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Video Conferencing Isn't Going Anywhere. Learn To Be A Pro.

6/30/2020

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IMAGE SOURCE: ZOOM

​Long before the COVID crisis sent pastors and small group teachers into a frenzied scramble to master platforms like Zoom, GoToMeeting, or Google Hangouts, a whole lot of folks in the business world were already video conferencing on a daily basis. I personally know several individuals — including my little brother — who weren’t phased at all by the national shift towards these tools. Of course there were the seasoned techies like myself who had only ever utilized platforms like FaceTime or Skype and now found ourselves asking, “What black magic sorcery is this?” 
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Anyway, video conferencing is great. I serve on staff at a church that implemented Zoom and most folks found it useful, particularly during our brief COVID shutdown. My dad, the lead pastor, continues to use it regularly throughout the week to meet with local and non-local pastors and church leaders and to participate in prayer groups that include people who are spread across multiple cities and states. Our church has regathered for in-person fellowship, but Zoom remains valuable for a few of our small groups and for ministry-to-ministry communication in general. 

I’m not ignorant though. Not everyone is like my little brother or my dad. One was already well-acquainted with the tech, and the other adapted quickly and stuck with it. Unfortunately, many pastors, elders, volunteers, and small group leaders need training on how to use video conferencing platforms as well as on proper digital meeting etiquette. But, rather than drone on endlessly about HOW to use Zoom, HangOuts or GoToMeeting (Google and YouTube are your best friends for tutorials), I thought I would simply pass along a few tidbits of advice from my own unique experiences and observations. Here they are in no particular order:  
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1. Please introduce everyone before you start.

There’s truly nothing more awkward than being in a meeting — real or virtual — where someone is a total stranger. If you were having the meeting in-person, and you knew that there were some folks who had never previously met, you would naturally extend the courtesy of introducing them before getting down to business. Do the same thing over your digital platform. It will make everyone feel comfortable and welcomed. 
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2. Be mindful of your personal attire and background view.

​If you’re going to be video conferencing with your pastor — or even your small group — you probably shouldn’t be wearing your pajamas. Also, before you turn on your camera, look around your office or your room and see if it’s neat and free of distractions. You don’t want to be “that guy” everyone talks about afterwards. There should be little to no background noise and no sudden movements. Yes, this might mean you have to send the kids and pets out of the room. 

3. If you're the leader, have an agenda.

What’s the point of this meeting? Why are we all here? What topics need to be covered and discussed and in what order? These are all questions you should have worked out long before everyone arrives on their cameras. Hopefully you would do the same thing if you were meeting in a physical conference room. 
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4. Look directly into the camera when speaking.

​In order to best simulate eye contact with the individual(s) on the conference call, you will need to look straight into your device’s camera rather than at your own live playback video. Viewing yourself will give off an overall impression of distractedness because your eyes will be fixated on a random section of your screen. Not cool. Remember: as leader or facilitator of the meeting, you want everyone to feel engaged and included in the conversation. Eye contact is one of the best ways to make sure that happens. Or, in this case, the illusion of eye contact.
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5. Don't eat anything during the meeting. 

This should really go without saying, but apparently it must be said. It’s kind of disgusting to watch other people eat their food live on a webcam and it’s especially unpleasant to listen to them chew. (There are mute and video-off options for a reason, folks.) As a general rule, don’t do it. No one needs to see you scarfing down that Chalupa Supreme you grabbed from Taco Bell on the way home. If you’re starving and can’t wait, turn off your camera and mute your audio.  
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6. Do a test-run before the meeting. 

​Make sure your camera is functioning properly and that all of the meeting settings are to your liking. Zoom even allows you to take the meeting for a spin before going live with it. Familiarize yourself with all of the options at your disposal. 
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Your Thoughts? 

​There’s a dozen other things I could rant and rave about, but I’ll cut it here for now and give you all a chance to drop some thoughts, tips, and suggestions into the comments! What have your experiences with video conferencing been like? What did I miss or leave out? Let me know and I may add them in a follow-up post. Thanks for reading. 

NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above to leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Why Storytelling Matters, Even In [Small] Church Marketing

6/14/2020

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ADOBE STOCK

The old adage ‘everybody loves a happy ending’ isn’t just a cliché phrase or a cheesy album by a British pop-rock band, it really is true. Human nature hasn’t changed as much as we might like to think. In fact, even more than that, people love a good story — the story that leads them to that happy ending. I was recently reminded of this as I watched Tom Hanks’ “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” for the first time and found myself emotionally overwhelmed by the tale of journalist Lloyd Vogel and his real-life encounter and subsequent friendship with Fred Rogers. Director Marielle Heller and screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster did an outstanding job bringing viewers into the confrontation — er, I mean, interview — between Rogers and Vogel, carefully retelling every moment of the poignant and sentimental narrative, history, and background. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have Hanks’ Oscar-worthy performance front-and-center either, but I digress. 

Anyway, the art of storytelling has been around for centuries. Jesus Himself was a master storyteller in the form of parables. Only within the last several decades has America, specifically Hollywood, perfected it as a cinematic and digital art form in order to stir our thoughts and lead us into glorious escapism from our mundane and trivial lives. (COVID quarantine movie nights, anyone?) 

The Church, however, needs storytellers just as much —if not more — than Hollywood needs them. Yes, even small churches. Stories are personal and when they’re properly and correctly told, they can communicate the truth, goodnesses, beauty, wonder, and splendor of God on levels that impact and influence people to their very core. They can provide a transparent view of the inside culture of your church in a way that causes people to take notice. As a Church Communications professional, it’s your job to use the art of storytelling to reach your church body and the surrounding community in a deeply intimate, specific, and special way. 

So, when, where, and how does this all happen? What does it look like in a practical sense? Allow me to break it down and to start with a quick caveat:  

Always remember that the subject of your story is JESUS. I can’t overemphasize this. Your church should be striving to continually and consistently tell the story of Jesus — His grace, redemption, and eternal promise of salvation — in and through everything that it posts, designs, markets, films, and/or produces. Regardless of how advanced your tech is or how fancy your media may be or not be, He has be in the spotlight. After all, if it doesn’t move people’s attention and hearts toward Christ, then what’s the point?  

One of the best ways to communicate with your people is through your digital and social media platforms. (If you’re a small church struggling to understand, manage, and implement sites like Facebook and Instagram, you can see some of my previous posts or reach out to us at 6.14 Ministries for help.) The majority of your attendees and visitors will have access to web-based content and smartphone apps, which means you can place your unique stories into their hands quickly and conveniently. In doing so, you’ll increase connectivity and engagement with your congregation. Here  are a couple ideas to get you started: 

1. Post photos and videos that tell meaningful stories. 

We are living in the Golden Age of visual media and, when it comes to stories, people are more drawn to pictures and videos than words of text or lengthy paragraphs. At its core, the art of storytelling is nothing more than an attempt to form a significant and substantial connection with a human audience. If you want your stories to resonate, utilize photos and videos. 

2. Use your website as a storytelling platform. 

If I don’t feel or see a sense of connection, belonging, or engagement via the ministries on your website, there’s little chance I will visit your church. Your job as the Communications professional is to brand the site with graphics, videos, and/or photos — accompanied by text — in such a way that causes people to be drawn to your church and to want to learn more. The staff page is a great place to tell some unique stories through their bios and goes back to that transparency aspect I mentioned earlier. 

Conclusion 

God is telling a unique and powerful story in and through your church and it involves the people who are there every single week. They ARE the church. What are those stories? Which ones need to be told? Where and how do they need to be told? In a Facebook post? An Instagram video? An e-mail newsletter? A photo accompanied by an interview style write-up? A full production video to be shown on your multimedia screens during the morning worship service? These are all options to consider. Telling stories through your digital venues will allow your church to impact current attendees and to reach potential ones, while encouraging everyone and bringing the message of Jesus and the hope of the Gospel to each demographic. And that’s what ultimately matters.  

What Else? 

There are several other digital storytelling methodologies for churches. What are you doing? What have you seen be successful? What did I miss or leave out? Sound off in the comments on this post and let me hear from you! 

NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above to leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
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Five First Time Guest Habits That Churches Need To Ditch

6/1/2020

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LIGHTSTOCK

Before being called into full-time Church Communications ministry, I spent about 15 years working in the customer service industry for two major clothing companies. (Yes, that’s 15 Black Fridays and 15 Christmas seasons.) Oftentimes I was forced to endure — er, I mean, attend — mandatory meetings and training sessions designed to better enhance my skills as a retail employee. I’ll be honest: I utterly loathed these so-called meetings. I can’t tell you how often I thought to myself, “I’ve been doing this for over a decade. Why do I need to drag myself out of bed to attend a 7:00AM meeting on a Saturday morning?” Not even the free doughnuts and coffee made up for sitting through two hours of mind-numbing content, cheesy corporate videos, and monotonous lectures from managers who didn’t want to be there any more than I did. 

But the truth is that even the most seasoned and experienced employee needs to be reminded of the basics from time-to-time while simultaneously remaining open to learning new and innovative ways of seeing and doing things. And one thing folks in the customer service biz are learning now more than ever is that people place an extremely high value on convenience. In fact, I would argue that, when it comes to businesses and restaurants, COVID-19 has caused people to value convenience more than community or relationships, at least for the foreseeable short-term future. 

You don’t have to look much further than Chick-fil-A and Starbucks to see what I mean here. One caters more to convenience, one more to a community atmosphere. I’m a regular connoisseur of both, but sadly my local Starbucks hasn’t allowed customers to sit inside at tables (community) since the start of COVID. Sure, you can still walk in and place an order, but once you’ve received your beverage, you have to leave. No more coffeehouse atmosphere office sessions for me. Of course Chick-fil-A just opened up a third drive-thru line and kept moving those cars right on through. Why? Because they prioritize efficiency and convenience. 

And so do church seekers and first time guests. They aren’t a part of your community fellowship yet. 

With that in mind, here are a few habits churches need to ditch if they want to have any chance of seeing guests return for a second visit:  


​#1. Refusing To Enhance Complex Parking Lots, or Repair Dilapidated Ones

Yes, this is actually habitual for some churches out there. If I’m new to your fellowship and I’ve finally mustered up the courage to attend your physical building in-person for an actual service, the last thing I should have to worry about is figuring out where to park. If you’re a large church with multiple lots and spacing designations, this might mean you need parking team volunteers to direct cars to the appropriate spaces as they arrive on campus. 

If you’re a small church where a parking team isn’t necessary, then you should, at the very least, regularly assess your lines and spaces, pavement, and asphalt checking for potholes, cracks, and crevices. Take care of those issues when you have the financial means to do so. Your visitor needs a nice and neat parking experience. Elderly folks, especially those who might be using wheelchairs, canes, or walkers, will take note of the parking lot conditions, whether consciously or subconsciously. Also, if you have parkings lots on either side of your building — which could potentially confuse a first-time guest — you might consider investing in signs that denote which one they should utilize and where they should enter the building. 

Remember: I can probably forgive a little first-time confusion on where to park and enter. I might even forgive having to ask for directions to your main sanctuary or worship center. But if I step in a hole and twist my ankle — or especially if my grandma does — there’s a good chance that I will not be coming back to your church.  


​#2. Making The Greeting Time Super Awkward

Believe it or not, most first-time guests want to crawl in a hole and die during an in-service greeting. This is especially true for introverts (like me) and guests who aren’t with an accompanying friend or family member. I’ve been a pastor’s son my entire life, and I’ve never been a fan. No matter how enthusiastic and talkative your people are during this portion of the service, it’s honestly not the best way to make a visitor feel welcome. If your church is anything like mine or many of the churches I have visited, the “greet those around you” time can easily become a “huddle up with your friends and make lunch plans” time. This is particularly true in small churches where everyone knows everyone. Visitors wind up being neglected and since they don’t know a soul, they sit there awkwardly staring into space until the next portion of the service begins.

I’m not suggesting you ditch your greeting segment altogether (although some churches have done so and with good reason.) But I do believe many guests view this time as phony, cheesy, rehearsed, and completely unnecessary, especially if they have already been properly greeted and acknowledged upon coming into the building (and hopefully they have.) A simple handshake and a smile from a staff member or welcome team volunteer will often do the trick. Don’t go overboard by spotlighting your visitors or by expecting them to interact with people during a greeting time.  


