Effective communication is now the gold standard for any organization looking to make a meaningful impact, and that couldn't be more true for churches. A well-thought-out church communications strategy ensures that your message reaches the right people at the right time.

It can help you attract new members, keep current ones strong within the community, and even reveal new opportunities for member engagement.

We've put together this article to help church leaders create an effective communication structure, whether that's improving a current strategy or building one from scratch.

Church communication includes all the ways a church conveys messages to its congregation and the wider community.  

An effective church communication strategy includes what the church will say, how it will say it, to whom it says it, and why it needs to be said. Perhaps even more importantly, the church communication plan talks about all the ways things need to be said.

A complete plan will usually also address:

Often, the church's communication involves finding the best ways to convey all these messages through various mediums, which may include everything from internal and external digital signage displays to direct-to-congregation communications, the church website copy, and even SMS.

Why create a detailed church communication strategy?

A church communication strategy brings order to the flow of information in the church and basically ensures that everyone who needs to be informed is informed in a way they can receive the message.

Volunteers know when and where they are needed, the Bible group knows what verses to prepare for Bible study, and donors know how close the church is to its goal.

Here are some of the key reasons you want to take some time to plan your communication.

It can get expensive, time consuming and stressful to send bits and pieces of information to a congregation through printing bulletins or repeated verbal announcements during service.

Streamlining communications ensures that important information is displayed in a way that catches attention and conveys the message without disrupting the service. This can also make critical messages harder to miss.

Building a sound, encompassing church communication strategy ensures that all communications are aligned with the church’s mission and values and that they stick to the plan.

Each piece of information will be sent via the proper channels (ministry updates and announcements during services and inspirational messages through social media, for example), and people will know where to look for information every time.

3. Members can get information in real-time

A well-structured communications plan will include allowances like digital signage screens for quick updates. This is important for when you need to update members on last-minute changes to service times or event details.

Read more: Ideas for church welcome signs

Church communication can help keep the congregation engaged and informed about events, news, and upcoming activities, making it easier to get involved and feel like a part of the family. This really shines through when a properly crafted communication plan is followed to the letter.

Read How Pflugerville Community Church Increased Major Event Attendance by 75% Using ScreenCloud Digital Signage

5. Potentially deeper worship experience for members

Communicating sermon notes, Bible verses, and worship lyrics, especially through the church LED signs, can help congregants follow along more easily and stay engaged during services. Visual aids can also make services more immersive, especially for members who respond to them.

What are the different types of church communication?

There are two major types of church communication: internal, which deals with everything the church has to say to its members, and external, which deals with communication with the larger community.

Internal communication involves all information meant for current church members and possibly prospects who have visited and are considering becoming members.

With internal communication, the goal is to encourage involvement in various activities like volunteering and donation – while also keeping service engagement and community high.

Some of the biggest internal communication channels in a church include:

Announcements from the minister during service

Social media updates to account followers

Some of the information members might receive through these channels include:

Information on financial donations and church projects

External communications involve information intended for non-church members; they are usually meant to reach the wider community and possibly invite them to worship in the church.

These kinds of communication aim to paint the church in a favorable light and show Christians the church family and fellowship that awaits them.

Some of the biggest external communication channels include:

You may have noticed that social media, email, and SMS appear in both internal and external communication. That’s because they have such a wide reach and can be used to communicate with both members and non-members.

How to create a church communications strategy

Firstly, you need to decide what your church needs by way of communication. Current objectives could include increasing service attendance, attracting more ministry volunteers, or appealing to a younger demographic.

Analyze past communication to identify strengths and weaknesses

Identify what channels to focus on based on urgency and importance

Discuss goals with church leadership and stakeholders

Write out objectives so they stay on top of mind

Once the objectives take form, the target audience is next. Will your church's communications focus on regular attendees, occasional visitors, potential new members, or the wider community in your town/city?

It’s a good idea to segment your priority audiences into groups and start identifying which channels are most effective in reaching them.

Great ways of segmenting your audience include:

Age groups: For example a younger audience may favor TikTok, Instagram, and other channels

Levels of engagement: Your content needs to do more work with occasional visitors as opposed to members of the church community

Responsiveness: People who regularly respond and volunteer may be easier to reach.

3. Breakdown current communication channels

Here, you want to identify all the channels your church currently uses to reach people, including both internal and external channels.

Next, identify which ones need improvement and which most effectively target your prime audience.

The key is to prioritize currently effective channels that can reach your audience. You may also want to invest in channels that show potential, even though they’ll require a bit of investment.

A content calendar can help you effectively communicate by organizing your messaging in advance. This ensures that information is constantly timely and consistent and that no one is left out.

Schedule regular updates for social media, newsletters, and other channels

Include deadlines for content creation and approval to keep things moving.

Part of the motivation for creating a church communication plan is consistency, so it’s really important to develop a standard that all messaging will follow. This way, members know exactly what kind of communication they are getting and can be more likely to pay attention.

You’ll want to create a message framework that includes core messages and supporting points. It’s also important to pay attention to simple updates like announcements on the church LED signs and social media posts; these help maintain consistency.

Feedback is a big part of creating a communications plan. Talk to your audience and ask for feedback about:

What communications channels do they prefer?

If any messaging has stuck with them in the past and why

If they would consider sharing some of the church's updates with other members

Answers to these questions could be quite revealing and end up shaping your whole communications strategy.

If your church has many staff or volunteers, consider assigning responsibilities to different people. Decide who will oversee the creation, who is responsible for vetting and proofing, and who ensures information goes out on time.

It’s also a good idea to assign roles based on skills and availability and create a consistent workflow that everyone can follow.

Communicating with a church congregation has become complex. With many digital tools available what is the best way to create a church communication strategy?

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