 GETTY IMAGES Those of us in the Church Comms space know that much of our work often goes unseen and wildly misunderstood. (And, sometimes, under-appreciated.) This is no shock or momentous revelation. In fact, you may have close friends and family members who will never quite grasp the depth of what it is that you do, the amount of man hours required to do it, and how much intensive work, sacrifice, and labor is involved. Your lead pastor and fellow staff members likely do not even comprehend the full scope of your job. That's okay. This is, after all, ministry. You're not doing it for earthly recognition or accolades. (And, by the way, pastors often feel the same way about their role.) The simple truth is this: The average person has no clue what it takes to lead, operate, and maintain a functioning church communications ministry. Some of this is technological naivety. Some of it is lack of interest. Maybe it's inexperience. Maybe it's ignorance. Maybe they're running full speed in their own ministry niche. Whatever the case, they only know that your ministry exists and that it [hopefully] works the way that it should [especially on Sunday morning.] Last summer I wrote a piece that pulled the curtain back on the often unseen world of the Church Communicator. Church Production Magazine recently picked it up and republished it. For several months, I received feedback via comments, social media, emails, and in-person conversations. It continues to spark dialogue to this day. The more that I meet and interact with fellow Church Communicators, the more I see just how much we truly have in common. Many of us are thinking the same things and can usually finish each other's sentences. Many of us have shared similar experiences in our journeys. We struggle in similar ways. We thrive in similar ways. Here's 10 [more] things your Church Communicator [probably] won't tell you. After all, who doesn't love a good sequel? #1. I have a bachelors degree [or higher] in a media or tech-related field, but have learned more by trial and error than during my entire college education. The majority of Church Communicators studied at a four-year college or university and most of them [but not all] majored in a media or tech-related field of study. At the very least, they are usually college educated. The fun thing about technology, though, is that it's always changing and ever evolving. I don't recall any of my communications, broadcast, or mass media professors between 2005 and 2010 even remotely suggesting that AI would be a part of our work world one day. Yet, here we are. Working or serving in church communications means constantly keeping up with current technology and design trends and demonstrating a willingness to learn and adapt to new hardware, software, social platforms, and much more. Your world is always changing and ever evolving. For many of us, it also means becoming an expert on a multitude of unique things outside of our specific niche — things like branding, marketing, public relations, etc. We're not just expected to be talented videographers, editors, audio engineers, lighting technicians, graphic designers, and social media managers. We're also assumed to be masters of all things digital media and mass communication. Rest assured that you will learn far more in your daily ministry grind than you ever did during four years of college, regardless of your major. #2. I'm not in this for the money. [Obviously.] I won't sugarcoat it: Most full-time Church Communicators are either entirely volunteer or are embarrassingly underpaid. In addition to their responsibilities at the church, they are usually working a second full-time career (where they earn their salary) and may also have a freelance job or side hustle. They may be combining their salary with the salary of their spouse. Sometimes even all of that is not enough to make ends meet. A lot of small and midsize churches cannot or do not budget for creative resources and expenses, including the salary (salaries) of the church creative(s) who is pouring untold hours into tasks like social media management, video/audio editing, website design/updates, service production, graphic design, marketing, branding, and more. Thankfully, most church communicators who I know are not in this for the money. If they were, they never would've signed up for ministry in the first place. They're more than content to continue to work behind the scenes for the Kingdom. #3. No matter how great Sunday went, I usually criticize, nitpick, or overanalyze something in retrospect. I don't know about you, but I'm my worst critic. I can spend an entire week perfecting a graphic design project for the pastor's new sermon series only to scrap the whole thing on Saturday morning and stay up overnight in favor of crafting a completely different idea altogether that I will like 100 times better. Creatives are indecisive. Creatives are perfectionists. Creatives are risk takers. We know what works in terms of digital media and design. We know what inspires people to listen and engage. We know that poor design can lead some people to completely tune out a speaker altogether. We strive for excellence and flawlessness in all that we do and typically refuse to settle for "just good enough." If something went wrong during the service, you'll probably hear us talk about it later (even if we're the only ones who noticed.) #4. I struggle with unplugging from technology and taking time to "disconnect." This