Alright, we need to have us a little chat. No, no, I'm not mad. I just think a little clarification and general housekeeping are in order. Let me explain. The more I spend time with church communicators, pastors, and many other small church leaders in general, the more I'm noticing a disturbing trend. Ok, so maybe it's just more annoying than it is disturbing. Either way, it's really not good and it should be addressed before it becomes a bigger issue, particularly since it prevents a lot of small churches from ministering to their communities to the fullest extent. Let's call it a matter of "digital definitions," shall we?
 
See, here's the deal, folks: A Facebook Page is not the same thing as a website. Let me say that one more time: A Facebook Page is NOT the same thing as a website.

Yes, Facebook itself is a website. (You know, facebook.com.) Simply put, it's a site on the web — one of about two billion in case you're counting. But, it's not just any website. It's a particular kind of website known as a social networking site (SNS). By definition, it's "an online platform that allows users to create a public profile and interact with other users." Furthermore, it's a business. Facebook is free for its users, but it has to make money somehow. META, the company that owns Facebook, primarily draws in revenue by selling advertising space on the various SNS platforms that it owns. META also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and a few other tech companies. This places META in the Big Tech top five, along with other giants like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. (All of whom will probably one day usher in the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but that's a discussion for another time.) 

Now, you might be wondering what the heck any of this has to do with anything. And you're really wondering what it has to do with you and your church. Well, the reality is that a lot of pastors, church leaders, and even comms volunteers — particularly those in the small church space — are operating under the mindset that having a Facebook Page is the exact same thing as having a website. Many of them do not even know that there is a difference between the two. Believe it or not, I've been to churches where I've asked, "So do you guys have a website?" and someone will reply, "Yeah! It's facebook.com/churchname." 

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but if your church is only on Facebook, then it does not have a website. It has a Page that exists within Facebook's platform and is therefore subject to the rules, definitions, and realities of that platform. The fact that you had to name a public company (Facebook) before saying, "backslash" and then giving me the name of your church, followed by .com, should have all been indicators that something was amiss. This is not a website where you have primary control over your content. This is a public profile on someone else's website and THAT WEBSITE  happens to be Facebook. So, in the bigger picture, Facebook (or, really, META) has the right to exercise authority over your content. Here's an easier way to think of it: Your church is ON a website, but it doesn't HAVE a website. 
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With that established, let's talk about why you need your OWN website in addition to a Facebook Page and/or expanded social media presence.
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The number one hesitation and argument I hear — especially from small church leaders — is: "We don't have the money for a nice website."  While it might be true that you don't have the budget or financial resources for a $1,000 website, I would be willing to bet that you could afford a Wordpress, Squarespace, or Wix site. The most popular plan over at Squarespace is their "Business" plan and it rings in at a whopping $23/month. (You can see all their plans and features here.) That includes everything from your free custom domain, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, plenty of nice templates, mobile device optimization, 24/7 customer support, and more. And if we're being honest, your church probably spends more than that on monthly printing costs alone. Personally, you probably spend more than that in one family outing to Chick-fil-A. There's undoubtedly something you can cut out in order to invest in an affordable, professional website. And the benefits far exceed the cost. This website will become the face of your church to the local community (not to mention the world), your primary platform for discoverability and first impressions, and an indispensable tool for ministry, outreach, and evangelism. (Side note: I'm a big advocate of CloverSites and personally use their platform for my church and for 6.14 Ministries. I've also built and designed websites for other churches from this platform.)
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Your church may not have those kind of testimonies, or it might, but either way, everyone has a story to tell. And stories are powerful, especially the encouraging ones. Make use of them on your social media platforms. I guarantee you'll get some engagement and responses. ​

#3. Celebrate success stories in your church when they happen. 

This could be anything from a baptism, a salvation, or even a drug/alcohol-free anniversary. It might even be a Christian businessman or woman with an incredible story to tell. It could be that prodigal who finally left his pig pen to come home. Let those moments shine. Take photos. Shoot video. Post them to your social platforms and let your followers in the digital sphere see what God is doing. He gets the glory every time.

#4. Post encouraging quotes from the sermon throughout the week. 

This is especially great for your church's Twitter feed if you have one, but it works just as well for Facebook too. Extract four or five encouraging and uplifting quotes (keep them short) from your pastor's latest sermon. Space them out over a few days and post one per day in-between your other regular content (verses, testimonies, graphics, photos, events, etc.) Your followers will enjoy sharing and retweeting these. They're sort of like little "encouragement snacks" that you can scatter across the trail as they circle back around to the following Sunday. You don't have to design graphics to make these quotes stand out, especially if they're short. Just type them right out into the status box and post it.
 
#5. Post links to encouraging content, material, and resources. 

Did one of your small group leaders reference a devotional or a book? Did your pastor happen to mention a YouVersion reading plan on grace somewhere in the middle of his current series on grace? These links can be encouraging, beneficial, and helpful for your audience. They should ring out in your ears like little sirens when you hear them during the Sunday message. Make a note and be sure to post them to your church's social media platform(s) that day. Not only will you likely provide your pastor the time and work of posting that content to his personal social media accounts, you'll be sharing the content with a wider audience since your page is public and therefore accessible by the entire world. 

