From faster, more effective communication to deeper, more engaged community, the promise of online connection can seem almost too good to be true. And while it’s true that technology, itself, isn’t the answer, churches around the world are leveraging the power of social technologies to better connect, engage, equip, and mobilize their congregations for the work of the gospel.
We’re not talking virtual here – this is about real life impact.
4 Practical Steps to Transform the Way Your Church Communicates Online
1. Define your mission.
This shouldn’t be abstract. Identify the specific goals God is calling your church to work toward, then identify specific ways online communication can help you reach those goals. This will help you determine which tools you should be using.
2. Build a communication team.
Who are the key leaders of the various ministry areas within your church? Invite them to form a communication team that will work together to make and implement communication plans guided by the mission you’ve defined. Whether it’s you or someone else, be sure to appoint a project manager who will coordinate the team and ensure that the plans you make will be implemented.
3. Make a plan with concrete goals.
Define a communication plan to accomplish specific goals and assign work to your communication team members. Remember to make sure your goals are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.
4. Implement your plan.
Once you’ve made your plan, assign responsibilities to team members, set a timeline, and get to work! The project manager will be responsible for keeping everyone on task and will make sure any obstacles are identified and resolved.
This post is an excerpt from the ministry guide Building Disciples Through Engagement, written by our colleagues at The City. The guide is great for those with questions like: ‘Are things like Facebook helping or hurting ministry?’, ‘How can my church connect in new meaningful ways?’ or ‘What are the most popular community tools that are working?’ The ministry guide will share tips from some of the country’s top churches, and help you learn how The City can help you engage more people more often by getting up to speed on the real power of social technologies for churches.