is hard enough for the average American, but when you work/serve in a technology-centered field at the full-time level every day of the week, breaking away from the devices can be next to impossible. Nevertheless, it's essential for a healthy personal, professional, and spiritual life. Put them down, go outside, take a walk, and spend time talking with Jesus. Better yet, take a vacation or a sabbatical. #5. I'm actually less secure than I appear. I may look like I have it all together, but on the inside I'm fragile. Maybe I'm overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, subconsciously [or consciously] comparing my work to other ministries, constantly seeking approval and reassurance, feeling inadequate, struggling with saying no despite having too many simultaneous projects, determined to make everyone happy even at the cost of my own mental/emotional/spiritual health, having a hard time trusting other leaders with my work, wondering if the grass is greener on the other side with a different church or organization — just to name a few. The journey to security is different for everyone, especially for creatives. If you're in church comms ministry, particularly at the leadership level, remember this: Most people do not follow insecure leaders. If you struggle with insecurity, the best thing that you can do — for yourself and your ministry — is admit it, face it, and overcome it through healthy counseling. #6. I've thought about leaving ministry, even though I won't do it. Let's be honest: You've thought about bailing, even though you never would, right? Of course you have. You probably thought about it this week. Or at least within the last month. You've considered trading all of this in for that customer service gig at your local AT&T. (Or maybe Verizon after AT&T's recent outage fiasco.) It's okay. It's actually a good sign that you're human. Everyone goes through seasons of doubt, confusion, and second guesses. My pro tip here though: Don't wander aimlessly in these emotions forever, plodding around in a puddle of indecision. Don't perch yourself comfortably on the fence between leaving and staying. You'll wind up putting in half the effort and being half the leader that God designed you to be. #7. There are still times when I feel helpless, clueless, or "out of my element." "Um...hey, guys...I have no idea what I'm doing." I'm guessing a few of us have uttered this phrase at least once. More than once? Even the most educated or experienced church communicator does not know everything [though we may like to think that we do.] And, believe it or not, we have our days when a particular task, project, production, piece of technology, hardware, software, or assignment gets the better of us and forces us to shift directions or to bring in a mentor. There's nothing wrong with asking for help or guidance. In fact, it's a sign that you're a healthy and self-aware leader. One of the best things that you can do in church comms leadership is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and who have experience, skills, and talent in the areas where you fall short. Eventually, if you do this ministry leadership thing long enough, you'll discover that answers and solutions are not always as obvious as we wish. True leadership is demonstrated in the midst of those unclear and directionless moments. That's when you have the opportunity to keep moving forward even when nothing seems to make sense. Those are the leaders who people want to follow. #8. Ministry can be tough on my family/spouse/kids/home life. Our personal Facebook photos and Instagram reels often tell a different story, don't they? We like it when people think we have it all together. This is not always the case, though, is it? Ministry stress is real and, despite our best efforts, it has a tendency to wash over into our families. It can (and does) affect marriages, kids, families, siblings, friendships, and more. (Side note: the Enemy loves it when this happens.) Home life can be rough. Ministry life can be rough. Work life can be rough. When you carelessly throw these three things together — combined with a lack of preparation, prayer, and experience — the results can be deadly. I've been in church comms ministry for 15 years and in a leadership role for over 10 years. More than once, I've dumped truckloads of my stress onto my family and just written it off as "the need to vent." There's absolutely no justification for this. Nevertheless, it happens. Pro tip: Be a leader in your home first, and your ministry second. #9. Rumors aside, I promise I cannot read minds. If I don't know about it, I can't design an announcement slide, social media graphic, webpage graphic, printout, or promo/marketing item for it. I really am working on my telepathy. I'm just not quite there yet. #10. I pray for, during, and over my church comms ministry more than you may ever know, and I have seen God do incredible things in very quiet, unassuming,"behind-the-scenes" ways. It's true that God loves to show up and show out. Sometimes He parts the Red Sea and thousands of people stand in awe of His power and glory. Other times, though, He indiscreetly turns water into wine at a wedding (because His mom asks him to), and only a handful of lowly servants know that a miracle has even taken place. Sometimes it's those quiet, unassuming miracles that are the best. It's those moments when your church's Facebook page reaches more non-followers than ever before — along with a boost in engagement and overall reach — and you're the only one who even knows or understands the significance of such numbers (or you and your comms team.) But when a visitor gets saved the following week; or when the ladies small group has three new faces; or when someone DMs the page asking what time your service starts — all the work, all the labor, all the sleepless nights, all the prayer, and all the love will be worth it. You know that. And that's why you do what you do. That's why you pray over what you do. And that's why you step back and watch Jesus do His thing. Without Him, the miracles won't happen, and the connection between the digital space and the physical space would be meaningless. One of the most beautiful things about Church Communications is that we're all on the same team and we're all in this together. We love each other. We support one another. We're not perfect. We make mistakes. Nevertheless, we have a passion and a vision for seeing the local church use the modern tools and digital resources of our age to reach the community, the city, and the world with the Gospel of Jesus. And we realize how overwhelmingly blessed we are — in the big picture of Eternity — just to play a very small part in that process.
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 iStockPhoto There's a whole lot of community organizations, charity groups, and ministries out there these days. One quick search across Google or your favorite social media platform will flood your device with more results than you ever imagined possible. The nonprofit market isn't just crowded. It's overflowing. Now more than any time in American history, people have a seemingly bottomless pool of options to choose from when selecting a charitable cause that is worth their personal financial investment. You may think that your nonprofit is special. And it very well may be. But, how you choose to communicate that to the rest of the world is critical. How you choose to differentiate it from the organization one city or one state over that does the same thing is essential.
In an age where donations can be made with the click of a mouse or one tap on a smartphone screen, it's more crucial than ever for your nonprofit brand to stand out amongst the crowd. It's more important than ever for your voice to be heard amongst the cacophony of noise that engulfs the market. Strong branding will give your organization a professional and memorable face, establish and build trust with followers, boost your credibility, clarify your message, and — most importantly — increase donations. The latter will typically happen by default when the former things have been done well. The donor of today is not the donor of our parent's or grandparent's generation. With the implementation of modern technology, the Internet, and social media, today's donors have the option of giving to organizations clear across the country or on the other side of the globe. [This is just as true for churches, by the way.] Spatial proximity is no longer a requirement. Moreover, donors enjoy interacting and engaging with digital content from the organizations that they support. This happens on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, blogs, and half a dozen others. They want to see photos; they want to comment on videos; they want to read blog posts; they want to share reels and graphics; and they want to subscribe to podcasts. They have come to expect this level of professionalism and creativity from every nonprofit organization that they support and are typically looking to support more than one at a time. You may have a great group of leaders and an incredible mission statement, but if your nonprofit does not have a quality digital presence and strong branding, you might as well not exist. I have friends who have literally never heard of some organizations because those ministries are not on social media or do not have a logo or a website. These groups are doing phenomenal work, but, to most of the world, they are invisible. A recent report from Abila — which surveyed 1,136 people across the United States — confirms that "nearly three-quarters (72%) of donors say poor content affects whether they decide to donate to a nonprofit organization." Furthermore, 35% of those surveyed admitted that they would stop donating to an organization altogether if the content was "too vague."— donor-loyalty-study.pdf When I was studying public relations, broadcast journalism, and mass media in college, several of my professors had a saying. You've probably heard it before. It went like this: "Content is king." But if there's one thing we've learned from the aforementioned survey — and through nonprofit work in general — it's that content also has to be unique, relevant, and excellent. Think about it: If your content is just like the other guy who does what you do, why should I follow you, much less financially support you? And if your content is awful and cheap, am I really going to hang around on your social media platforms or website? If your content is terrible or poorly designed, it does not give me the impression that you care about your own work, mission, or vision. And if you don't care, then why should I? Every day, your donors encounter over 4,000 digital and print ads. They are constantly bombarded by everything from TV & radio commercials and social media content to e-mail ads and even spam text messages and robocalls. If your nonprofit organization