Communication is so important. Done well it is amazing how vast amounts of people can hear, understand in get involved in the life of an organisation. Done wrong and it can cause many problems and even be painful. During war times its often thought that the first point of attack is on the enemies communication system. As leaders, let’s take time to invest energy into good communication and help people be involved in the great commission.
Here’s 5 recommendations when developing your communications;
Website + Social + Apps
We are well and truly immersed in the internet revolution. It is important to coach your team and young people to live life online in a healthy way knowing that there is a HUGE opportunity to utilize the internet for communication and information to benefit ministry activity. Here is a list popular apps that you might consider using;
Facebook – groups and pages have different privacy settings
Instagram – short posts, pics, videos and stories can really help get your message out and privacy settings can help. The latest research suggests facebook users tend to be older than Instagram users.
Blog – a good way of having a presence online without necessarily having all the social media factors to think through. WordPress, squarespace and wix are all really good platforms that can help you build it.
YouVersion – a bible app that can help your young people engage with God’s word. It also has a social feature so people can share bible verses, do the same reading plan and connect with friends.
You Tube – a really good way of uploading videos to encourage, share news and messages. You can use privacy settings to communicate with groups of people that you specifically share a link with.
Podcasts – a good way to post talks, interviews, discussions and information.
There are many more but these tend to be the most popular and widely used.
There are many more, but these tend to be the most popular and widely used. Just bear in mind the age restrictions on these apps as well as following appropriate safeguarding advice from the Diocese of Blackburn. If unsure you can contact the Safeguarding Team on 01254 503088. The Diocese of Blackburn also offers key advice with regards to this.
Email + Text
Having an easy way for people to subscribe to an email newsletter can really help. You can then share your information, weekly bulletin, news etc regularly. You can include links to all the above services you use and help to make your ministry easy to connect to and hear from. Mailchimp is a brilliant web based program to use.
Good old texting is still very effective. Ensuring you have a good policy within your church about leaders texting young people for wisdom and accountability. Texting is a good way of getting information and reminders out quickly.
Flyers
Despite all the online tools we have these days there is still great power in producing physical flyers for your group. This can be particularly helpful for a list of dates for example, that can be stuck on fridges at home for quick reference.
Database management
Churchsuit has been an incredibly useful resource for churches. It has a fantastic administrator portal to help with databases. It also has many church specific tools to help manage and measure ministry activity like small groups, tagging key dates like baptism it also integrates well with email tools like mailchimp and texting tools like textlocal.
Personal
Don’t forget, through all these online techniques the best way to communicate is in person. 1:1, visiting small groups, giving notices at church, helping with local school assemblies etc is the best and most powerful way for you to share news and events with your young people and church.
Data Protection
It is important to note that being especially careful with information and being GDPR compliant is essential. Take time to read up and investigate the requirements before embarking on your online communication. Make sure your website has a privacy policy and information about data protection. The Church of England, Blackburn Diocese and Blackburn Diocese Board of Education websites all have relevant information on to
Final Thought
Communication is so important to our ministries. The opportunities in the modern times is incredible. The Apostle Paul encourages us to make the most of every opportunity and we have many through the internet. Be creative and take the time to be diligent.
Colossians 4:2-6
If you would like to find out more, or have any questions please contact the youth team at youth@blackburn.anglican.org
Ben Green
Youth Work Adviser
youth@blackburn.anglican.org
Michelle Nuttall
Administrator
01254 503419