​#3. Neglecting The Kids Facilities 

​No parent wants to leave their child in an unclean or unsafe nursery or children’s area. If your church doesn’t place a high priority on the wellbeing of kids, don’t be shocked when that new young family decides they’re never coming back. If you don’t value your own facilities, why should they trust you to value anything else? 


​#4. Ignoring The Church Website

​Most of your visitors will have already checked you out online before deciding to set foot inside your physical building. And after they leave your service, they may pull the site up again looking for additional information. If you haven’t kept your site updated and well-designed, they just might write you off. (If you’re reassessing your website, see my previous blog post.) Important items they’ll be looking for: service times, street address, and an updated calendar of weekly events. 


​#5. Failing To Follow Up

If I attended your church for the first time — and especially if I filled out a Connect Card while I was there — a follow-up e-mail, text, or phone call thanking me for being at the service goes a long way in showing me that you care about me as a guest. It adds a personal touch long after I’ve left the premises. Whatever communication method you choose to use, make sure it’s conversational, cordial, and professional. At small churches, a personal phone call from the pastor can be huge for a first time guest. 

Sadly, these five issues — which linger in far too many churches today — are only the tip of the iceberg. I could easily write another post outlining five or ten more. If your church is struggling in these areas, I’m willing to bet you're struggling with guests as well. 

But, let me hear from you. What did I miss? What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment thread.  

NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above to leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 
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Three Things To Consider When Overhauling Your Church Website

5/14/2020

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GETTY IMAGES

There may be nothing more tedious, exhausting, and altogether annoying than the process of revamping a website. We all know the old adage that technology is constantly evolving and changing. By the time you’ve caught up with the latest and greatest features, someone has written a bestselling book on why your site is outdated and behind-the-times. 

And then there’s the reality that most church websites — unlike the majority of niche business websites — have a wider audience with a more diverse range of needs and potentially tech-challenged users. Creating a site with exceptional functionality that operates within peak performance of the needs of each audience demographic inside and outside your church can seem like quite the insurmountable obstacle. It’s no wonder that David T. Bourgeois, Ph.D., an associate professor at Biola University’s Cromwell School of Business, discovered that two out of three churches consider their website to be “ineffective.” In fact, most churches rank their social media platforms as being more practical communication outlets than their websites. Everyone is connected on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, so that’s where many churches focus their communication strategies while unwittingly neglecting their websites.  

Nevertheless, your website is often the first place that a potential visitor will land when searching for a local church in the area. If nothing else, it should at least contain pertinent information and be user-friendly. Giving it an occasional makeover isn’t just a good thing, it’s often necessary. Here are a few tips and thoughts to keep in mind as you navigate this process:  
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#1. Keep The Site Mobile-Friendly.

As of March 2020, over 52 percent of all worldwide global web traffic was coming from mobile phones. I’ll be the first to admit that I often ignore and even completely forget about these sort of statistics. It’s not that I intentionally set out to do that, but as the Communications Director for my church, I’m regularly viewing, updating, and redesigning our website on a 15.4-inch MacBook Pro Retina screen. I rarely, if ever, view our website on my 6-inch iPhone XR. I’ve become far too accustomed to the convenience of the MacBook ecosystem and to seeing the bigger picture. Not to mention that it would just be ridiculously frustrating and next to impossible to edit a website from a tiny cell phone screen. If you’re a Church Communicator, my guess is that you’re in a similar boat and rely on your laptop and/or desktop machine for just about everything you do. 

But, the average visitor will be looking at your site on their smartphone or tablet. That’s why a mobile friendly user experience isn’t just something you should take care of when you have the time; it should be the number one objective in your overhaul of the website’s redesign and implementation process. Think through issues like navigation menus, text size and legibility, photo placement and text wrapping, button sizes, etc. Then, before you even launch the site, test the mobile version out with a few folks — be sure to assemble a group that varies in age and technology competency — so that you can get an idea of how well it will perform with your audience, especially your senior citizens. Ask for feedback and take notes on what they liked and didn’t like.
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#2. Don't Mess With What Works.

