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Do it Yourself Church Communications

by Tim Schraeder on 09/11/2009 in Church Communications, MinistryCOM, Notes, Principles, Resources with 3 Comments

So this is pretty weird to be posting my own notes… Download a PDF of the Slides here.

HUGE thanks to everyone who came and supported, I hope it was a beneficial session for you guys! And a HUGE thanks to Jarbyco for hooking us up and letting us take questions via text! And, if you are in or near the Chicago area and want to continue the conversation, come check out Cultivate being hosted at Park on Oct 27!

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A little about me…

  • I’m 26, going on 27.
  • I’ve been around doing church communications for almost 8 years now.
  • I knew there was no money to be had in ministry and didn’t see the need of going to Bible college.
  • Started at age 19 at Riverside Community Church in Peoria, Illinois as an intern for their college ministry.
  • I started doing the bulletin for Riverside with a copy of Microsoft Publisher 98, some bad fonts, and clip art that I ripped off from an internet photo site.
  • They say that “experience can be an educator,” and Riverside provided me a place to become an expert from learning from my mistakes.
  • In May of 2007 I went on staff at Park Community Church in Chicago.

About Park

  • Park was founded in 1989 by a group of 50 people who were a part of Moody Memorial Church that had a vision to see a church established in the downtown area of Chicago that would reach out to young, urban professionals.
  • For 20 years, Park’s motto was: “have church will move” as they moved between various locations throughout the city.
  • In June of 2008 Park opened their first building, located in the heart of the former Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago.
  • Park now meets in two locations, soon to be three and has an average weekly attendance of around 2,000 people.

Challenge of Church Communications

  • Oftentimes when I tell people I do church communications their initial response is, “oh… so you make the bulletin?”
  • While it’s true that’s something I do, there’s honestly a lot more all of us do.
  • Church communications is a broad category and many of us wear a lot of different hats and do a lot of different things.

What I do at Park

  • I do anything the communicates outside of the auditorium
  • Print (although we don’t do much)
  • Web strategy
  • Social Media (Twitter, Facebook)
  • Texting
  • Part of Park’s creative team that plans and designs services.

The Changing Face of Church Communications

  • The way our world communicates has changed dramatically in the past few years.
  • The way the church communicates is changing, too.
  • 10 years ago the face of church communications was the church secretary.
  • She used pre-printed bulletin shells that more than likely had misty nature images or Holy Spirit doves and Scripture.
  • The church had 2 basic platforms from which it communicated: the front platform and the church bulletin.
  • Church communications today today looks a lot different: we’ve got email,websites, Facebook, Twitter, texting and other social media.

Our Role is Important

  • It’s really easy to get discouraged in our jobs because our job is essentially a very thankless task.
  • We’re not the ones up front preaching or leading worship, oftentimes we’re just stuck behind our computer screens.
  • It’s easy to feel like we’re not really “in ministry”
  • But you and what you do is REALLY important.
  • The future potential of the church rests in the hands of people who are thinking and creating ways to communicate the timeless message of the Gospel in a way that connects with the world around us.
  • What we do is really important.
  • One day as we were walking into a church a friend of mine said, “you know it’s crazy to think that the people who are coming here are here because of something you created.”
  • Oftentimes the things we create (postcards, fliers, websites) are the first point of contact people have with our church.
  • The need for people who are committed to Christ and who are innovating new ways to communicate are vital for the future of the church.

We Have A lot of  Critics and Not Many Contributors

  • Too often the only feedback we get is negative.
  • People never say, “wow that font changed my life…” or, “that stock image really moved me.”
  • I used to have someone who would mark all of the errors in our bulletin and slide it under my office door.
  • While many of our churches value communications and the role we play, in most cases we work as a staff of one. We’re on our own with limited resources, budget and support.

Do it Yourself Church Communications

  • We’re going to use the analogy of building a house to creating a structure to support our church communications.

Foundation – Getting to the basics of what it means.

  • “Church marketing” isn’t exactly found in the Bible.
  • The closest thing to “marketing” is the marketplace where Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple.
  • There are, however, a lot of great things that can illustrate our calling as church communicators.

Luke 14:16-23

  • This and other verses (Matthew 28:19-20) show us that we are called to go and tell, to be witnesses and extend the invitation.
  • Our competition isn’t the other church in town but the things that people are giving their time and attention to.
  • The invitation that was sent in mass was rejected, but the in person invitation brought more people.
  • From a marketing perspective, the way the early church grew in size and influence was through viral marketing. People telling other people. People bringing their friends.
  • With all of the great resources we have available to us today I think the one we need to get better at is the personal invitation.
  • Our job as communications people is to urge or to compel people to come, “that the house might be full.”

