Leading Ideas from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Leading Ideas from Lewis Center for Church Leadership at The Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States: "3 Common Communication Mistakes and How to Fix Them | The Power of Core Values" for Wednesday, 28 September 2016
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Leading Ideas from Lewis Center for Church Leadership at The Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States: "3 Common Communication Mistakes and How to Fix Them | The Power of Core Values" for Wednesday, 28 September 2016
SUBSCRIBE | Topics | Authors | Reprints
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3 Common Communication Mistakes and How to Fix Them by Ryan Holck
Ryan Holck, an expert on church communication, says that leaders tend to throw so much information at their congregants that nothing sticks. There’s also a tendency to use insider language while never addressing what people really want to know: “What’s in it for me?” He shares some simple fixes for these common communication challenges.
We’ve got great ministry ideas, and we’re working hard to connect people, but something isn’t working.
1. We Say Too Much
Congregations have limited bandwidth. We spend all week thinking about our ministry plans, but they haven’t. When we throw everything at them at once, nothing sticks. A typical listener can only take in so much information before they shut down and stop listening.
If your church is struggling with communication, don’t worry. Do this one simple thing: Say less, with greater clarity, in ways that connect with people.
The solution is to be intentional about what we share. Pick the top three to four things in the life of your church and share about them well. This is best done with a calendar so you aren’t caught off guard as events approach.
A good rule is that a ministry opportunity needs to relate to 50 percent of those in attendance for you to share about it in worship. If it doesn’t, you should find ways to share with just the people who need to hear it. For example, you would announce an upcoming women’s retreat, since it relates to 50 percent or more of Sunday morning attenders, but not a men’s woodworking class, which could be shared with interested people in other ways.
2. We Only Talk to InsidersI recently found a “secret menu” for In-N-Out Burger, a California-based fast food chain. The menu includes creative ways to take their basic ingredients (burger, fries, and drinks) and switch them up. I’ve been going to In-N-Out for more than 20 years and had no idea that I can get grilled onions on my burger and my wife can have a Lemon-Up — a combination of lemonade and 7-Up. Why didn’t we know? Because they haven’t printed the information on the menu board. The menu is so simple; you have to know what to ask for or they will serve it like they always have.
Unfortunately, we treat our church guests much the same. We assume they understand the context of our church, and they do not. We announce events in ways insiders understand but guests don’t. For example, “Join us for Bible Study on Wednesday in the MPR.” Guests need to know more.
The solution is to answer the questions guests would be asking. Who is this event for? What time is it occurring? What is the full name of the location? Where would I find this room? Can my kids come too? So for example: Life can be confusing! Join our adult Bible study as we talk through practical ways to gain wisdom and understanding. Wednesdays, 7 pm, Main Office Lobby. Child-care is available by reservation.
3. We Share Details with No Heart
These are people who want something more from the life they are living and don’t want to waste time on trivial things. Our guests come to church each week, and we fill them in on all the “exciting ways to get involved.” But they don’t connect.
Why? Because they approach every opportunity, subconsciously or not, with a mental question: “What’s in it for me?” They want to know what makes this opportunity something worth considering, and boring announcements with event details aren’t enough. People are hungry for the solutions God offers. It’s our responsibility to show them.
The solution is to highlight the benefit of attending and participating. Go beyond the details and present examples of life change in your ministry. Look at previous attenders, congregation members, and your community. Share the way God has used the ministry in the past and the difference it can make for those in similar situations.
One Simple RuleIf your church is struggling with these church communication mistakes, don’t worry. There is hope. You can reverse the trend by doing one thing:
Related Resources:
Read more.
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The Power of Core Values by Tony Hunt
Anthony Hunt, pastor of Epworth Chapel in Baltimore, describes how discerning and naming core values can help a church stay focused and on track. Clear core values are essential in implementing mission and vision, setting goals, and evaluating new ministry opportunities. They also help individual church members live out their lives as Christ-followers.
As is the case in any organization, a church’s ability to develop, articulate, and implement its core values is critical to fulfilling its mission, vision and purpose. One dictionary defines a core value as a “principle that guides the organization’s internal conduct and its relationship with the external world.”
