating Congregation
Read this story out loud. Invite participants to reflect in groups of three.
Reflection questions follow the story.
"Great meeting, folks!" said Congregation Council President, George Nelson.
"And we're finished in just over an hour, too. If there is no other business, I'll
entertain a motion to adjourn."
"Before we do that, George," Paul Williams interrupted, "there's one
small item I'd like to bring up for discussion."
"Sure, Paul, what is it?"
"I'd like us to talk about the problem of our church being invisible." Paul
sat back to savor the reaction from his colleagues on the Council, who were looking at him
as if he were completely out of his mind.
"What do you mean, 'invisible'?" George asked, breaking the long silence.
Paul seized the opening. "I was talking with our new neighbor the other day,
Miranda Lopez--I believe some of you may have met her. When I spoke to her about our
church, she responded that she had never ever heard of Trinity Lutheran. Now, as you know,
she teaches at the high school, which means that she has to drive right by our church
building to and from work, at least twice each day. But she hasn't even noticed us! As far
as she is concerned, our church has been invisible."
The Council members were quiet for a moment, then Rachael Anderson spoke up; "You
know, I've thought about that a few times. Our sign out front is really impossible to read
as you're driving by. Back when our street was only two lanes wide and the speed limit was
25 miles per hour, I suppose that people could read it. But since the city widened the
street years ago, and made it a 35 mile per hour zone out front, that sign just doesn't
say much."
"I really never noticed that," said George, "but now that you mention
it, I don't suppose it is big enough to read. I just always figured that since I knew what
church this is, everyone else would know, too."
"It's not just the sign." Paul waited for another reaction, but the Council
members seemed to be with him this time. "I wonder how many other new residents move
to town whose daily commute doesn't happen to bring them past our building. How will they
know we're here?"
"Well, we are in the phone book." Pastor Bailey chimed in. "We even have
an ad in the Yellow Pages."
"That's a good start," Paul replied, "But that ad is the same for the
whole year, and it only includes our usual Sunday schedule. It can't tell people about
what a great Bible School we had this summer, or about the Sunrise Service our youth put
on last Easter Sunday, or about the great youth program that made that service possible.
The phone book ad also assumes that people are already looking for us. It doesn't reach
out to tell them what we have especially for them. If I were an unchurched parent looking
for an activity for my teenager, I might not think to look to a church for a program, that
is, unless the church let me know about it somehow."
"How do we do that, Paul?" George asked. "It sounds like a big job to
single out all of the unchurched parents and contact them."
"We need to advertise!" Paul replied.
"Advertise? A church?" George responded. "I'm not sure that's what we're
supposed to be doing. Besides, isn't that terribly expensive?"
"Perhaps not as expensive as being invisible," said Paul. "We don't know
until we check it out. I move that we appoint a task group to study our congregation's
invisibility problem and report back to us in a month or two. I'll be glad to help out.
And don't we have someone in our congregation who's in the business?"
Pastor Bailey supplied the names; "Yes, we have a couple people. Jennifer Miller
works in the advertising department at the newspaper. She should know something about all
of this. And then there's Bill Wolfe--he teaches public relations and marketing at the
community college."
"Marketing! Public relations!" commented Rachael. "Has it really come to
that? We have to market our church? Wouldn't it be best to simply invite people as we
always have?"
"I don't intend to stop doing that," said Paul, "I've already invited
that new neighbor, Miranda Lopez and her children, to come to worship with us next Sunday.
But I guess I just see using the media as a way to extend a much larger invitation to a
lot more people."
"I'd be for that," said George. "Now, we have a motion on the floor. Is
there a second? Thank you. Now all those in favor of appointing a group to study this
further and to make some recommendations about making our church less invisible?"
"AYE!"
Some Questions for Discussion
1. How visible or invisible is your congregation's building? Would a newcomer be
able to find and recognize it easily? Are exterior signs adequate to identify it? If your
building is located off a major thoroughfare, are there adequate directional signs? Are
they in good condition?
2. How visible or invisible are your congregation's programs? In what ministries
does your congregation specialize? What programs do you have that are especially well
carried out or unique to your area? If you were to stop someone on the street and ask them
about your congregation, would they be aware of these programs? Who are the people in your
area who would particularly benefit from knowing about these programs? How could you reach
them?