Survey – Get a Feel For the Land

  • Who is your city? What is the demographic and psychographic of people in your community?
  • Who is your church? Who are the people that come to your church?
  • What do they respond to?
  • How do they communicate?
  • A major part of our job is to keep a pulse on our church and  our community.
  • We can read reports and surveys but we can learn the most by simple observation.
  • We need to be keenly aware of our community and who the people are that attend our church.

Chicago

  • 2.9 million people
  • 3rd largest city in the USA
  • Neighborhood-centric
  • it’s the “city that works”
  • also known as the Second City
  • Center for banking, finance, marketing and business
  • “a drinking town with a sports problem”

Park

  • Average age is 29
  • 60% single
  • Most have a minimum of a college degree
  • Most work white collar jobs
  • Online experts
  • Most people will stay at Park for about 3 years
  • Most are incredibly BUSY

Once you have a better understanding of your community and your church, you have a better context to filter your communication strategies through.

Blueprint – your guide & plan.

There’s a difference between inspiration and imitation. Imitations are just cheap.

  • Whatever you do, be yourself.
  • If you’re not hip and trendy, don’t try to be.
  • Your church is unique, celebrate that.
  • Open source resources are great but don’t let them be an excuse of laziness.
  • Just because it worked somewhere else doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you in your context.
  • There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to church communications.
  • If you must “borrow,” ask permission first.
  • We serve the God of creativity (Gen 1:1), we need to seek Him!
  • I’ve often found that the times when I’m at a creative block is when I’m not in communion with God.

Union Workers… aka our church staff and ministry leaders.

  • Our jobs would be a lot easier if we didn’t have to deal with people.
  • Replace your IM screen and Inbox with face-to-face conversations.
  • Remove the word “NO” from your vocabulary.
  • Give people options or alternatives, not ultimatums.
  • Don’t bog people down with policies, style guides, etc.
  • Take the time to get to know your staff.
  • Get to know them and earn their trust.
  • I didn’t make huge changes when I first started at Park, I took the time to get to know the culture of the staff, church and the city of Chicago first.
  • That way, when I did start to make change I wasn’t “the new guy who we’re not sure about,” I was “Tim who we know and trust.”
  • When you need to make change don’t just tell people about it, show them.
  • I shared the story of how we made the switch to a monthly bulletin and instead of just telling people about it, I created a prototype and showed them what it would look like.

Some Learnings from the move to the monthly bulletin.

  • Print budget went down by 75%.
  • Our budget has moved from being 80% print/20% web to 20% print/80% web.
  • The switch has increased traffic to our website and upped our email subscriptions.
  • We initially printed it in color but switched to black and white in January to save money.
  • The move has forced us to be more planned and ahead of schedule.
  • It’s also forced us to be more creative.

Support Beams

  • Determine the keys ways to communicate to your church.
  • Decide what the key things are going to be and plan your budget to your strengths.

Park’s Key Things

  • Our website. Soon to be re-launched, designed by CHANGEffect, powered by Ekklesia360#mce_temp_url#.
  • Facebook. Over 1,200 fans and over 10 groups reaching over 3,000 people.
  • Email. Over 4,000 subscribers. We use ConstantContact.
  • Texting. We use texting in our services and as a means to communicate to our congregation throughout the week. We are huge fans of Jarbyco.
  • Twitter @ParkChurch. We currently have over 550 followers.
  • TheCommon.org used to connect people to ways to volunteer and serve.
  • We’re soon transitioning to using the Cobblestone Community Network. A blog post about that is coming soon!

Interior Design – Words, Images and Language

Images

  • Are the images you use a true reflection of who you are?
  • Be who you are, not who you want to be.
  • Don’t portray yourself to be something or someone you’re not.
  • Use real images of real people in your church.
  • People want to know there are people like them at your church.
  • Use iStock for objects, concepts, and backgrounds… not people.

Words & Language

  • Put people and their needs first.
  • Go through your bulletin and highlight every mention of your church name. If your church name is first, re-write your copy!
  • Avoid Christianese at all costs.
  • Keep things concise and simple, not cute and fluffy.
  • Talk like people in your church talk.
  • Don’t just answer questions people are asking, ask questions people are asking.
  • I shared the story of how we marketed our Alpha Course.