Epworth Chapel has implemented our mission and vision statements with careful consideration to our core values. And, we give prayerful and careful consideration to new opportunities for church and community engagement that align with our core values. For instance, Epworth Chapel has developed an ongoing partnership with one of the elementary schools in its community. As this ministry opportunity fit our core values, the church embraced and implemented it.
Read more.
-------
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
While leadership is always about change, change is not the first movement in leadership. Jim Collins and Jerry Porras help us understand the proper sequence when they remind us that "Contrary to popular wisdom, the proper first response to a changing world is not to ask, 'How should we change?'" They offer a better first question:
Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.
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Early-bird Registration EndsTuesday for "Discovering God's Future for Your Church" Conference and Live Stream
Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern
What next faithful step is God calling your church to take? It is vital to know God's vision for your congregation. At the Discovering God's Future for Your Church Conference and Live Stream, you will learn from where vision comes, how to know if the vision is right for your church, and how to communicate and live the vision. Save with early-bird registration throughTuesday, October 4.
Learn more and register now.
-------
Quotable Leadership
Race and gender are givens of God.... Being racist and sexist are a state of mind and a choice.[Marian Wright Edelman]
-------
Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church
Small churches have unique strengths and can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry.
To the Point: Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church by Lewis Center, To The PointSometimes I interact with small congregations that assume that any significant community ministry effort is beyond their reach. They often keenly feel their limitations as they work to keep internal church programs going with limited staff and volunteers. So how could they ever engage the community in any significant way?
With the right approach, it is possible for a small group of people to make a big impact. It will take focus and clarity about what you are trying to accomplish, but the small church can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry. Small congregations have unique strengths that can result in strong and effective community ministry.
Focus. A small congregation has to be more disciplined about not “biting off more than it can chew.” Identifying just one thing to focus on (tutor kids at the local public school, collect diapers, sponsor a community garden) may well help you be more successful, as you will have clear outcomes in front of you. I think sometimes there is a temptation for larger churches to make ministry efforts bigger and more complex than they need to be. Internal ministry programs may have many bells and whistles, so we think we need to do that with work in our community as well — right? Wrong! Sometimes simpler is just what the community needs.
Relationships. Another advantage of being small is that your church may be better at relational ministry than larger churches, and it is the relationships that you can build with people in your community that will make the greatest impact. People who are drawn to attend smaller churches are often there because of the “family” feel; in your small congregation, you can really get to know each other, go deep in your relationships, and bear one another’s burdens. A pastor of a rural congregation in West Virginia told me that his small church is “a place of gathering, celebration, and common community. We still celebrate each person’s birthday here!” Carrying that affinity for relationship into the community may well help you make a greater impact than if you brought hundreds of volunteers or thousands of dollars. Everything you’ve learned within your own congregation about really listening to one another and devoting time to relationships will bless your community in myriad ways.
Partnerships. Small churches often have no choice but to partner with others to carry out ministry. Partnerships, if done well, can result in exponentially greater impact. You aren’t limited to the gifts within your own church. You can seek others, particularly when working on complex community issues where expertise, connections, and resources are needed. I once worked with several smaller churches that were developing partnerships with public schools. We started with a goal of recruiting just ten volunteers from each church, and they met that goal. Next people from the church started going into the school every week, learning about the needs of students, interacting with teachers and other staff, and making an impact by being faithful. A small group of people who are willing can make a big difference!
Ownership. In a small church, members may also feel a greater sense of ownership for the ministry. Without many paid staff, it is up to church members to develop the vision and the plan, find partners, and enlist other members to get involved. You can’t just look around and say, “Pastor So-and-So is going to do that.” In a small church, when you look around, you might only see yourself and a few of your friends. If you don’t do it, no one else will! This strong ownership by lay leaders can help ministry be sustainable over the long term.
