The Flaw In Your Church Communication Strategy

“In most communication models, there’s a speaker and a listener or sender and a receiver. At our churches, many of us are accustomed to playing the role of the speaker, the communicator. Let’s do what we can to wear the other hat as often as possible. When we do, I bet we’ll learn a lot about what’s working, what’s not and why. I bet we’ll be inundated with ideas for new strategies, new channels and new messages. Frankly, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — many of our best ideas come when we decide to listen.”

— Scott McClellan (@ScottMcClellan), “Never Trust A Skinny Chef,” from Outspoken: Conversations On Church Communications

• Pastors and church Communications staff, how are you listening to your members and attendees?
• Worship leaders, how are you listening?
• Songwriters, what about you?

All communicators need to listen.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” – James 1:19

“To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.” – Proverbs 18:13

How To Deal With Negative Blog Comments

Have you ever wondered how you should handle negative blog comments, whether on your own blog or a website on which you’ve guest-posted? Or even if you aren’t the author of the blog post, but you feel the author is being personally attacked, misunderstood or subjected to unfair or baseless criticism?

1. Double check yourself on this question: “Should I respond at all?”

2 Timothy 2:23 says,

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.

Some comments neither deserve nor call for a response. It’s natural to feel that you must respond so it doesn’t appear that a foolish or angry person is “winning,” but don’t let this become about your pride.

It’s also natural to fear that a non-response will lead some readers astray. Pray for the Spirit’s wisdom in this case. He will show you that on some occasions, you should give your readers more credit than you’re prone to give them. Most readers can easily spot trolls, grumblers and cranks, and most are wise enough to discard their vitriol.

2. No Name Calling

If you’re going to answer, don’t call the commenter a troll or a hater, even if they are. You won’t gain anything by it — in fact you might just stir up sympathy for the commenter.

Also, you need to realize that your own emotions may be deceiving you. The commenter who has drawn your ire may not be a hater. She may just have a difference of opinion or perspective. That’s okay.

And a troll isn’t just someone who disagrees with you or critiques something you’ve done. A troll posts inflammatory or off-topic comments, intending to hijack the conversation and provoke readers into an emotional response. Ask yourself if the person who has critiqued your article is really a troll.

• If so, then calling him a troll won’t stop him and won’t shame him. It will likely embolden him.
• If not so, then why mislabel him? That would put you in the wrong and cause others to rethink your article, even if they originally agreed with you.

3. Don’t be Anonymous

This just makes it look like you have something to hide, or you lack the courage of your convictions.

Don’t fret if people aren’t coming to your defense, and don’t let that convince you that you should come to your defense, under an assumed name. Remember point #1 — most of your loyal readers won’t bother defending against a comment that is obviously ridiculous. It doesn’t mean they aren’t on your side; it just means they don’t want to give unwarranted attention to a comment that doesn’t deserve it.

4. Write with Grace and Clarity

“Speak the truth in love,” to borrow Paul’s phrase from Ephesians 4:15. And remember Proverbs 15:1 –

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This doesn’t mean you concede points that you shouldn’t concede. It just means you should control yourself so you can answer succinctly, with wisdom. Turning again to Scripture:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, — 2 Timothy 2:24

5. Don’t go down rabbit holes.

Who loves a rabbit hole more than a rabbit? A troll. Remember, trolls love to go off topic. It’s the guy who responds to a post about charitable giving with a long-winded diatribe against all charities, the tax code, the President and Congress, war in the Middle East, social security, the school lunch program, the color of your web header and the quality of your guest bloggers.

Either ignore the remark or remind your readers to stay on topic. If you’ve written other blog posts about some of these topics, then that leads us to #6 …

6. Point to previous blog posts if applicable.

Let’s say you have written about the tax code, the school lunch program, and the color of your web header. Simply provide a link to those posts.

But this isn’t just for the benefit of answering off-topic comments. Many bloggers lament that they barely have enough time to write blog posts, let along write follow-up comments. Even if the commenters are asking legitimate questions, you may have a hard time keeping up with them (especially if you have a large blog or you’re writing an article for a major website).

Think about blog posts that you’ve already written, which may answer these current questions. Using your previous articles is a great way to provide a quick, thoughtful response.

7. Know when to rest your case.

Again, if you are writing an article for a large website, you may simply be unable to keep up with all the questions and comments. In that case, sometimes it is best to let a number of comments run their course and then provide a blanket response. See the way I handled this in the comment section of Consider Skipping “Christmas Season” This Year, which I wrote with our Lead/founding Pastor Daniel Montgomery on TheGospelCoalition.org.

You’ll notice a couple people commented after me. They weren’t trolls, but their comments were still “asides” that didn’t necessitate a response. Even if there were to be further responses, whether I’d answer them would depend on whether I could find the time (I love answering comments when time allows, and I appreciate those who offer comments). There is a time to simply say, “This article is my opinion — I recognize others have different opinions, but I stand on what I’ve written.”