Curb Appeal – External Marketing

  • Your church website is the front door to your church. Is it welcoming?
  • Church websites used to be an accessory, today they are an absolute necessity.
  • Your brand is driven more by what other people say than by what you say.
  • I shared the story of the redesign of Park’s website and showed a sneak preview of our new website.

Closing Thought: Get a Hammer!

  • I keep a hammer on my desk.
  • No, I don’t use it on co-workers or my computer.
  • It was a gift from a friend to be a reminder that everything I do is building the Kingdom of God, the Church.

I closed sharing this poem…

The Magnificent House of God

There is a house different from any other
Filled with light and love
Radiant with a glory that is totally irresistible to all.

It’s an open home
A huge welcome sign hangs from the door
Inside overflows with good food and bountiful supply
Laughter and healthy conversation
And for all who are questioning there are answers
An abundance of hope
Salvation is offered to all
Mercy and grace kiss each one.

A fire is crackling within its solid walls
Always there to warm and soothe
Gently drying tear-stained faces
Affirming the wandering soul and bringing strong counsel to
give clear direction to all negotiating this journey of life.

Captivating melodies fill every inch of every room
A new sound available even to the untrained ear
Causing every heart to willingly sing and every knee to humbly bow.

This is the House I give my life to build
To gather His Church and bring healing to the nations
This is the only House fit for a King
This is the magnificent House of God.

- Darlene Zschech

Three Steps Forward, No Steps Back

by Tim Schraeder on 09/10/2009 in MinistryCOM, Notes with 2 Comments

Kerry Bural can often be found sketching concepts and ideas on napkins or notecards as he tries to refine his thoughts and share them. He claims that his best work happens in java-infused creative sessions or when he is divinely disturbed in the middle of the night.

He is the owner and principal of The Resonate Group, a brand consulting and development firm. He recently served as V.P. for Public Relations and Marketing with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. He was the brand architect of the “I Vote Values” initiative, which was the genesis for the “values voter” movement. He has served as PR Director for Southeastern Seminary and PR Coordinator for Criswell College. He was also a visual coordinator for the corporate headquarters of Neiman Marcus in their Visual Planning & Presentation division.

His 25+ years in ministry and business have been devoted to brand architecture. He is passionate about helping organizations translate their vision and mission into communication that resonates with their constituents through visual presentation, public relations, marketing and branding.

He has a B.S. in Education concentrating on design and technology from Northeastern State University and a M.A. in Theology and History from Criswell College.

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  • Obstacles make the ride interesting.
  • We spend most of our days overcoming obstacles and helping people develop solutions.
  • There are many things in our life or our ministry that feel like obstacles.
  • Ministry is messy.
  • If it’s not, you’re probably not doing anything significant.
  • Everything that happens in your church is part of your church’s brand experience.
  • Every decision your church makes is a brand decision.
  • The need for change has never been greater and it can be felt at numerous levels.
  • Change can be at multiple levels.
  • More often than not, most churches are stuck and struggling as to where to go next.

Change doesn’t just magically happen.

  • Change happens when someone sees the need, has a vision for what could be, and takes the initiative to drive toward it.
  • There are special times in the life of a ministry when someone needs to step up and drive the change, even if they don’t feel qualified.
  • If you see it, you might be the right person to drive the change.
  • Change should be for transformational and redemptive purposes. (2 Cor 5:17)
  • We shouldn’t change for the sake of change.

Intentional Change Framework

Refresh

  • Simply refreshing what’s already there. (i.e. redesigning a website)
  • Surface/external changes.
  • Things that are seen and easily recognizable.
  • Surface issues tend to be the things we feel the most.
  • Oftentimes, the problems are much deeper.

Renovate

  • Internal dynamics of your church/ministry… down to a systems level.
  • It’s subsurface.

Reinvention

  • Reinvention is radical.
  • Reinvention is a systemic problem.
  • Systemic has to do with the central nervous system… oftentimes our central nervous systems are out of whack.

Where Do You Go From Here?

  • Qualifying where you are helps you map out where you need to go.
  • Our goal is to do ministry in a way that resonates with the people we are trying to reach.
  • It’s not our job to make the message relevant.
  • Our responsibility is to ensure that we don’t mitigate the message’s relevancy.