Not unlike the Bible and its influence on the Christian life, there are a few timeless truths of web design that shouldn’t be upended for the sake of modernity or flashiness. Yes, there’s absolutely a place for creativity and originality in web design, but if you inadvertently [or purposefully] part ways with some of the more stable traditions, you will risk losing much of your audience. I can’t tell you how often I see this happen. No one wants to visit a site that is difficult to navigate or impossible to locate information on because the designer went overboard catering to visual appeal. When it comes to websites, most folks are accustomed to certain things being a certain way. They are used to some things being located in certain places. If you go haywire and change those things, they’ll get confused and leave in a heartbeat. Here are some examples: 

Logos should typically be located at the top and centered above the menu bar and should also hyperlink to the homepage. This will allow the visitor to get back to your site’s homepage by simply clicking (or tapping) on the logo at any point.   

Social media icons should be placed in your site’s footer section — along with your church’s street address, service times, and office hours — so that visitors have quick access to your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, iTunes, etc. 

Important pages should not be buried as subpages. In other words, don’t bury your sermon audio/video page underneath “Ministries.” Make it a separate page so that it stands out on its own and can be seen and found easily and quickly. An endless hunt for something as important as your pastor’s messages will be a quick turnoff. 

The menu bar should be prominently visible and easily accessible. It should be free from the clutter of any extravagant design elements, including illegible fonts. If a visitor can’t navigate his way around your site, he will leave. 

The key idea here: Don’t get so caught up in fancy design that you destroy the basics of what makes a functional website.
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#3. Always Be Mindful of The Unchurched. 

As a 34-year-old P.K. with a dad who’s been in pastoral ministry for 40-plus years, I know that it can be easy and even natural to sling church terminology around without even realizing it. I’m guilty of it all the time. Eventually it just becomes an unconscious act. If you’ve been working in the church world for any length of time — or even just attending church — you know exactly what I mean. But your website could potentially be discovered by folks who have never darkened the doors of a physical church building. Even if a friend suggested your church to them, they might still have little to no church background themselves. This means that they don't speak "Christianese." They don't know the lingo. I always recommend that your menu bar include a “New Here” Page dedicated to visitors in this particular audience demographic. Make sure that the language on this page is welcoming and conversational in tone and not littered with terminology that only a seminary student could interpret. No one wants to see the definition of “supralapsarianism” on the same page as “We’ve intentionally built a casual worship atmosphere where you can always be yourself.” This just becomes confusing to a visitor. 
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What're Your Thoughts?

​We didn’t get into other potential topics like Search Engine Optimization, data research and analytics, or digital giving platforms. There’s plenty more to discuss and confront when assessing your church website. Now I want to hear from you. Leave a comment with your thoughts! 
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NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above and leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 
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Yes, Your Church's Facebook Page Needs An Epic Cover Photo [Or Video.] Here's Why.

5/9/2020

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PIXABAY

Believe it or not, you can have a killer social media playbook and lose the game entirely.

How? By making really simple mistakes and overlooking obvious critical details. One of those is the infamous Facebook cover (or header) photo. 

If you’ve established a Facebook Page for your church — which is likely where the majority of your congregants are hanging out on social media — then you’ve probably realized the visual nature of this platform by now. Granted it’s not quite like Instagram, where practically everything revolves around photos and videos, but it’s still crawling with people and Pages bent on expressing themselves through graphics, photography, videography, digital art, and more. That’s because most folks, especially brands, know that the quickest way to get your attention in that traffic jam called a “Newsfeed” is to stop your scroll with some sort of visually-appealing, eye-catching, or altogether absurd image or video (or even a meme.) Two or three sentences of text alone just won’t cut it. You’ll whiz right past a chunk of text without a second glance. 

The same concept applies to the actual Page itself, which in this case translates to the header (or cover) photo. You know the one. It’s that little 820 pixel by 360 pixel snippet of real estate nestled at the top of the Page, just above the profile photo. Research shows that most of your audience won’t actually ever return to your Facebook Page after they’ve liked/followed it. Why? Because they expect to see your posts in their Newsfeed. After all, that was the whole point of liking the Page in the first place. (And let’s be honest: Most of your followers are just too lazy to manually type your Page’s name into the search bar and press “Enter” on their keyboard. Sad, but true.) Once you realize this, it can be tempting to not even worry about creating any sort of header photo/video at all. Why bother going to all that trouble if no one is going to see it, right? 