is going to stand out, then your content has to get their attention. The METHOD by which you share your message is just as paramount as the message itself. It's not just a matter of sharing your story. You have to share your story creatively in a way that connects with your specific audience and through a platform or medium with which they will want to engage and interact. And you have to do it with excellence and professionalism. Sadly, in terms of financial and quantitative resources, the nonprofit creative department usually comes out on the losing end. In fact, it's often the last thing in which most directors, leaders, and board members will invest. This should not be so. If you want to impact your current donors — and reach potential ones — then you need to devote time, money, and assets toward your creative team members and the strategies that they plan to implement. In the end, it's the creativity behind the message and the organization that will effect change and leave a lasting impression. It's creative storytelling that influences people. And that's what you want. Remember: Today's donors want to know that their dollars are making a difference. For that happen, your organization has to 1) stand out from the crowd 2) have a solid message and vision 3) be able to tell your story with creativity, excellence, and professionalism. Don't just say that you're going to do it. Get out there and make it happen. I'm In Church Comms and, Yes, I Sometimes Pay For Digital Ministry Resources Myself. Here's Why.1/25/2024  Getty Images On June 5 of last year, I published a blog that still remains the most popular, most viewed, most commented on, and most shared post on this site to date. You might remember "10 Things Your Church Communicator Won't Tell You."
In that post, I discussed several things that the average church communicator likely struggles with and faces in this ever-evolving ministry niche. I covered a lot of issues ranging from personal battles with perfectionism to working late nights or even the occasional overnighter. But, if you recall, the very first statement in the list was this: "I spend my own personal money on a lot of digital media, software, and/or equipment." Over the last few days, that statement seems to have sparked some interesting dialogue and debate concerning what actually constitutes fair practice in this regard, with people landing on both sides of the fence. (And a few people straddling the fence.) Before I get into that, let's clarify one thing. The statement would probably read better like this: "I may sometimes spend my own personal money on a lot of digital media, software, and/or equipment." Now, let's look at the arguments, opinions, and thoughts that are coming in via social media and email and see if we can tackle this thing from a rational and Scriptural perspective. I think it's safe to assume that I've got followers and readers across the church communications spectrum, hailing from all sorts of different ministry backgrounds, walks of life, situations, and scenarios, including those serving in big church world and others in the small church world. This is very important to keep in mind because the ministry niche in which you serve will often, even if it happens subconsciously, influence how you see things like this. You may not even be aware that the way you think about a particular issue has been influenced by the years or decades that you've spent in a particular type of church or ministry. With all that being said, I think we can also agree on the fact that every person/church/situation is dramatically different. There is no rule of thumb here. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Many small churches, like the one where I serve, would never be able to even remotely dream of affording the digital tech and resources that larger churches take for granted. At my small rural church in south Alabama, I serve on staff as full-time volunteer Communications Director. I easily put 30-40+ hours/week into the digital and social media management, graphic design, print design, marketing/promo content, photo/video editing, website management, and much more on a weekly basis. I am essentially a team of one. I do not receive a salary. I never have. I've been in this position since around my freshman year of college in 2005. Yes, I am well aware that there are church communicators in larger churches who are doing exactly what I am doing and being paid a full-time, livable salary for it. This is not news to me. I know the stats. I know the numbers. But, here's the thing: A lot of small churches across America, like mine, are usually doing good if they can keep the lights on every week and pay their water bill. In fact, ever since the PC in our tech booth died, I've been using my personal MacBook Pro to run the Sunday morning digital media. Also, in all transparency, my church has a gym that is, quite literally, falling apart. My church is in need of a new roof. My church has bathrooms that need repair. My church has rooms that need new carpet. I could go on for two more paragraphs, but you get the picture. The building was constructed during the 70's and has many shortcomings, defects, and structural problems. From a financial perspective, these issues are far more pressing and relevant than finding room in the budget for Josh's monthly Adobe CC subscription or his sporadic purchases from sites like Lightstock and iStock. Is Josh using Adobe CC for his church? Yep. Do