A Surprising, Often-Overlooked Church Communication Tool

There’s nothing worse than discovering a problem that requires a specific tool; and the tool isn’t quickly available. In fact, availability is the essential requirement for all tools! Multi-functioning tools are even better — they accomplish so much and take up less room.

Almost everyone has a multi-functioning church communication tool in their pocket. It’s your mobile phone (Apple or Android).

How can you use it for church communication? There’s almost an endless list of tasks that can now be completed on that little mobile device. What a time to be alive! Here are 5:

1. Take Candid Photos. Great photography is the foundation for great communication. Always have your phone available for taking spontaneous photos of ministry, fellowship, and love. Get in close and capture the emotion. Don’t worry about getting it perfect; just capture lots of photos so you have access to them when you’re creating web or social posts later. Even better? Use AirDrop (or similar) to instantly share the images to an editor or social media coordinator. By the end of an event, you can have a nice catalogue of images to use elsewhere (or quick realtime posts).
2. Shoot Fun or FaceTime Videos. Like photos, video capture is quick and easy on a phone. The videos don’t have to be long; just something that can be used as b-roll in a larger video (horizontal) or a quick social post (vertical). Or open Facebook for a quick FaceTime video (be careful of background copyrighted music). Some churches are shooting their entire message on a phone through a FaceTime feed or posting it later online. Just ensure the lighting’s good and your sound is quality for the viewer (there are ways to connect your phone to the soundboard).
3. Keep a Church Comm Note. Understanding how your church wants to be known (your thread), be constantly listening for story opportunities that can produced later. Open a phone note and keep a list of things to followup on. Like names and contact information for those you should interview later. Another valuable note? As you advocate for your congregation, keep a running list of things in the service that didn’t feel quite right or that needed a better explanation. Things you can make (gentle) suggestions for in your weekly meeting. Make notes of successful things too!
4. Motivate or Build Your Team. Using a group conversation app (or even your text app) shoot suggestions or encouragement to your team during the service or throughout the week. Don’t overdo it but truly be a friend to your team. Or maybe share your contact info with someone you see taking a selfie (or on social media in the service). They would probably love to join your volunteer church comm team to put their skills to use!
5. Make website or social changes and updates. Apps now allow you to multitask so many things on your phone. Many things just shouldn’t wait: hear about a change or addition from the stage? Go ahead and make the changes quickly online. Someone on your team take an amazing photo or video? Post it. Or see that a member posted a great photo of the service? Comment on their post or repost it.