COMMUNICATION
Is For More Than Just Big Business

Part Two: External Communication Expressing to the Outside World Who You Are and What You Are About
The Moravian - May 2005

In the April 2005 issue of The Moravian, focus was given to internal communication tools for churches and agencies. In the second part of this series, the focus will be on external communication tools and methods. In the most basic of terms, this refers to how churches express who they are and what they are about to people who may not know the work that they do.

External communication takes a little more effort than internal communication but can be the difference a church is seeking in expanding ministry and service. In the planning of any event or program, communication should be on the agenda. Press releases are a great way to get the word out about an event that is coming up or even an article about a particular ministry. The first step in doing press releases is to make a relationship with the local press. Call the local papers and find out how they handle religion news. Learn what they will consider for print and if there is a contact person to send news to directly. If there is a contact person, talk to them personally to get a feel for what they see as important to share with the greater community through the press. If they place an article about your church as a focus in their paper, send them a thank you note.

Actual press releases should include the basics of news (who, what, where, when, and how) with the most important information being shared first in the text. Oftentimes, newspapers are limited in space and will shorten articles you send for print. By placing the information that is most important at the beginning you make sure they don’t cut out important details. The last paragraph of the release should be a succinct, standard paragraph about the life of your church, stating who you are, where you are located, and your mission and purpose. Releases can be sent to press about community service programs, mission projects, upcoming events, staff appointments, building expansions or dedications — whatever you feel is important to share with the greater community. Include a point of contact so if they are interested in greater coverage of an event, they can reach someone who is knowledgeable.

Use your church sign as a way to communicate what is going on. Entice people who are driving by to visit by announcing special events, sermon topics, or include a welcoming message.

Use flyers as a way to encourage newcomers to your events by placing them in coffee shops, community bulletin boards, stores, community centers, and other similar locations.

Utilize paid advertising in your local paper to announce special events or regular church times. If your local paper has a regular religion section that appears on Saturdays, find out how you can announce your church times and what costs are associated with this service. While advertising costs money up front, if you get one lead it is worth the cost. The other advantage to having a regular ad in the paper is name recognition — the more people see the name of your church, the more they are aware you exist.

When you have an event, mission project, or community program that is a success don’t be afraid to share that with your local paper. Have someone who enjoys writing or who was integrally involved in an event write up an after-event article sharing the success by talking about who was involved, if money was raised, how much, emphasize the positives, the key points, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Tell the story in an exciting way that will make others take interest. Again, this aspect should be included in the planning of the event initially, make it a priority to do some type of communication prior to the event and after the event, and if it is large enough or warrants it, invite the local press to attend for a photo op or ask the local radio station if they might be willing to come and broadcast from your event.

Websites are the newest way of communication. More and more people are shopping online for not only products but also churches. It is a safe, anonymous way for people to comfortably find a place that matches their needs and wants in a church community. Church newsletters can be shared on websites, event calendars can be updated and current, and message boards can enhance ongoing dialogue and communication between members of the church community and those seeking churches that are within their own value system. Not having some presence on the web is a loss for any church community. Some may think there are not enough finances to make a website possible, but in truth, there are free outlets or low cost outlets to get a web presence. Some churches are fortunate enough to have a web savvy member who can help them get started for a low cost. Domain names (i.e. <www.moravian.org>) generally have to be reserved on the web but the cost is less than $100 per year.

Be aware though, website customers are very picky. They like to see current updates. If your site is stagnant for a long time and the current events are months old, this will turn off the average website user. A commitment needs to be made to a website in the same way that a commitment is made to a monthly newsletter. Fresh images and information updates, especially current calendars and messages from the pastor are extremely important. Just being out there in the worldwide web does not make a website successful — a successful website is one that answers the needs of those who are searching for information. You want the site to be welcoming and inviting by sight. In a website, layout and maneuverability is just as important as content. A website that is not maintained properly is almost worse than no website at all because the savvy web user will quickly navigate away from a site that does not fulfill their needs or is difficult too use.

Finally, part of your communication plan should include your denomination. Share the same articles with the Interprovincial Board of Communication (IBOC) that you do with your local press. The Moravian magazine is a great way to share with others the good work going on in your congregation. Pictures are always important as images can say as much or more than words. You do not have to be invited to share articles with The Moravian. Articles can be submitted at any time and space permitting, the article will appear at the discretion of the editor. Articles should be between 400-800 words and photos should be submitted with captions and a return address on the back. If you send photos and articles via email to <pubs@mcnp.org>, captions should be included in the text of the email message along with information on who took the photos.

The IBOC also maintains the denominational website <www.moravian.org>. On that site a page entitled “where to find us” lists the congregations of the Northern and Southern Provinces. If those churches have a website, a link is also made so those searching the denominational website can quickly find a church near them and find out more about that particular church. This means if you update a web address or create a web presence, you should let the IBOC know immediately so a link to your site can be updated or created. This will increase the chances of your website getting a hit from web users. You can inform the IBOC by emailing your web address to <pubs@mcnp.org> or by calling 800.732.0591. You should also inform your provincial offices of any website address creation or change so they can inform others and update the Moravian Church Directory (which is maintained by the individual Provincial offices).

Most importantly successful communication is communication that is treated proactively and not reactively. Taking the time to come up with an effective plan will reward you in the end. Communication, marketing, and public relations are not just for big business and profit making, these forms of communication can make your church grow in ways that cannot be quantified.

Deanna Hollenbach serves as Director of Communication for the Interprovincial Board of Communication, Moravian Church in North America.