his Lightstock and iStock purchases show up in digital worship media, sermon series graphics, social media graphics, web design, event graphics/promo campaigns, and half a dozen other things all the time? Yep. But, Josh would have to be The World's Biggest Jerk to expect his blue collar/no collar church to pay for that when his church is supporting missions, inner city faith-based rehabs, saving for building repairs, and doing 100 other Kingdom-focused things that require funds which they do not have, but that they know that God will provide. [And He always does.] Now, my situation is slightly different because, in addition to my unpaid volunteer position at my church, I am also the full-time Comms Director for a church revitalization nonprofit organization. This is where I earn my salary, such as it is. (In effect, you might say I am bi-vocational.) Some, but not all, of my digital and tech needs have been factored into the budget here and are covered by the organization, which has been nice. For example, I work remote and they purchased my iMac. They also cover the cost of a few of my design softwares on a monthly basis. And I usually have the green light to use the company card for digital purchases like stock photos and other various design elements. So, I am usually not spending personal money on THIS SIDE of my ministry/work world. They did not, however, cover the cost of my MacBook Pro. I bought that myself. And when I decide to upgrade my MacBook Pro to a newer model, I will probably have to do that on my own. But, you know what? That's ok. (Side note: I also use my tech and software for freelance work and side hustles, so that's a factor worth discussing in a later post or in the comment thread.) So, back to the church/volunteer world. Since I am not a paid staff member, I do not have the expectation that the church pay for things that I, out of servanthood and personal sacrifice, choose to pay for myself. If the church had extra money lying around, I would prefer to see them put that toward building repairs, missions, rehab ministry partnerships, etc. before trying to factor digital media expenses into the budget or trying to give me a salary. See, here's the thing: If I have been blessed by God with the financial and digital resources, and the time and talents, to give my small church a professional and attractive presence on social media and the Internet, and to have nice worship service visuals, why would I NOT do that? Moreover, I consider the digital design resources that I pay for on a regular, monthly, or recurring basis — as well as the ones that crop up unexpectedly and spontaneously — to all be gifts for my church. Think of it like tithing. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul has been asking his Corinthian readers to marvel with him at the evidence of God's grace in the lives of the Macedonian believers. Remember this? Despite the poverty, persecution, and difficulties that they endured, these Christians in Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi gave generously, abundantly, and sacrificially in order to meet the needs of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. You might remember what Paul said of their giving in verse three: "For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord." (ESV) The New Living Translation says it like this: "For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will." (NLT) I've seen a lot of arguments that no church should ever expect or force a church communicator (or any other staff member) to pay for ministry resources out of their own pocket. That's certainly fair and true. Let's not force anything. But, if we're being honest here, that was never the point of my blog post or my Facebook post, was it? The reality is that small churches are the majority in America and it's these churches that usually [often] do not have a budget for digital media ministry. In fact, it's typically the farthest thing from their mind. They've got more pressing financial dilemmas to overcome. Some of them are trying to figure out how to pay the pastor(s). And, in the end, the overarching point and bigger picture here is this: If you're a Church Communicator who has chosen, of your own free will, to give generously, sacrificially, and abundantly — over and above — to the work of the Kingdom, you are storing up treasures in Heaven. [Matthew 6:19-21] This applies no matter what size church you are serving. (And, please remember, "serve" is the key word here.) It doesn't make you any better than anyone else. It doesn't make you more spiritual. It doesn't make our other Church Communicators enemies. It just mean you're in a different boat and, because of your situation, you choose to operate differently. I have ministry friends, worship leadership friends, and Church Comms friends who work/serve in both the big church and small church arenas. I have very close friends who work/serve at big churches that have all of the cool toys, all of the resources, and the budget to make it all happen. And, let me be clear: There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I love my friends in the big church ministry space. A lot of those churches are able to do a lot of good work for the Kingdom. In fact, I've worked in and been a part of the big church world myself. But, that simply isn't the case for a lot of little churches — like the one I have been at for 20 years now — that are filled with blue collar/no collar people. There