Accountability. Finally, those in small churches may be better able to hold each other accountable for following through on ministry goals and commitments because you are small. If just a few of you are working on a project and two of you don’t show up, it’s pretty obvious who isn’t holding up their end of the work! It is harder to be anonymous and go back on what you’ve agreed to. It is harder to give up when your friends are on your case!
Small churches are all too aware of the challenges facing their ministries — limited funds, members, and facilities. But even in the face of such challenges, your small church can start some very powerful community ministries. Take stock of what you do have rather than what you don’t have, and build on those assets. Be creative about finding partners, raising money, and securing in-kind donations. And most importantly, keep going. Some of the most successful community ministries are small and focused and don’t require lots of money and people.[Joy F. Skjegstad is a consultant who works helping churches develop programs to meet community needs. She is the author of 7 Creative Models for Community Ministry (Judson Press, 2013) and Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002).]
Download a PDF to share with others.
Read "To the Point: Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church" now.
3 Common Communication Mistakes and How to Fix Them by Ryan Holck Ryan Holck, an expert on church communication, says that leaders tend to throw so much information at their congregants that nothing sticks. There’s also a tendency to use insider language while never addressing what people really want to know: “What’s in it for me?” He shares some simple fixes for these common communication challenges.
We’ve got great ministry ideas, and we’re working hard to connect people, but something isn’t working.
We assume the issue is the event or a lack of interest by the congregation.
More often than not, the issue is actually a communication challenge. There are simple fixes to these communication challenges.1. We Say Too Much
Congregations have limited bandwidth. We spend all week thinking about our ministry plans, but they haven’t. When we throw everything at them at once, nothing sticks. A typical listener can only take in so much information before they shut down and stop listening.
If your church is struggling with communication, don’t worry. Do this one simple thing: Say less, with greater clarity, in ways that connect with people.
The solution is to be intentional about what we share. Pick the top three to four things in the life of your church and share about them well. This is best done with a calendar so you aren’t caught off guard as events approach.
A good rule is that a ministry opportunity needs to relate to 50 percent of those in attendance for you to share about it in worship. If it doesn’t, you should find ways to share with just the people who need to hear it. For example, you would announce an upcoming women’s retreat, since it relates to 50 percent or more of Sunday morning attenders, but not a men’s woodworking class, which could be shared with interested people in other ways.
2. We Only Talk to InsidersI recently found a “secret menu” for In-N-Out Burger, a California-based fast food chain. The menu includes creative ways to take their basic ingredients (burger, fries, and drinks) and switch them up. I’ve been going to In-N-Out for more than 20 years and had no idea that I can get grilled onions on my burger and my wife can have a Lemon-Up — a combination of lemonade and 7-Up. Why didn’t we know? Because they haven’t printed the information on the menu board. The menu is so simple; you have to know what to ask for or they will serve it like they always have.
Unfortunately, we treat our church guests much the same. We assume they understand the context of our church, and they do not. We announce events in ways insiders understand but guests don’t. For example, “Join us for Bible Study on Wednesday in the MPR.” Guests need to know more.
The solution is to answer the questions guests would be asking. Who is this event for? What time is it occurring? What is the full name of the location? Where would I find this room? Can my kids come too? So for example: Life can be confusing! Join our adult Bible study as we talk through practical ways to gain wisdom and understanding. Wednesdays, 7 pm, Main Office Lobby. Child-care is available by reservation.
3. We Share Details with No Heart
The power of the Gospel is its ability to connect people to God.
These are people who want something more from the life they are living and don’t want to waste time on trivial things. Our guests come to church each week, and we fill them in on all the “exciting ways to get involved.” But they don’t connect.
Why? Because they approach every opportunity, subconsciously or not, with a mental question: “What’s in it for me?” They want to know what makes this opportunity something worth considering, and boring announcements with event details aren’t enough. People are hungry for the solutions God offers. It’s our responsibility to show them.
The solution is to highlight the benefit of attending and participating. Go beyond the details and present examples of life change in your ministry. Look at previous attenders, congregation members, and your community. Share the way God has used the ministry in the past and the difference it can make for those in similar situations.