3. How might increased visibility for your congregation enhance opportunities
for your members to witness to others and offer invitations to your congregation and its
ministries? What persons or groups in your congregation could benefit from a more complete
knowledge and awareness of congregational programs and events? How likely or unlikely are
these persons or groups to make use of your current bulletins, newsletters, and other
communication media? Are there any other means available for educating and informing them?
How Do We Measure Up?
A Communication Evangelism Checklist With Sixty Ideas For Effective Witness Through
Media
Below are sixty ideas for effective witness through media. They are arranged beginning
with things many congregations may quite possibly be doing already, and moving toward
newer ideas you might try. No congregation will be doing all of these, because very few
congregations will find all of them effective in reaching the audiences they have
identified. Some items will be uses of media you already employ, but might do better with
some additional planning and creativity. Still others will be just the right idea for an
audience you need to reach! However, items in bold are basic to outreach, and should be in
place in every congregation. Use this part of the guide as an evaluation tool and a
discussion starter.
Answer each question with one of the following:
A. We could DO this!!!!
B. We could do this better.
C. We're doing this well.
__ 1. We have a clear, concise mission statement that defines our congregation and
its ministry.
__ 2. We have information about the ages, family situations, and lifestyles of our
members that help us define their wants and needs as an audience.
__ 3. We have conducted a congregational survey of media habits to help determine the
best media for internal communication.
__ 4. We have obtained demographic data about our community, and have a clear
understanding of our external audience.
__ 5. We have taken a neighborhood survey to find out what unchurched persons live
nearby and what might bring them to our church.
__ 6. We have developed a media strategy with clear, attainable, and measurable
goals concerning what audiences we want to reach and with what specific message.
__ 7. We have placed distinctive, easy to read directional signs on all nearby major
thoroughfares and intersections.
__ 8. We have a large, easy to read, well-lighted sign identifying our church
building clearly to all who pass by.
__ 9. Driveways and parking areas around our church building are clearly marked,
well-maintained, and easily accessible.
__ 10. Entrances to our building are clearly marked for those coming from the
outside, directing newcomers to the correct entry.
__ 11. Once inside, persons unfamiliar with our building can easily find coat rooms,
rest rooms, nursery, worship area, and the church office, by following clear, readable
signs, building maps, and room markings.
__ 12. Our congregation has a simple, distinctive logo that appears on all letterheads,
bulletins, newsletters, brochures, and advertisements.
__ 13. We use a consistent color scheme, with the same color paper and the same color
print, on all newsletters, bulletins, letterheads, etc.
__ 14. Our Sunday worship bulletin is produced with modern word processing
equipment, uses large, easy to read print in only one or two font styles, and is
uncluttered, with plenty of white space.
__ 15. Our Sunday worship bulletin is written assuming it will be read by persons
unfamiliar with our worship, making the service easy to follow.
__ 16. We have received copyright permission to reproduce the liturgy in our bulletin
so that the service is easy to follow.
__ 17. Our Pastor and other worship leaders orally give page numbers and directions to
help newcomers follow the worship easily.
__ 18. Our congregation has a professional-looking newsletter that is regularly sent to
all members and prospective members.
__ 19. Our church newsletter focuses on current events and future opportunities,
rather than reporting on what has already taken place.
__ 20. Our newsletter is attractively laid out in columns less than four inches
wide, uses appropriate graphics to highlight items, employs no more than two font styles,
is easy to read, and uncluttered with plenty of white space.
__ 21. The front page of our newsletter calls attention to an important and exciting
upcoming event, while the pastor's column is placed on an inside page.
__ 22. The portion of our newsletter that is visible when the newsletter is folded for
mailing features large, bold lettering calling attention to worship or an upcoming event.
__ 23. Our newsletter consists of a single folded sheet of paper, or is stapled
together in booklet form, so that readers do not have to remove a staple or fastener in
order to open the newsletter for reading.
__ 24. We send a brief, quickly read, single page newsletter once each week rather than
a large, multi-page, monthly news booklet.
__ 25. Our worship space is equipped with a top-quality sound system, and worship
leaders have been trained to use it professionally and unobtrusively, so that even those
with hearing loss can hear clearly.
__ 26. We make a high-quality recording of the worship service each week, directly from
the sound system, and duplicate cassettes for the sick and shut-ins OR we make a high
quality videotape for the same purpose.
__ 27. We have installed a projection system in our worship area, with screens large
and well-placed so that all may see clearly, that can be used to enhance liturgy,
readings, and/or sermons with visual images.
__ 28. We regularly use slides, overheads, or computer presentation software to enhance
sermons, temple-talks, or meeting presentations.