are countless churches where tithing is a rarity and monthly income is irregular and unpredictable. In fact, through my work in the church revitalization space, I personally know a lot of churches where the lead pastor is bi-vocational so that he can support his family and he isn't even taking a salary from the church (because they can't afford to pay him one.) These churches have digital media, worship instruments, soundboards, lighting, coffee, and much more all because of the personal sacrifices of individuals within the church, oftentimes including people who are on "staff." They love the church enough to give over and above what is expected of them. I understand the argument that when ministry leaders pay for their own resources it can potentially lead to an enablement mindset. I understand the argument that it can set expectations high. I understand the argument that it can potentially set an unhealthy precedent and potentially override personal boundaries. And, as we've said already, no church should ever force this sort of thing to happen or expect it. But, I have to ask: Should small churches just go completely and utterly without technology, digital media, and/or worship instruments for the sake of "potentials"? I just have to wonder how many of the Macedonian Christians were worried about those things. I would think that, in 2024, the least we can do is buy an $8.00 stock photo or a guitar capo every once in a while. The least we can do is pay for our monthly software subscriptions to win souls for Jesus. I mean, it's the least we can do, guys. Also, I have to wonder how many of those arguments will wash when we're on our faces before Jesus, our risen King and Savior, who still has nail scars on His hands. I have to wonder how many of those arguments will matter when it's time to lay our crowns at His feet. I have to wonder how He would respond if I said, "Well, you see, Jesus, there just wasn't enough money in the budget." or "Sorry, Jesus, the finance committee just wouldn't approve that." I have to wonder. When all is said and done, it's obvious that there are pros and cons to both models and both situations/scenarios. But, budgets and personal expenditures and personal choices aside, I do think there's one thing on which we can all agree: It would be super cool for the big churches and the little churches to work together more often for the sake of the Gospel and the call of the Kingdom. Just sayin'.  Lightstock It was somewhere around 2005 when I accepted the calling to Church Communications ministry. I was a clueless college freshman and had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. (Perhaps you can relate.) All I really knew is that my dad's sermon PowerPoint slides looked atrocious and I felt compelled to rescue him from the pit of poor design. In fact, at the time, I didn't really think Church Comms would be my full-time career in life. The future was bright and loaded with endless possibilities. I was working my way through a bachelor's degree in Communications with a track in broadcast journalism and had dreams of becoming a famous reporter and traveling the world. If anything, church work would just be an occasional side gig. God, however, had other plans. (Doesn't He always?) As the years went on, and I immersed myself more and more in worship leadership, graphic design, and media ministry, I sort of cultivated this notion of what it might be like to work in Church Comms at the full-time level. What I envisioned in my mind's eye had made this a glamorous job full of perks, benefits, status, style, and recognition. Buying all the latest Apple tech and Adobe software. Spending endless hours in coffeeshops sipping on expensive lattes and cappuccinos as I designed jaw-dropping sermon series graphics. Bringing my church into the 21st Century with a stellar social media presence that would make us look like a church of 1,000 rather than 100. Rocking my designer jeans and dress shirts as I multitasked between leading worship, playing guitar on stage with the band, running busily around the room, responding to online prayer requests and direct messages, and manning the tech booth and livestream during the remainder of the service. Building, designing, and implementing a stunning website that would bring half the city through the doors of our building in less than a year. People would flock to our congregation, I thought, because our digital presence would be that good, that professional, and that engaging. I pictured it all looking and working a certain way. And guess what? It was all rather glamorous. Fast-forward 15 years. Church Comms is now my full-time calling and career. It is not, nor has it ever been, glamorous. It is [usually] grunt work. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I'm just speaking the truth here. Now, don't misunderstand. I have a deep affection for my job and am passionate about the work I do. I love the mission and calling of Church Communications and the niche in which I have been called to serve. But, the fact of the matter is that there are a great many things about digital media ministry and the work of Church Comms that are overwhelmingly dull, monotonous, and exhausting on the good days and, on the bad days, utterly gut-wrenching, soul-crushing, mind-numbing, and spirit-sapping. Those of you who have been in this branch of ministry for as long as I have (or longer) know exactly of what I speak. There's nothing glamorous about spending 40-plus grueling hours at your screen for an entire week designing, building, and implementing the church's new website, only to have the powers-that-be tell you to change 138 different things about it. There's nothing glamorous about unveiling a new logo — after an ungodly amount of drafts — just so that Brother Billy can tell you to go back to the drawing board and start over again from scratch. There's nothing glamorous about spending two weeks designing, styling, branding, and implementing the pastor's new sermon series slide graphics and matching/corresponding social media promo content, just so that he can tell you on a Saturday night he wants to make a change to the Sunday morning media which has been finished and ready to go since Friday. There's nothing glamorous about spending an entire weekend immersed in video/graphic/social/print editing so that your church can be excited about baptism or discipleship, when you could be going out to dinner with your family, spouse, or significant other. There's nothing glamorous about working with an entire staff of people who don't understand the amount of hours it takes to design original graphic artwork, sermon series media, etc. There's nothing glamorous about being a one-man or one-woman comms team for over a decade and realizing you need to build and train an entire group because, let's face it, you won't always be around. And there's definitely nothing glamorous about juggling two, three, or four jobs and streams of income so that you can make ends meet, pay for the software and hardware you need, and simultaneously hold to the ministry calling you know that God has for you. This is real life. And the reality is that, especially in ministry, someone has to do the grunt work. Someone has to do the heavy lifting. In Director Rob Reiner's 1987 medieval classic "The Princess Bride" — based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman — André René Roussimoff (André the Giant) became famous around the world for his portrayal of the behemoth Fezzik. In the movie, we learn that Fezzik was a former member of something called The Brute Squad. This group of tough guys are in the employment and service of the evil Prince Humperdinck and it is their responsibility to do the thankless and menial tasks and perform the physical labor which no one else can do. (Including, but not limited to, hauling supplies, chopping down trees, beating people up and removing large groups of peasants from forests. But, that's a story for another time. Go watch the movie.) In short, these are the guys who do the grunt work.  When it comes to Church Comms ministry, it's the grunt work that is often critical. It's the grunt work that is paramount to your church's ministry efforts. And it's the grunt work that will see eternal results for the Kingdom. You may utterly despise and altogether loathe staying up until 3:15 in the morning, sipping on coffee, in order to finish the social media updates, wrap out the sermon series graphic design content, and put the final touches on website updates. But, when one of those social media graphics prompts a lost person to visit your next worship service because their friend invited them to follow your church on Instagram, it will be worth it. You may detest the headache you have every single time you plunge into a long night of video editing. There may be days when you swear you'll never design another brochure or update another website ever again. But when that single mom who's been drowning in depression for over a decade finds your church because of a handout a coworker gave her, it will be worth it. When the visitor who's been watching your website livestream for six weeks finally shows up in-person and gets saved a month later, it will be worth it. Do the grunt work, Church Communicators. And do it well. Form a Brute Squad if you have to. There's strength in numbers. But do the work nonetheless. Souls are hanging in the balance. Jesus is trusting us. And the Kingdom is counting on us.  Lightstock  Getty Images/iStockPhoto 'Tis the season. Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year. I mean, that's what the song says, so it must be true, right? But, it can also be one of the most stressful, chaotic, and utterly overwhelming times of the year, particularly for those of us in ministry. This is especially true in Church Communications. Not only are we juggling our regular weekly responsibilities — such as prepping digital media, designing graphics, managing social media, solving technical errors, operating livestreams, shooting and editing video, updating websites, overseeing AVL, marketing sermon series, and responding to countless e-mails — we're also trying to spend time with family and friends, plan and cook meals, and get our shopping done. The Christmas lights on our trees and throughout our towns and cities may be burning bright, but many of us are on the verge of burning out. I call it the "Christmas Freak-Out." Perhaps you're familiar with it. Whether by firsthand experience or vicariously, you've found yourself at the intersection of extreme stress, tight deadlines, high expectations, and — on the other side — no sleep, substandard nutrition, and a myriad of family obligations. When these elements collide, the "freak-out" — or, at least, the temptation for it — is all but inevitable. Christmastime, and all of its accompanying stresses, comes at the end of an already busy year, making it extremely easy for