What do you think? 
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Social media — and the digital sphere as a whole — is full of incredible ways that we can encourage, inspire, comfort, and love people as the Local Church. I believe it's what we're called to do there as we reach them with the hope of the Gospel. If social media is a cultural battlefield — as some have called it — then may encouragement, grace, and the love of Jesus be our battlecries.

If there's one truth about the role of the pastor and that of the Church Communicator, it's that we're both on the same team. Moreover, we both long to see our people worship God, learn from His Word, and apply the principles of Scripture to their lives as they become disciples and disciple-makers. So what is it that occasionally causes tension or friction between pastors and techies? Why is it often so hard for us to understand, encourage, honor, and value one another? Why do some of us butt heads like big horn sheep? 

Let's be honest here: There are moments where the connection between pastors and Church Communicators is incredibly tense, awkward, and uneasy to say the least. Sometimes it's downright unhealthy. This is rarely ever intentional on the part of either person, and yet, nevertheless, the problems can still arise. Sometimes it's just a matter of the techie wishing the pastor better understood certain aspects about the role of the techie within the church and within ministry. This is sometimes our own fault for not communicating what we need — which is ironic considering that we are Church Communicators. Sometimes it's a matter of the pastor not understanding technology, which can lead to being intimidated by it. That isn't necessarily his fault and, to be candid, most pastors don't want to have their hands in the tech anyway.
 
Ultimately, both people need one another in order to have a strong and fruitful ministry that makes a difference in the local community. No matter which position you're in — pastor or Church Communicator — there are some things that you can do to alleviate potential issues and strive for an awesome partnership as you serve the church and advance the Kingdom of God together. 

​Here are a few ideas: 

#1. Go to lunch or coffee together. Get to know each others' hearts. 

A lot of miscommunication, tension, and frustration between individuals in ministry stems from a lack of understanding, empathy, and deeper connection. So much of this could be avoided if those who work together would just take the time to get to know one another first. Have fun, laugh, and tell stories. Discover the other person's vision, goals, and drive for ministry. Ask questions about their ministry history. Have an open mind and listen to their ideas. Who knows? You might even learn a thing or two from the other person. What's more, you might even become friends. *gasp* 

#2. Affirm and thank each other. 

It may sound like a cheesy cliché, but everyone needs to feel needed. We all appreciate feeling appreciated. To my fellow techies: Thank your pastor every so often for delivering an encouraging or challenging sermon. To all the pastors reading this: Thank and compliment your Comms Directors for their hard work and long hours at the screens throughout the week. This will serve to strengthen ties and bond everyone together all the more. 

#3. Ask questions and seek to genuinely learn.
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If there's something you need to know or want to learn about the role and territory of the other person, just ask. We can serve better, more effectively and more efficiently when we understand the functionality of each position and develop a respect for it. 

#4. Admit when you're at fault. 

Just do it. No Excuses.

#5. Remember that no one is perfect. 

Even Jesus had trouble with His "staff." The disciples were not flawless (by any stretch of the imagination) and Christ was continually calling them to a life of holiness while simultaneously lavishing grace upon them as well. We should do the same for one another. God doesn't call us because we're perfect. He perfects us as we are called. He doesn't make choices and ministry appointments based on who people are, but rather on who they will eventually become. We should remember this as we work together with one another in the ministry environment. 

#6. Build a team atmosphere together and then be an integral part of that team.
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Nothing encourages unity more than bringing people together through fun activities like staff retreats, Escape Rooms, bowling nights, or hiking trips. Incorporate some creative leadership training activities into these outings and aim for trust-building, personal connection, and lots of laughs. 

#7. Always have regular staff meetings.

These sessions allow for pastors and Church Comms Directors to voice things in the company of other staff members that may be easier said in a group setting or might have been forgotten in earlier one-on-one conversations. As a leader and core staff member in your church, you should be developing those under you and checking off on areas like progress, struggles, questions, and any decisions they might need you to make. Pastors and Comms Directors will work better together when they see how things are going within staff meeting settings and can make adjustments together as needed. 

#8. Pray together and for one another. 

Every church leader — pastors, elders, worship leaders, Comms Directors, children's ministers, etc. — all shoulder enormous weights and responsibilities every week while simultaneously juggling the burdens and duties of their personal lives. Ministry means hard days. Ministry means long hours. We need one another and we need prayer support from those on our team.

If you've ever met and/or worked with me in-person, then you know I'm incredibly passionate about the Local Church using digital and social media to spread the Gospel. It's probably my favorite thing to help pastors and church leaders implement and my favorite subject to speak about at summits and conferences. I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually wind up writing a book on the subject. 

This week, I wanted to jot down a few tips, musings, and suggestions on church social media management, as well as some of the lessons I've learnt from my 20-plus years in this ministry niche.

#1. Keep your social media pages and profiles clean and professional. 