One Simple RuleIf your church is struggling with these church communication mistakes, don’t worry. There is hope. You can reverse the trend by doing one thing:
Say Less + With Greater Clarity + In Ways That Connect With People
Do this consistently, and you will see growth in your congregation. Neglect it, and you will struggle to connect and retain new people.[This article is adapted from “3 Top Church Communication Mistakes and How to Fix Them” on the Church Tech Today website, June 3, 2016, and used by permission.]Related Resources:
- Speak More Effectively by Asking Three Questions by Adam Hamilton
- Eight Reasons People Aren’t Listening to Announcements by Rich Birch
- Focusing Your Message by Ann A. Michel
Read more.
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The Power of Core Values by Tony HuntAnthony Hunt, pastor of Epworth Chapel in Baltimore, describes how discerning and naming core values can help a church stay focused and on track. Clear core values are essential in implementing mission and vision, setting goals, and evaluating new ministry opportunities. They also help individual church members live out their lives as Christ-followers.
As is the case in any organization, a church’s ability to develop, articulate, and implement its core values is critical to fulfilling its mission, vision and purpose. One dictionary defines a core value as a “principle that guides the organization’s internal conduct and its relationship with the external world.”
A church that effectively develops, articulates, and appropriates its core values can remain clear on what it believes about itself, and focused on what God calls it to be and do.
Core values essentially speak to:- Identity. Who we believe we are.
- Theology. How who we believe we are fits with God’s vision for us.
- Action. How we will act on what we believe about ourselves.
As a church plans to engage in ministry, its core values are a key mechanism for keeping the church focused and on track.
As part of a strategic planning process several years ago, Epworth United Methodist Chapel in Baltimore spent a considerable amount of time in discernment, clarifying its core values in light of its history, present realities, and hope for the future. Epworth Chapel’s strategic plan states that:“As a church, our values stand at the core of all that we are, all that we do, and all that we seek to become as the people of God.” The seven core values Epworth Chapel named are:- Prayer. Public, private, and communal prayer is central to all that we do.
- Excellence. We strive to offer God and one another our best in all that we do.
- Hospitality. Everyone we encounter should receive radical hospitality, a friendly and open welcome, and all persons are to be treated as full participants in the body of Christ.
- Justice. We are committed to a vision of society where every individual has equal access to the resources, opportunities, benefits, and protections that society offers, and where every individual is treated with dignity and fairness.
- Family-focused. We affirm and support the building of strong families as we model what it means to be the family of God.
- Nurturing. We are committed to supporting and encouraging each other, and providing opportunities for all persons to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Diversity. We believe that there is strength in welcoming and accepting persons of all ages, genders, races, abilities, orientations, identities, and nationalities — all God’s people — into the church family.
Epworth Chapel has implemented our mission and vision statements with careful consideration to our core values. And, we give prayerful and careful consideration to new opportunities for church and community engagement that align with our core values. For instance, Epworth Chapel has developed an ongoing partnership with one of the elementary schools in its community. As this ministry opportunity fit our core values, the church embraced and implemented it.
A church that effectively develops, articulates, and appropriates its core values can remain clear on what it believes about itself, and focused on what God calls it to be and do.
Related Resources:- Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
- Your Church’s Creation Story by Tom Berlin
- Three Keys to Identify and Develop High-Impact Leaders by Tony Hunt
Read more.
-------
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
While leadership is always about change, change is not the first movement in leadership. Jim Collins and Jerry Porras help us understand the proper sequence when they remind us that "Contrary to popular wisdom, the proper first response to a changing world is not to ask, 'How should we change?'" They offer a better first question:
"'What do we stand for and why do we exist?' This should never change. And then feel free to change everything else."
Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.
-------
Early-bird Registration EndsTuesday for "Discovering God's Future for Your Church" Conference and Live StreamSaturday, November 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern
What next faithful step is God calling your church to take? It is vital to know God's vision for your congregation. At the Discovering God's Future for Your Church Conference and Live Stream, you will learn from where vision comes, how to know if the vision is right for your church, and how to communicate and live the vision. Save with early-bird registration throughTuesday, October 4.