staff to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, even bitter and resentful. The deep-seated desire to meet the needs of your congregation, combined with an intense pressure to ensure everything runs smoothly, can easily conjure up a whirlwind of emotions. And when things don't work and deadlines go unmet, it's easy to freak out. But, the good news is this: You don't have to freak out. You don't have to pull your hair out. You don't have to burnout. By implementing a little bit of strategy, planning, and a whole lot of grace and prayer, you can thrive in Church Comms this Christmas season. Here's how: #1. Start projects early. I know, I know. I sound like your mother at this point, right? Or maybe I sound like mine. I don't know. But the reality is that Christmas comes at the same time every year. There's no sense in procrastinating. So why do so many of us keep doing it? Maybe it's just human nature. Maybe it's sheer laziness and apathy. Whatever the case, you can save yourself a lot of stress, anxiety, and frustration by planning in advance. [And, if you're like me, avoid a lot of migraines.] Ask your pastor to give you the details of his Christmas series two or three months out so that you can begin brainstorming graphic design, marketing, digital media, videography, social promos, etc. Waiting until the end of November to start working on things will only make it worse. Christmas in ministry world is not limited to one single service. Christmas is an entire season of services, events, kids programs, dinners, banquets, and so much more. Each of these things requires endless hours of preparation. The earlier you start, the better off you will be. #2. Feed your soul. Avoid the pitfalls of spiritual malnourishment or starvation during the chaos of Christmastime. It can be easy to subconsciously slip into a task-oriented routine of prioritizing performance over presence. When this happens, things like morning devotions and prayer tend to go out the window. Slow down and carve out some quiet time with the God who we're asking everyone else to focus on during the holidays. Turn on your favorite worship music and reflect on the richness and messages of the songs. Thank God for all that He has done for you and your church and family this year. #3. Assemble the volunteers! Your church's Comms Ministry should not operate solely on the backs of your full-time staff members. Volunteers are essential and this is never more true than in the midst of the stress and chaos associated with Christmas. Ideally, you should have volunteers in place to serve in areas where your staff members cannot. No staff member [or, for that matter, volunteer] should be stretched too thin. Of course, this will not be possible in every scenario. There will be times when the workload seems insurmountable. But a healthy supply of volunteers makes for a healthy church and, in this case, a healthy Comms Ministry. Once you've mapped out your Christmas projects and tasks, you can begin delegating. #4. Don't be a Grinch. It's easy to sink into worry, pessimism, and even anger when you're under large amounts of stress, trying to meet seemingly unreasonable demands. But, Scripture is clear: "Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you." [1 Peter 5:6-7]; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." [Philippians 4:6] There's no need to worry or fret, as tempting as it may be. It's a total killjoy and will always usher in unnecessary stress. This will ruin Christmas faster than you can say, "Fah-who foris, dah-who doris." #5. Do be a David. David wasn't just a warrior on the battlefield with Goliath and other enemies. He was a warrior in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer. He used prayer to discover the will of God and seek guidance. [1 Samuel 23:10-12] He used prayer when in need of forgiveness for his mistakes, deficiencies, and weaknesses. [2 Samuel 24:10] And he used prayer for everyday conversation with God and to grow closer to Him. [Psalm 23] Just take a look at any of the Psalms. Prayer is our way of communicating with a God who is holy and powerful, as we regularly remind ourselves that He is sovereign and in total control. No matter how chaotic, stressful, and disorganized things become for us — in our finite and limited understanding as humans — God has never once lost control of a situation. Not once. Take your anxieties and concerns to Him in prayer. He can handle them. #6. Use multiple communication channels. The news of the Savior's birth was heralded across the earth through multiple channels. From angels and simple shepherds to wise men, prophets, kings, a virgin girl, and a carpenter, God the Father would write the epic story of the Messiah's arrival by using dozens of select people. When it comes to our church's internal and external communication, we must do the same. Follow God the Father's example and embrace a multi-channel approach. Don't limit yourself to just group texts or just Slack. Have backup plans and communicate in a way that will resound with your audience and leave lasting impacts, no matter who that audience happens to be. You really can avoid the Christmas Freak-Out and thrive in your Church Communications role this year. You do not have to experience burnout during this or any other season. With a little strategy and a whole lot of grace, you and your comms team can emerge stronger than ever!  AdobeStock |
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