How To Find Holes In Your Sermons, Songs & Communication Strategy

“In most communication models, there’s a speaker and a listener or a sender and a receiver. At our churches, many of us are accustomed to playing the role of the speaker, the communicator. Let’s do what we can to wear the other hat as often as possible. When we do, I bet we’ll learn a lot about what’s working, what’s not and why.”

— Scott McClellan, “Never Trust A Skinny Chef” from Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication

• Church staff, have you ever tried navigating your building just by reading your signage, as if you’d never been there before?
• How about surfing through your church website? Can you find what you’re looking for?
• Pastors and songwriters, are your words and lyrics intelligible? Do they present the gospel clearly, even to those who don’t know it well?
• Worship leaders, can people of average singing talent follow your arrangements and sing your songs?

The Communication Secret Your Church Needs

From the final Sojourn worship service at 930 Mary Street

Too often, church communications is all about event promotion, whether that event is a new class, sermon series, vision campaign, retreat, seminar or outreach festival. Then when the event is over, we’re onto the next thing.

If you consistently promote events as “a huge opportunity” or “can’t miss,” but you say nothing about the event when it’s finished, then you are unintentionally communicating that the event wasn’t a big deal after all. Over time, people will be less likely to believe that future events are “can’t miss” because nothing in the past turned out to be as special as what the event promotion led them to believe.

This is why we’ve posted recaps, photo blog posts, and testimonies following Sojourn Church events like our recurring Redeem Marriage seminars, baptism services, Fall Festival, campus launches, medical clinics and other events. And it’s why we took time to look back, even in the midst of looking forward, when our Midtown Campus left its original building for a bigger one down the street.

The first building Sojourn owned was originally a school building, built in 1906. We bought it nearly 100 years later, launching services at “The 930” in 2006. In the years since then we’ve outgrown the Sunday worship space, so we bought a former Catholic cathedral named St. Vincent’s, just two blocks from The 930. We’ve spent the last year on a massive renovation project. The new St. Vincent’s looks amazing, and the seating capacity is double the capacity at The 930 (which will remain our central staff office building and our meeting place for student ministry).

We’ve spent much energy promoting the launch of services at this new building, but we knew something would be missing if we

Is Your Church Communication Missing This Vital Ingredient?

When Who You Are = Who You Say You Are = Who Others Say You Are, then congratulations — you’ve achieved coherence.

1. Who You Are: Your history, mission, stories, language, traditions, relationships
2. Who You Say You Are: Your marketing messages online and off, colors, logos, apparel, etc.
3. Who Others Say You Are: Understand misperceptions, and what others think of you.

Who Are These “Others”? Examples of A Church’s Audiences:

• Members
• Regular Attendees
• Occasional Attendees
• Neighbors
• City locals
• Local affiliations (seminaries, Bible colleges, recording studios, Christian businesses)
• Denominational or network affiliates and leaders
• Blogosphere

Obviously some of these categories are more

Social Media Advice For Your Kids

My boss, Sojourn Lead Pastor Daniel Montgomery, recently gave a talk to Christian teens at a Louisville school. Part of his talk centered on the use of Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and other social media outlets by teenagers. Daniel, me and all the Sojourn Communications team kicked around some ideas, and came up with four principles for teens who use social media.

Obviously this advice is an open-handed issue — we wouldn’t dream of becoming legalistic about something like this. But we believe these four tips are good advice for teenagers to follow as they use social media. I’ve encouraged my own children in this area, and I think it would be helpful for your kids and your church youth groups. For that matter, these Christian social media principles are good guidelines for all of us:

Principle 1: Be Real. Because You Are

We have this tendency to lower standards and inhibitions online – to act like that’s just “virtual reality.” News flash:

Who you are online is who you are. What you say online is what you say.

Every command, every standard God expects in your face-to-face dealing with people is what God expects when you’re dealing with people online.

• Do unto others online as you would have them do unto you (online or off).
• Forgive others online as Christ forgave everything you’ve done (online and off).

Principle 2: Think About

Help For Worship Leaders Who Feel Isolated: My TWC Interview

In 2007 a new kind of online experience for worship leaders launched, a truly grassroots initiative called The Worship Community (TWC). Founder Fred McKinnon already had a lot of experience as a worship leader and resource-provider for other leaders, through his HighestPraise.com, widely read personal blog, and position as Worship Director at St Simons Community Church.

The Worship Community has since connected many worship pastors, leaders and ministers-of-music across denominational, geographical, generational and cultural lines. City churches, country churches. Contemporary churches, traditional churches. Big churches, small churches. Members of TWC come from all these places, and interact daily on issues ranging from theology to media and tech, songwriting, leadership and everything else that comes with being a worship leader.

Many of these leaders have never met in person. Many others have eventually met after first being connected in The Worship Community. Just last year at RefugeSSI, a retreat promoted by TWC, Kristen and I met Fred for the first time. We also met several other internet friends who have participated in TWC over the years, and Russ Hutto, the Managing Editor of TWC.

Join me now for this My Song In The Night interview with Fred and Russ. If you’re a worship leader of any kind, you’ll benefit from this look into the creation and growth of TWC, and the insights into how to connect, serve and equip leaders in God’s Church.