Well, not so fast. I’ve watched too many churches make this mistake and it couldn’t be more detrimental to your social media strategy. Your Facebook Page will still be viewed regularly by 1) current church members who need information about a certain event, announcement, etc. 2) potential visitors using Facebook as a search engine to find churches in their area or 3) people who found your church’s website and then clicked on your Facebook social media icon to learn more about you. 

All three of these audiences are unique and important in their own way. When they land on your Facebook Page, they should be greeted by a crisp, clean, well designed cover graphic/photo (or slideshow of multiple graphics/photos) or a cover video. 

Here are some quick reasons why this space matters: 
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#1. It's the first thing they will notice. Make it count. 

Humans are 90 percent visual beings. According to research by 3M Corporation, we process visual content 60,000 times faster than text. If that’s not enough to make your head spin, get this: Over 250 billion photos have been uploaded to Facebook, which equates to roughly 350 million photos per day.  
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This header section is your first — and possibly your only — chance to send a message to a visitor. What kind of message do you want to convey? What kind of impression will they have when they swing by for a few seconds? Will they want to come back? Will they be inclined to learn more about you? How will you visually communicate what your church is all about? And remember — whether we like it or not — the quality and professionalism of our Page will also be judged by what we place here. That might not be fair, but it’s simply human nature. 
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#2. It's a chance to showcase your church's unique atmosphere.

The average seeker — or even a longtime believer in search of a new church home — often has one question on their mind before making an in-person visit: “What am I getting myself into?” There are a lot of other questions wrapped up within this question, but you can help to answer a few of them and alleviate some of their apprehension by using your cover photo space to give your Facebook visitors a snapshot preview of the overall ambience and general vibe of your church. Some examples would be: 1) a high-definition action photo or video of one of your worship services encompassing the band and singers on stage as well as some congregants raising their hands in praise; 2) an action shot or video reel that highlights your church’s involvement in the local community; 3) a minimalistic graphic accompanied by your church’s catchphrase/slogan.

​Red Rocks Church is currently killing it with their video header. Check it out here. Life.Church is always very creative with their sermon series cover photos (See example below.) Check them out on Facebook here. Even small churches can learn lessons from these bigger churches. Keep it simple, clean, and within your abilities to manage.
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At the small church where I serve as Communications Director, I've currently got three graphics in the slideshow, starting with one that promos our catchphrase and our other social media platforms. (See photo below.) The other two graphics promote our 2020 vision and our current sermon series. 
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A larger Baptist church in my city has a shot of one of their worship services displayed prominently in the slideshow to let folks know about that atmosphere ambiance we mentioned a minute ago. (See photo below.) 
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Whatever you do, don’t showcase your building in your cover photo slot, unless you plan on doing it with a nice high-quality, well-produced aerial video or something like that. And even then, it should be part of a montage that includes footage of your pastor and your people. You know, your actual church. (Take a look at how Brentwood Baptist does theirs.) Most seekers couldn’t care less what your physical building looks like.
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#3. You can use it to promote sermon series or upcoming events.

​Although you should primarily use your Events tab to promote your church’s schedule, it’s perfectly fine to advertise a particularly noteworthy event in your cover photo slot — something that is above and beyond the “norm” for your church. For example, if a notable Christian author, speaker, or singer were to make an appearance at your church, you would want to design a customized graphic to display prominently at the top of your Facebook Page for that, in addition to creating/scheduling an actual event on your Page’s Events tab as well. 

Cover photos are also a great place for promoting your pastor’s current sermon series. Yes, this is perhaps the most common usage of this space. Yes, everyone else is doing it. But, just because they're all doing it doesn't mean you shouldn't. It just means you need to work harder at designing a sermon series graphic that will stand out in the crowd.
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WHAT ELSE? 

Of course, this is all just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creatively using that little rectangle at the top of your church Facebook Page. There are a million other options. What did I leave out? What is your church doing? What has worked for you? What hasn't? Drop some suggestions and thoughts into the comment thread below! 

NOTE: If you're reading this post in your e-mail inbox and would like to comment, please feel free to reply via e-mail or click on the post title above to leave a comment on my site. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 
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