Four Tactical Errors to Avoid

  1. When you try to make systemic changes but you apply surface change tactics.
  2. When you try to make surface changes but you apply systemic change tactics. (Making something small very large.)
  3. Thinking you need to change everything at once.
  4. Thinking you don’t need to change anything.

5 Take-Aways

1 – Cultivate a culture and an environment of change and resonance.

  • Whatever we change should be authentic and organic.
  • Let it flow out of who you are.
  • It has to be DNA birthed and DNA driven.
  • Be anchored in your core DNA.

2 – Learn when and how to lean in and lean out.

  • Timing is truly everything.
  • Seize opportunities when doors, windows or cracks are open.
  • Value incremental change. It leads to greater opportunity.
  • Learn to recognize, read and discern dynamics.

3 – Distinguish between surface, subsystem and systemic change.

  • Don’t be afraid to engage in the hard work.

4 – When obstacles stand in the way, change the approach.

  • What’s your perspective when see you obstacles?
  • Pick a different line or get off your bike and walk.
  • Push through the obstacles. Sometimes there’s no other way to do it.
  • Take a different route if you need to.

5 – It’s all about leadership.

  • We’re all leaders… it’s just a question of who we lead and how intentional we are about that leadership.
  • Who are you influencing?
  • Don’t try to influence the lead pastor… who has the lead pastor’s ear? That’s who you need to influence.

Action Steps

  • Write down the name of the person you need to talk to about changes that you need to make in your ministry.
  • Write out 3 areas of change you need to talk about.
  • Make the call now and set up a time to meet.

Living a Creatively Curious Life

by Tim Schraeder on 09/10/2009 in MinistryCOM, Notes with 2 Comments

Von Glitschka is principal of Glitschka Studios and has worked in the communication arts industry for over 23 years. His work reflects the symbiotic relationship between design and illustration. This duality of skills within his creative arsenal, inspired his title of “Illustrative Designer.”

In 2002, he founded Glitschka Studios, a multi-disciplinary creative firm. The studio shines as a hired gun for both in-house art departments and medium to large creative agencies working on projects for such clients as Microsoft, Adobe, Pepsi, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, MLB and NBA Licenses, Johnson & Johnson, Bandai Toys, Merck, John Wayne Foundation, Disney, Lifetime Television and HGTV.

Even though we work with large clients, we also recognize the importance and enjoy designing for numerous small business owners too. We welcome the creative challenge of facilitating small business, so they can successfully market themselves on the same visual level as the multi-national brands they compete with daily.

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Design Apologetics

  • Apologetics – to speak in defensive of.
  • So as a Christian creative/designer we should en able to speak in the defense of our design.
  • We often bump heads over aesthetic.
  • Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created…”
  • God is infinitely creative.
  • God has no creative blocks.
  • It’s not “In the beginning, God used clipart…”
  • “The heavens declare the glory of God…” – Psalm 19:1
  • God’s portfolio trumps us all.

God’s Portfolio vs Man’s Portfolio

  • God’s portfolio has the human smile.
  • Man’s portfolio has the pug. (You either think they are really cute or really ugly.)
  • God made tropical plants and fish… patterns, colors, texture, smell, etc.
  • Man created the hairless cat.
  • God made jellyfish.
  • Man grows an ear on a rat.
  • God created mountains and modes of transportation.
  • Man created the Pinto.

Man Tries to Mimic God’s Creation

  • No matter how hard we try we can’t compare to the intricate design of God’s creation.

God’s Visual Aesthetic

  • God creates strange things… like spiders.
  • God does scary… the Great White Shark.
  • God does fearsome… an alligator.
  • God does creepy… a scorpion.

The Wonderful Paradox of God’s Design

  • He makes things that look sinister, evil or demonic… Angler Fish

Christ is the ultimate creator. He didn’t water down his design to appease a consensus. Christ-like creativity means we live out the reality of being made in His image.

What is Creative Curiosity?

  • Comes from fun not fear.
  • Creating is all about sharing.
  • Anyone can be creative.
  • Refrigerator Effect: Since childhood, we’ve always wanted people to appreciate our work and creativity.
  • The most frustrating time for all of us is when people don’t appreciate what we do.
  • Good thinking leads to good design.

Humor is creativity’s best friend.

  • Humor and creativity complement each other.
  • Creativity takes the mundane and ordinary and sees something unique in it.
  • Creativity is a universal trait.
  • We’ve all been creatively curious.
  • We all have the inherit ability to be creative.
  • We see it in various areas of life.
  • Our creativity has to be on tap because of our job description.
  • We have to look for those moments of creative opportunity.