Fred McKinnon (center) leading worship w/ fellow TWC members Trent Smith (left) & Shannon Lewis at RefugeSSI

Bobby Gilles: Why did you decide to form TWC and launch TheWorshipCommunity.com? What kind of thought processes led to the formation of the various forums and columns you offer?

Fred McKinnon: Before social media really took off I was a member of a few email-based listservers for worship leaders and teams.  I found the community and advice helpful, but overwhelming since you were forced to receive every email sent to the system.  I’d participated on message boards before and thought it would be a great way to network with other worship leaders where you could control what content you wanted.

I wanted to create a space where someone in worship ministry could ask a question and get quick help from other leaders around the world.  I kicked the idea around with some of the guys in our production team (Travis Paulding, Chris Moncus) and a few online friends like Joel Klampert and we all decided it would be a great idea.  So — TheWorshipCommunity.Com was born!

Russ Hutto: I joined TWC as just another member on the forums early on. I helped moderate and eventually became the editor for the site.

Bobby Gilles: How is The Worship Community different than other websites for worship leaders?

Fred McKinnon: Ideally, the main difference is that the content is driven by everyday worship leaders, techs, and volunteers who are in the trenches.   Most of those who are writing are not professional writers, touring artists, labels, or high profile speakers.  Members range from being on staff in well-known mega churches to volunteers in small, rural communities.

Russ Hutto: Personally, I feel like because the emphasis is on “discussing all things worship” in a forum format we have really created a good community. We are not just a “news” or “review” site. There are other great sites out there that are doing things that we’re not doing and we feel like there’s a place for all of us in this big space. Even though our name is The Worship Community we believe that our site itself is actually just one of many great voices in the worship community at large.

Bobby Gilles: You originally launched with public forums. Then about a year later you relaunched, keeping the forums but featuring a news magazine format with articles, reviews and videos. Was this intentional? Why did you begin with public forums?

Leading Songs & Liturgy With Clarity, Diction, Conviction

Here, I'm reading a testimony of salvation at a Sojourn baptism service

My mom, Mindy, is an enunciator. Ever since I can remember, she has enunciated her words with excellent elocution, whether speaking or singing. She does not mumble. She does not slur. As a teacher, worship leader and mother who raised four rambunctious kids, my mom understands the importance of clearly conveying not just words, but also meaning and tone in both her speech and songs.

Thinking of my excellently enunciating mother helps me every Sunday morning as I’m preparing to lead liturgical readings, prayers and songs during our Sojourn Church worship services. She taught me to speak with conviction, clarity and diction, especially when leading others in the recitation of important truths and expressions of worship and prayer. She also taught me to sing in this eloquent way as she led me by her own example.

Worship leaders, communicate the gospel to your congregants through your songs and speech clearly, and with conviction, whether with extemporaneous exhortations, or with written liturgy and prayers. Ask anyone in your congregation if they can understand you when you’re leading liturgy. You might be surprised at their reply. Although we often think we’re speaking clearly and not too quickly, we may be slurring our speech, rushing our reading, or speaking in a near monotone.

Before you serve your congregations each week:

How To Take Charge Of Your Church Events Bulletin

Sojourn Sunday Communications team: Michael Winters, Amanda Edmondson, Pastor Daniel Montgomery, me & Chris Bennett

If I had a dime for every time a pastor or church Communications Director complained about ugly, cumbersome, divisive church bulletins I would be rich (because I would invest those dimes in anything but the music industry).

I’ve heard horror stories of weekly staff meetings where ministry leaders compete for space on the Sunday bulletin to promote their events and volunteer needs. I’ve seen bulletins with page after page of redundant or unnecessary information:

• Name/title/phone #/email of 50+ church staff members
• Upwards of 100 upcoming events and classes
• Trivial “facts” about the pastor/member of the month
• Graphics that add clutter, not clarity
• “More info online here” URLs far too long to expect most people to type them

And more, sometimes in multiple typefaces (gotta have Comic Sans for the children’s ministry info, of course).

Our Sunday Bulletin at Sojourn is one 8.5 x 11″ page, folded down the middle to make a front & back cover and two inside pages. The front cover is reserved for liturgical art and the current sermon series logo. The art changes weekly, and fits the aesthetic of the logo. On the inside pages we print the week’s sermon Bible texts and the pastor’s brief outline (with plenty of space for guests and church members to write notes).

Too much going on here ...

But today let’s talk about the back page. This is where we print the stuff that is so troublesome to many church leaders: the announcements and information.

Top 10 Church Communications Books (and 2 Bonus Books)

Recently we published the My Song In The Night “Ten Top Books For Worship Leaders” list, and “Ten Top Books For Worship And Modern Hymn Songwriters.” Now, here is a list of ten books that have made my life as a church Director of Communications easier and more effective. I’ve linked to the Amazon.com page for each book.

I have not attempted to rank these books in exact “top ten” order, although they do move from books that are of use for all areas of church communications to books that are specific to certain aspects, like blogging, branding or social media:

The My Song In The Night “Ten Top Books For Church Communications Leaders”