__ 29. Our church office telephone system is adequate to our needs, and we have enough
lines so that callers seldom receive a busy signal.
__ 30. Church staff and volunteers are well-trained to answer the telephone in a
professional manner, and transfer calls effectively and efficiently.
__ 31. We have an answering machine or voice-mail system that answers the phone
after hours. The answer message is clear, easy to understand, and brief, yet includes
basic information such as service times and office hours, and gives a name or number of a
person who may be called in emergencies.
__ 32. We've installed a special phone line connected to an answering machine all the
time, on which we record a daily thought, devotional, prayer, or children's Bible story of
the day.
__ 33. Our telephone directory listings in both the white- and yellow- pages are
clear, easy to find, and give enough information to allow newcomers to find our church
easily for worship.
__ 34. We send brief, well-written, single-page news releases to local newspapers
and other media whenever an out-of-the-ordinary event occurs at our church.
__ 35. Because our local paper publishes a free weekly church information page, we
submit accurate, up-to-date information about our upcoming worship and other events each
week.
__ 36. Our pastor and/or church secretary has made a point of meeting the religion
editor of our local paper and know him/her by name so that a relationship has been
established in advance of any news stories that may come up involving our congregation.
__ 37. Our congregational budget includes sufficient funds for at least a modest
newspaper display ad at Rally Day, Christmas, Holy Week, and Vacation Bible School each
year.
__ 38. We have used ELCA Print Ads, or other creative newspaper advertising, through
the year, placing these ads in sections of the paper OTHER THAN the religion page!
__ 39. We have prepared an attractive single-sheet brochure that introduces our
congregation and its ministries to persons outside the church.
__ 40. We have distributed our brochure or a community newsletter door- to-door in our
service area, or sent it by direct mail to households in our neighborhood.
__ 41. Our brochure is the primary element in materials we bring to first- time
visitors in our follow-up calls to them after they worship with us.
__ 42. Our brochure is included in our New Neighbor Packets, available In the narthex
of our church building and regularly mentioned to church members OR our brochure is
included in the packets given to new neighbors by our community outreach evangelism
calling teams.
__ 43. We have contacted our local outdoor advertising company about leasing
neighborhood billboards prior to Christmas and Easter.
__ 44. We have discussed with our outdoor advertising company the possibility of
securing special rates for billboards that would appear only when no other client has
leased the board.
__ 45. We have surveyed our newest members and our prospective members to determine
which local radio stations or formats they listen to most frequently.
__ 46. We have asked the sales departments of the local radio stations most listened to
by our prospective members to supply us with rate sheets or spoken with them about an
advertising package.
__ 47. We have inquired at our local radio station about placing free public service
announcements, or about the possibility of providing them with a regular, brief devotional
program.
__ 48. We have coordinated with other ELCA congregations in our area to approach a
local station about the possibility of placing "Lutheran Vespers" on the air in
our area.
__ 49. Instead of buying an hour of radio time for our weekly worship service, we edit
the worship tape to a concise 30-minute program for radio, featuring our best music and a
version of the sermon prepared and delivered with radio listeners in mind.
__ 50. We subscribe to and regularly use "Mosaic," the video magazine of the
ELCA, with congregational classes and groups.
__ 51. We have contacted our local cable company about the possibility of using the
Public Access channel, free of charge, to carry our worship service, a new member training
class, Bible study, children's story time, or to show our congregation's library of
"Mosaic" videos.
__ 52. We have coordinated with other congregations in our area in asking our local
cable company to include the "Odyssey" cable network among its basic channels.
__ 53. We have asked the sales department of the local cable company to supply us with
rate sheets or spoken with them about an advertising package on Odyssey or other cable
channels.
__ 54. We have contacted our Synod office concerning the possibility of working
together with other congregations in placing the ELCA video "spots" on one or
more of our local TV stations or cable channels.
__ 55. We have investigated the actual costs and technical requirements of producing
our own television promotional spots.
__ 56. Our congregation provides an account on LutherLink, the ELCA computer network,
for our pastor and/or for at least one other key leader (church secretary, newsletter
editor, etc.)
__ 57. Our congregation has established a "homepage" on the World Wide
Web, has a means of receiving feedback from Web users, and regularly updates the page with
current information.
__ 58. Our congregation has a communication plan to inform members and the public media
in the event of an extremely unusual celebration, disaster, or crisis. This plan
identifies the person who will speak to the media for the congregation, and an alternate.