Kids are Wellsprings of Creativity

  • Creativity comes to kids, naturally.
  • Kids are naturally curious.
  • They lose their creativity when they become adults.
  • We need childlike curiosity.
  • We need to look at things differently.
  • If you need perspective, watch and listen to kids.

Exercising Creativity

  • Look for things that aren’t there.
  • Seeing art in the mundane… maps, subway maps, trees, chicken nuggets, potato chips, etc.
  • You’ve got to train your brain.
  • Check out Caffeine for the Creative Mind
  • Check out Veer Lightboxing

Creativity is Fostered not Discovered.

  • Be aware – Boredom  is an opportunity to be inspired by the mundane.
  • Go in Observation Mode… observe the mundane and be inspired by it.
  • If something intrigues you, figure out why.
  • Piqued curiosity leads to creativity.
  • Be sensitive to creative impulses.
  • If something frustrates you, figure out why.
  • Necessity is the mother of invention.
  • The best inspiration is frustration.
  • Seek and you will find.
  • Capture thoughts, visuals and words.
  • Twitter is a diary for my random thoughts that others can follow.

Creating and Sharing – act on your creative curiosity.

  • Personal creativity doesn’t need to be appropriate.
  • Turn normal into unique.
  • Blog about your ideas.

You never know where it’s going to lead.


http://snipurl.com/creativelycurious – for more info!

What’s Working

by Tim Schraeder on 09/10/2009 in MinistryCOM, Notes with No comments

Cleve Persinger is the Executive Director of Web and Community Engagement at The Chapel where he’s tasked with helping folks “Rediscover God” by creating compelling experiences within the context of web and all external communications/marketing including community events, print, word-of-mouth, and advertising.

Prior to his current role, Cleve served as web designer for LifeWay Christian Resources, in Nashville, TN where he supported numerous web initiatives including the LifeWay Worship Project.

Off the clock, Cleve has a passion for church planting, leading worship, summer beach trips, mountain cabin retreats, Dallas Cowboys football, Atlanta Braves baseball, and rockin’ the title of “BBQ Connoisseur.” (Keep in mind he was born and raised in North Carolina.)

Cleve and his incredible wife, Katie, reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with their children, Cy and Charlotte.

Eric Murrell has been creating websites since he first discovered HTML on his Geocities site in 1996. After working for a large publishing company and a well-known design firm, he is now on staff at Long Hollow Baptist Church where he serves as the Interactive Communications Manager.

When he’s not writing code or fuming about page rendering in Internet Explorer, Eric can be found reading, camping and watching LOST. He and his (beautiful) wife Lauren live just North of Nashville, where they own and operate a small design company together.

Read more from Cleve & Eric at MediaSalt

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What’s NOT Working?

Elaborate Mailers

  • it’s more effective to drive people to your website.
  • Very high cost vs return
  • Quickly outdated
  • Use simple, but visually compelling cards

Cute Pop Culture Branding

  • It’s really easy to be creatively lazy.
  • We can do better than that.
  • It’s played out.

Constant Email Blasts

  • Increasing blindness to marketing emails.
  • More blasts = less readers.
  • Send email blasts sparingly.
  • Provide email subscriptions.

Destination Websites

What IS Working?

  • BigEggDrop.com
  • Gathered the community around a humanitarian effort.
  • Unique spin on a normal event.
  • Corporate sponsorship
  • Rave cards sent home with every elementary student in the area.
  • Website with registration (used EventBrite) and game.
  • Over 3,500 people attended!

The Chapel

  • Wanted to do an open house to invite the community to their new campus but turned it into a kid’s day instead.
  • Got buy-in and support from area businesses, sponsorship, etc.
  • Most people attending didn’t realize it was a church sponsored event.
  • Gave them the opportunity to introduce their church to the community in a non-threatening way.
  • Instead of doing a direct mail for Easter they made postcards that people in the church could send to their friends (that they covered the postage for).
  • Designed a website with tools to spread the word through Twitter, Facebook, and email-a-friend.
  • Had an 88% increase in attendance for Easter.

Summary

  • Small is the new big. It’s not about big and glossy but simple and smart.
  • Create events to connect your church to the community… not your community to the church.
  • Get buy-in and cooperation from local businesses in the community… get other people involved.
  • Be strategic about mailers, emails, and anything else… don’t overload or overwhelm people.
  • Give people options to opt-in and to receive what content they want how they want it.
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