First impressions are critical in Church Comms and when it comes to social media, an unprofessional, poorly designed, or cluttered page can be an instant turn-off for a potential visitor. This is especially true for the Gen Zers and millennials. (You may find this annoying, but that doesn't change the reality.) If there's one thing psychology has repeatedly told us about the human brain, it's that we make concrete decisions based on first impressions. These decisions are often difficult to change. Think about the time you resolved you would never return to that one restaurant or movie theatre because of the terrible experience you had. We've all been there. 

Remember: Your church's social media presence communicates volumes about your church and, unlike your physical building, it's viewable and accessible by the entire world (and all before they ever decide to attend.) 

To make an outstanding first impression, you need to have the right social media tools, design programs, strategies, posting methodologies, and a game plan for engagement. You need to have a professionally managed page with well-designed content and well-worded posts. People can tell when you're being lazy and just phoning it in. Don't do it. 

#2. Highlight your volunteers. 

Use video or photo mediums to shoutout your volunteers on your church's Facebook and Instagram pages. This is a great way to let your followers meet new faces or get to know longtime volunteers even better. It also adds an element of authenticity to your page (more on that later), something which is desperately needed within digital marketing these days, and particularly within the Local Church. 

#3. Use recurring posts.

Did you know it's ok to post the same content more than once? In fact, it's a good thing. Your entire audience isn't online at the same time. They have different lives and their schedules will vary dramatically. Reposting important content will give them the chance to see it in the feed again later, especially with the way all of the crazy Facebook algorithms are working these days. 

#4. Always engage. Always. 

I mentioned earlier that I've been doing this Church Comms thing for quite a while now. There may be nothing that grinds my gears worse than a church page moderated by folks who never reply to comments or direct messages. The Local Church is called to be relational. Social media is exactly that: It's SOCIAL. Ask questions and respond to your people when they leave comments. Make them feel included in the online community. 

Also, if we're going to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the digital sphere, we must reply to comments and messages, particularly from visitors and seekers. If we ignore them, they will move on. 

#5. Don't compare yourself to or be intimidated by 'the competition.' 

Although there are several basic rules of professionalism, neatness, and orderliness you should undoubtedly follow, you shouldn't become so immersed in this way of thinking that you start copying or mirroring successful churches. Maintain your own special digital identity on social media and be unique in your posts. You have no need to be better than or similar to another church on social media. You can always learn from them and adapt their successful formulas to your own strategies. 

#6. Be Authentic. 

This tip piggybacks off of number five. People are drawn to truth, credibility, and honesty. In a world full of lies, scandals, and cover-ups, we've grown to deeply appreciate people who are real, genuine, and authentic. Posting deeply personal testimonies and stories of spiritual victories to your page is a great way to maintain authenticity. (Everyone loves a great story.) You never want your church to be perceived as fake or full of goody-goodies. 

#7. Utilize humor. 

Far too many Christian social media pages and church pages exude a deeply theological or profound tone of voice. In other words, everything they write sounds super serious. There's nothing wrong with this for posts about Scripture or sermon content. But your page should be posting engagement posts as well and some of those should be lighthearted and fun. If you can make your audience laugh and smile, they will continue to return to your page and will be more inclined to share your content. 

#8. Brevity is [usually] your friend. 

In the world of social media, you have two seconds or less to capture someone's attention in the Newsfeed. They will typically not read a paragraph-long post, much less a multi-paragraph post. Just because it's called "Facebook" doesn't mean you need to write a book. Also, video content is more engaging and can stop the scroll. People love watching videos, especially short ones. If your pastor is posting daily devotional videos, be sure to share them every once in a while to the main church page. Keep things simple, short, and to the point. 

#9. You can't and don't have to be everywhere at once on social media. 

This is especially true for a lot of the small churches I have worked with where limited staff and lack of volunteers is an issue. If you're a lead, assistant, or worship pastor trying to juggle your regular responsibilities with managing the church's social media accounts, my guess is that you're feeling overwhelmed. The truth is that you don't need to feel the pressure to be everywhere and on every platform. Facebook is an excellent start and from there you can move on to Instagram and Twitter if/when you're able to handle it. It's far better to devote your time and attention to having a high-quality presence on one singular platform, rather than attempting to be everywhere at the same time and ultimately wind up accomplishing nothing in terms of digital ministry. 

#10. Become a masterful storyteller. 

I've discussed the importance of storytelling in a previous post and in a podcast episode of Rescuing Churches, so I won't belabor this point, but it really does matter. Storytelling is literally one of the most powerful and effective ways in which human beings communicate with one another. There's a reason that myths, folklore, legends, ancient fables, and centuries-old parables have always spread throughout the world over the course of global history and continue to resonate. As a broadcast journalism major in college, storytelling was a big part of my education. Even if you don't consider yourself to be strong in this area, I would challenge you to become a student of quality storytelling. Read books and blogs on the subject. Have coffee with people who excel at it. Then, strive to weave intriguing narratives through some of the posts on your church's social media platforms. Your content will resound more powerfully if a memorable story is attached. 

What Else? 

Ok, I'm stopping here at 10 because, well, I have to be up early in the morning and there's almost an infinite number of tips and strategies for social media. What did I leave out? Are there some tips that have been helpful for you? Did you find my list to be beneficial? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below or shoot me an e-mail!