The plan also identifies which media to contact, and specifies ground rules for reporters
at worship services and other events.
__ 59. We have made a list of addresses and phone numbers for various editors and
newsrooms and keep it handy for sending out releases or calling in cancellation
announcements.
__ 60. Our church staff, congregation Council, or some other group in the
congregation regularly reviews church activities looking for special events that are
worthy of a news release, and sees that they are prepared and sent.
A Communication Planning Guide
1. Ask your pastor, congregation council, and other
leaders to clearly answer the questions: "Who are we?" "What is our
mission?" "Why does our congregation exist?" Make sure the answers to these
questions are included in an up-to-date, brief mission statement of fifty words or less.
2. Determine who comprises the audience for your witness
communication. You will have at least two: An internal audience made up of members of your
congregation, and an external audience made up of members of your community. Depending on
your congregation's size and situation, you may have additional audiences. Internally, for
example, you may have an audience of Confirmed teens, an audience of parents of Sunday
Church School children, an audience of retired seniors, etc. Externally, for example, you
may have an audience of unchurched, or marginal members, or of persons in a particular age
or economic group. How many different audiences can you identify for your congregation? In
your community?
3. Determine what members of each audience need or want
to know about your congregation. What events, features, or opportunities your congregation
has to offer will be of most interest to the members of this audience? What
characteristics of your congregation will make it most attractive to members of this
audience? Be truthful! Don't make up things an audience member won't easily find once they
arrive, or your credibility will be damaged irreparably. But "put your best foot
forward" and let your audience know what you have for them. Remember that it is as
important to witness specifically in this way to members (internal audience members) as it
is to witness to non-members (external audience).
4. Brainstorm about what the most efficient,
cost-effective medium might be for reaching this particular audience with this particular
message. For example, do members of your youth group actually read your church newsletter
thoroughly, or will it be more efficient to send them a special direct mailing or contact
them by telephone? Will a brochure delivered to the door be less expensive and more
effective than a newspaper advertisement in reaching persons in your neighborhood?
5. Design your message to fit your chosen medium. An
effective television ad will not consist of having an announcer read a paragraph written
for your church newsletter! How can you make a newsletter article stand out and grab the
attention of members of your chosen audience? What will make your newspaper ad jump off
the page for your intended reader? What will make a web-browser surf your congregation's
web-page? Think about what makes you notice things in that medium more than others.
6. Evaluate your efforts. Did the message get through?
Did your intended audience receive the right message? Did you get results? What can you do
better the next time? Redefine your audience, refine your message, hone your communication
tools as necessary to make your next effort even more effective!
Now Available from Augsburg Fortress
Go Public!
Resources for Communication Evangelism
Here are the tools your congregation needs to express its (and the ELCA's!) identity. The Go
Public! kit (code 34-23-36408, ISBN 0-8066-3460-8, $65.95) contains the following
four resources:
Developing Your Plan for Communication Evangelism: A Guide for congregations
This 144-page guide provides a process for building a congregational communication
strategy based on the foundation of your congregation's identity and mission. Worksheets
and other practical helps for putting together your unique communication evangelism plan
are included. (Code 23-2335. ISBN 0-8066, 3620-3, $39.95 when sold separately)
Motivating Your Congregation for Communication Evangelism: An interactive Video
Workshop
Need a way to introduce the idea of communication evangelism to your congregational
leaders? In this workshop format, you will hear first-hand accounts of effective
communication evangelism from pastors and lay leaders. 90-minutes, includes two 45-minute
tapes and an 8-page user guide. (Code 34-74956-2100, ISBN 6-0000-7495-6, $25.95 when sold
separately)
Designing Radio Ministry for Communication Evangelism: Models for Audi-Outreach
Hear examples of effective outreach an communication to a wider community using audio
tools such as radio spots and programs and tape ministry. Included is a compact disk that
contains rqadio spots ready for customization by your congregation. (Code 34-74964-21--,
ISBN 6-0000-7496-4, $12.95 when sold separately)
How Shall They Hear?: A Handbook for Religious Communicators
Picking up where Developing Your Plan for Communication Evangelism leaves off, this
150-page resource provides detailed help for making use of a wide variety of media-print,
audio, and other electronic options. (code 34-611007-3420, ISBN 0964611007, $12.95 when
sold separately)
Writer: Mark Johns, Editor: Marta
Poling-Goldenne
| 
Adobe
Acrobat Reader