Learn more and register now.
-------
Quotable Leadership
Race and gender are givens of God.... Being racist and sexist are a state of mind and a choice.[Marian Wright Edelman]
-------
Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church Small churches have unique strengths and can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry.
To the Point: Doing Community Ministry in the Small Church by Lewis Center, To The PointSometimes I interact with small congregations that assume that any significant community ministry effort is beyond their reach. They often keenly feel their limitations as they work to keep internal church programs going with limited staff and volunteers. So how could they ever engage the community in any significant way?
With the right approach, it is possible for a small group of people to make a big impact. It will take focus and clarity about what you are trying to accomplish, but the small church can make a big impact in the world through partnerships, creative use of resources, and a focus on relational ministry. Small congregations have unique strengths that can result in strong and effective community ministry.
Focus. A small congregation has to be more disciplined about not “biting off more than it can chew.” Identifying just one thing to focus on (tutor kids at the local public school, collect diapers, sponsor a community garden) may well help you be more successful, as you will have clear outcomes in front of you. I think sometimes there is a temptation for larger churches to make ministry efforts bigger and more complex than they need to be. Internal ministry programs may have many bells and whistles, so we think we need to do that with work in our community as well — right? Wrong! Sometimes simpler is just what the community needs.
Relationships. Another advantage of being small is that your church may be better at relational ministry than larger churches, and it is the relationships that you can build with people in your community that will make the greatest impact. People who are drawn to attend smaller churches are often there because of the “family” feel; in your small congregation, you can really get to know each other, go deep in your relationships, and bear one another’s burdens. A pastor of a rural congregation in West Virginia told me that his small church is “a place of gathering, celebration, and common community. We still celebrate each person’s birthday here!” Carrying that affinity for relationship into the community may well help you make a greater impact than if you brought hundreds of volunteers or thousands of dollars. Everything you’ve learned within your own congregation about really listening to one another and devoting time to relationships will bless your community in myriad ways.
Partnerships. Small churches often have no choice but to partner with others to carry out ministry. Partnerships, if done well, can result in exponentially greater impact. You aren’t limited to the gifts within your own church. You can seek others, particularly when working on complex community issues where expertise, connections, and resources are needed. I once worked with several smaller churches that were developing partnerships with public schools. We started with a goal of recruiting just ten volunteers from each church, and they met that goal. Next people from the church started going into the school every week, learning about the needs of students, interacting with teachers and other staff, and making an impact by being faithful. A small group of people who are willing can make a big difference!
Ownership. In a small church, members may also feel a greater sense of ownership for the ministry. Without many paid staff, it is up to church members to develop the vision and the plan, find partners, and enlist other members to get involved. You can’t just look around and say, “Pastor So-and-So is going to do that.” In a small church, when you look around, you might only see yourself and a few of your friends. If you don’t do it, no one else will! This strong ownership by lay leaders can help ministry be sustainable over the long term.
Accountability. Finally, those in small churches may be better able to hold each other accountable for following through on ministry goals and commitments because you are small. If just a few of you are working on a project and two of you don’t show up, it’s pretty obvious who isn’t holding up their end of the work! It is harder to be anonymous and go back on what you’ve agreed to. It is harder to give up when your friends are on your case!
Small churches are all too aware of the challenges facing their ministries — limited funds, members, and facilities. But even in the face of such challenges, your small church can start some very powerful community ministries. Take stock of what you do have rather than what you don’t have, and build on those assets. Be creative about finding partners, raising money, and securing in-kind donations. And most importantly, keep going. Some of the most successful community ministries are small and focused and don’t require lots of money and people.[Joy F. Skjegstad is a consultant who works helping churches develop programs to meet community needs. She is the author of 7 Creative Models for Community Ministry (Judson Press, 2013) and Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002).]
Download a PDF to share with others.
-------
Editors: Dr. Ann A. Michel and Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Connect with the Lewis Center:
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Editors: Dr. Ann A. Michel and Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Connect with the Lewis Center:
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue NorthWest
Washington, D.C. 20016, United States
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