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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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. |
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