Operations 102 Communications, Class 10

1. Operations 102Communications, Class 10

2. Strategy: The Culture of Your Church. • Strategy: Parsing the Preaching Pastor • Web • Hardware & IT • Productivity Tools • Multisite & Cutting Edge Issues • Advertising • Policy & Practice • Policy & Practice • Communications Team Operations 102—Communications

3. The key to good communications is the team of staff and volunteers. How does one create a great and creative communications team? What is the role of the creative team in the entire “vibe” of the church campus? Let’s explore how to communicate effectively within a budget. This will include the use of volunteers. Are you going to accept all the photography of volunteers or will you have quality and control standards? Today’s Topic

4. Are there inexpensive ways to utilize electronic platforms … texting, social media, church apps, HTML email, and robocalls? Will online advertising work for churches or can you advertise in social media? There are ways that you can shift resources away from traditional media. Yet, you must maintain cross-platform consistency of experience and graphic presentation style. Today’s Topic, cont.

5. Rob Cizek is the Executive Pastor at Northshore Christian Church, a non-denominational church of 1,500 and Christian Academy of 800 in the greater Seattle area. He oversees daily operation of the organization and its ministries. His responsibilities include overseeing the staff, strategic planning, communications and interfacing with Northshore’s Elder Board. He also organizes a networking group for Executive Pastors in the Puget Sound area. His prior experience includes being an Emmy award-winning newsroom manager. Rob Cizek

6. CommunicationsTeam & Summary

7. Structure Communication

8. Broadcast Communication • Interactive Communication Communication

9. Broadcast Communication

10. Broadcast Communication

11. The information people need to participate Broadcast Communication

12. We speak & they listen • Bulletins • Pre-service screens • Brochures • Mailings • Class Catalogs • Text Blasts Broadcast Communication

13. Effective broadcast communication: • Keep it straightforward • Make sure it answers the questions Broadcast Communication

14. Interactive Communication

15. ParticipantExpectations: • Have a voice • Get an immediate response Interactive Communication

16. Social Media can be used as broadcast communication, but you aren’t getting full benefit. Interactive Communication

17. Engaging Social Media • Monitored • Responses within 15 minutes • Shows you are serious about creating community. Interactive Communication

18. Social media feedback loop Organization Information Reply Taking their input Respond Other people watching Individual Interactive Communication

19. Social media • feedback loop allows: • Church to make better decisions • People to know their voices have been heard Organization Information Reply Taking their input Respond Individual Interactive Communication

20. If you don’t have the time to do social media well, you may not want to use it. No social media is better than bad social media! Interactive Communication

21. Events posted under church’s name may expose the church. (Even if it is not a church sponsored activity) Possible liability risk Interactive Communication

22. Communication Toolbox

23. Social Media: Free - many already use it • Texting: People pay most attention to texts • HTML email: Attractive and timely newsletters • Robocalls: Effective for general broadcast communication • Websites: #1 way your church is found • Online Advertising: Google AdWords • Podcasts: Place on website and iTunes for free • Blogs: Senior Pastor- “behind the scenes” • Streaming Services: Low cost • Mobile Apps: Future of computing • Texts & Twitter on the big screen: Audience participation • Interactive church management software: Examples- Community Church Builder & The City Communication Toolbox

24. Take on only those mediums you have the resources to do well (forgo the others). • It’s not having a tool that makes it great. It is how well we use the tool. • Select your electronics tools sparingly, in a way the best supports mission. Communication on any budget

25. Hierarchy of Communication Tools 1. Up-to-date web site. 2. Reliable and up-to-date weekly bulletin. 3. Quarterly class catalog/listing of church events. 4. Church social media account, monitored and responses provided continuously. 5. Text blasts. 6. Regular email newsletter. 7. Sermon audio/video on web site (podcasts). 8. Live streaming of services. 9. Online church database. 10. Mobile church app. 11. Church blog 12. Online pastor position Communication on any budget

26. Consistency Counts Church Style Guide

27. Agreement: • Logo • Slogan • Colors • Backgrounds • Typeface • Standard look among different mediums Church Style Guide

28. Create Design Binder: • Examples of how each item should look. • Everyone gets a copy. • Get team buy in • Trading creative freedom for the power of consistency Police all communications Church Style Guide

29. Communications coordinator is necessary Choice A: Hire a trained and gifted person Choice B: Choose a committed and empowered volunteer Without a communications person, everyone is responsible for communications (which means nobody is). Investing in Communications

30. Communications is the primary way we reach our local missions field. Quality outreach is needed if we are serious about reaching these people. Investing in Communications

31. Include all the people who have a communications role. Example team: Senior Pastor Executive Pastor Worship Pastor Events planner/scheduler Communications Director Communications Team

32. Meeting’s purpose: • Identify priority messages to congregation. • Determine which mediums to use • Interactive communications • Creative communications • How can we communicate differently than before? • Forum for reviewing graphics and major communication campaigns. Communications Team

33. Ministry leaders sometimes have unrealistic expectations of communication. • First step- educate them all on the communication plan and design for the church. • Have deadlines and stick • with them! Pastors and Staff

34. Some volunteers have a • communication background • Great hearts- but don’t realize the church communication isn’t always creative or high profile. • You’ll want a commitment… at least a year. • They need support! Volunteers

35. Website templates & hosting Graphic design: freelance designer may a good option Printing: the longer lead time the more affordable Communications Director: difficult to outsource Social Media Director: difficult to outsource the “voice” of the church In-sourcing vs. Outsourcing

36. Good communication may require an investment… Imagine the cost of bad communication. Church Communications

37. Q & A Send Questions via Chat to Tami

38. Communications is about having the right structure to get the results you want.” How do you define “the results you want”? How do you set a balance between too much information (6-page bulletin) and not enough? • If your SP is too busy to do a blog, or is not so inclined, what are some thoughts on using a ghost writer… • Text and Twitter on the big screens sounds absolutely frightening… • How do you balance creativity with maintaining consistency and standards in branding, without discouraging creativity? Alan Personius Article on XPastor, How to Communicate Effectively on Any Budget,by Ron Cizek