Ideas for Communication

Communication Strategies 

Telling our ministry stories and celebrating who we are is critical to encouraging folks to join us in our Christian faith and the ways we are living this out together. One of the easiest and most wide-reaching ways for us to do this today is using digital communication – especially social media. There are lots of reasons to engage social media in your ministry. Here are some the ways this is helpful:

• Use social media to share your ministry vision.
• Begin connections with community outside your church’s walls
• Create an easy to access gathering space for church members and leaders outside of services
• Share your ministry with members who cannot attend service regularly
• Promote events and other news

Make the Most of Social Media

Beginner Guide for Church Social Media

SamLevi Sizemore is our Communications Coordinator and they maintain our MCSP website, newsletter, and social media presence. They are always available to consult with your congregation or ministry about the best ways to use digital communications. They can be reached at 336-701-5010 or you can use the email link below.

Send SamLevi an email by clicking here

How to Develop a Social Media Strategy That Enhances Your Ministry

from Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Building social media within ministries can feel daunting, foreign, and complicated—especially at first. It can feel like we’re putting in a lot of effort for very little return or engagement. It can also feel rather overwhelming to post consistently, all while hearing words like “algorithm” and feeling like we are required to meet specific metrics to achieve digital success. However, it is important we understand the benefits social media can bring to our ministries. When we begin to see the value and blessing from this important sect in ministry, we can develop a deepened appreciation, learning interest and true investment in this element of ministry growth.

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Where to Start?

We find churches are most effectively using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube to engage their audiences. There are lots of ways to create content for social media. We have found that a mix of text based info graphics alongside photos and videos of your members or leaders.

For photos & videos: Have the person with the most updated camera on their phone take photos Photos taken should be shared and posted at the highest possible resolution for editing ability If you don’t have access to a tripod, do your best to take images that are square or level in the frame It is best to take videos in landscape mode – holding your phone horizontal to the ground When recording videos, minimize background noise and ensure any speakers are close to the recording device or microphone If you want recommendations for affordable and adaptable tech equipment such as microphones that work with your phone’s camera or tripods, please reach out to SamLevi Sizemore ([email protected])

For text based info graphics: For most of MCSP’s communications, our graphics are made on Canva. Canva is a free web-based tool to edit photos and add text. This allows for you to layer your photos with text and other graphic elements to create engaging content sized for the platform where you’re posting content. Canva has both a free version that anyone can use and a “PRO” version which is a paid subscription service. If you have interest in the “PRO” version, please reach out to us to learn more. The free version has ample features, so we encourage you to give it a try as we strongly recommend it! Canva for Churches: A Guide Video Editing in Canva

For web design: You can use WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or any other web-building platform, but SamLevi’s favorite low-barrier for entry, user-friendly, and low-cost design platform is Carrd. Why we recommend Carrd: It has a great and effective free level, but the paid tiers are substantially lower than any other web platform The simplicity of design keeps your website easy to navigate for both designer and end users It is quick to learn and more intuitive than other platforms Below are tutorials for using Carrd and an example of a Moravian Church’s website that SamLevi helped develop. Using Carrd to Build a Website Example Church Website Using Carrd (Estamos Unidos Moravian)

Further Reading from the Resource Library

The Great Digital Commission, embracing social media for church growth and transformation by Caleb J. Lines

Attendance in US churches continues to sharply decline. As church leaders struggle to identify both root causes and possible responses, they often feel a sense of despair . . . but there is hope! When social media is used intentionally, it is the greatest tool that the church has ever had to fulfill the Great Commission. In our time, we should hear a Great Digital Commission. The Great Digital Commission offers a theological reflection on the importance of social media–while acknowledging its shortfalls–and suggests practical steps that can help congregations think about strategies for church growth and transformation.

 

Church Communications: Methods and Marketing by Katie Allred

Designed for pastors, church leaders, and volunteers. Church Communications guides the reader through practical steps a church can take to strengthen their digital footprint.

Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture by Ryan M. Panzer

Grace and Gigabytes explores the intersection of technology, culture, and church. Examining digital technology not as a set of tools, but as a force for cultural transformation, Ryan M. Panzer explores the networked values of the digital age–questions, connection, collaboration, and creativity; demonstrates the need for the church to change if it is to realize its mission; and makes recommendations for the practice of ministry today.