The church has (rightfully?) been accused of keeping everything the same. “We’ve never done it that way before” is heard throughout many churches. We are afraid of change. Of course, important tenets of our faith need to stay the same because that’s the truth that makes us the Church! But when it comes to ministry methods, we need to challenge them. Are they working? Really?
If the church is being rejected because of our message, it’s understandable. But if the community rejects our ministries because of the way we’re carrying out our faith, we need to consider changing things.
The scary truth? The majority of communities are growing while the majority of churches are staying the same size, or sadly, declining. It appears that the community is largely rejecting us.
The first chapter of James talks about the foolishness of looking in the mirror, walking away and forgetting what we look like. He equates that to listening to the Word only and not doing anything. Not changing when we know we need to.
The local church often realizes they need to make changes but fails to make them.
There are many church communications issues that need changing (none of them have to do with doctrine or biblical teaching). They’re simply practical improvements that allow us to accomplish the great commission better. How will they believe unless they clearly hear (Romans 10:14)?
Want more ministry impact? You’ll need to change something. Here are 3 suggestions to start with:
- Become memorable. Our churches are blending in. We need to identify how we can stand out in our communities. Actually become needed. Please note: make sure you become salt and light so we stand out in this dark world that needs disinfectant.
- Open Communication Channels. If you’re mainly talking to people inside your church, you’ll never expand your reach. There are lots of communication channels that will increase your footprint (if done properly). Make sure all messages direct back to your professional website. The power of communications is through an effective digital hub (social media, email campaigns with an effective website). Please note: Don’t start anything unless you are committed to consistently using the channel.
- Create a Team. More than one person is needed to accomplish great communications. No one person can know everything that’s going on in a busy ministry let alone communicate it effectively through all your channels. Please note: the most successful communication teams have a seat at the leadership table. They need to be able to shape the messages and be aware of them from inception.
