Church communication is one of the pillars of your organization that cannot be overlooked. Without excellent communication, people are left in the dark about what is happening. When that happens, troubles multiply quickly.
Thankfully, virtual assistants can help tremendously with church communication. I’ll explain more below, but first, we have to address a big issue.
Church Communication is not Church Administration
While some consider church communication a part of administrative responsibilities, I typically separate them out. Ministry Assistant Services offers work both in the areas of communication and administration. Though they are not entirely separate entities, I have found it useful to treat them as such when dealing with churches and organizations.
I do this for a variety of reasons.
Administration is Plan Making; Communicating is Plan Announcing
Many churches and organizations we meet with are EXCELLENT at planning. They have spreadsheets, they have data, they have plans in place, they a vision and mission of what they want to accomplish.
And then it falls flat.
The breakdown 99% of the time has to do with communication. Either it was communicated unclearly, it was communicated selectively, or it was communicated sparsely.
1) Unclear Communication
Unclear communication occurs when organizations have an idea but do not adequately explain it or make it overly complicated. The message can be communicated many times, but since it is so difficult to understand, people simply will not listen.
I have found that good administrators can be unclear in communicating with large groups of people. They often times simply rehash the information that was given to them without asking, “Does this make sense to most people?”
2) Selective Communication
This occurs when only a select group of people know the plans. This failure largely occurs on the team level, among deacons and elders or any other smaller group. It is when a handful of people in a select group know the information. This can happen if there is no chain of communication that has been established. When selective communication occurs, it typically results in people having hurt feelings. They ask the question, “Why wasn’t I notified?” It inadvertently creates an “in-group” and that can cause long-term damage.
3) Sparse Communication
Sparse communication occurs when the plan is announced only a handful of times from a select few platforms. For instance, the pastor announces a meeting three or four times from the pulpit, but no other communication goes out across social media.
Excellent administration aids communication and excellent communication aids administration
There is a symbiotic relationship between the two. Gifted administrators who have a clearly thought-out plan help those who need to communicate that plan. Further, those who communicate frequently, often times can help administrators focus their planning in ways that benefit their audience.
Our Virtual Assistants are trained in communication AND administration
The reality is, that our team of virtual assistants has to be excellent communicators because they work in a digital environment. We often preach to over-communicate. Here’s how this works:
We think strategically about communication
We understand that not everyone is going to process the information the first time they hear it. So we make sure that there is a strategy and a clear chain of communication between us and the staff and those within the organization.
We think about how to communicate the information
Not only do we want a plan on where to communicate the information, but we want to make sure we present the information in a way that your audience will understand. We will come alongside you and help you craft your messaging in a way that is accessible for everyone to hear.
What can virtual assistants do for church communication?
The short answer is, basically everything! But in order to give you more tangible expressions of what we do on a daily basis, here are ways we help with communication.
Newsletters
We can help format, update and send out weekly or monthly newsletters or e-newsletters to your church, organization or donors. We’ll ensure they are aesthetically pleasing and easy to read. We have found this is especially helpful for missionaries and church planters.
Social Media Updates
We’ll make sure information is communicated through all your social media platforms. This includes finding or making a graphic that is perfect for the occasion.
We use a special team-based approach to social media which I describe in more detail here.
Slide Creation
We can create slides for you to project to your congregation during your worship service. Announcement slides are an effective way to make sure your church sees what you are doing weekly.
Volunteer Coordination
It is essential to communicate clearly with your volunteers. We can ensure that your volunteers know when it is their time to serve. Further, we can communicate encouraging and uplifting messages, letting them know how much you appreciate all they do.
Communicate Seamlessly Through Church Database Management and Automations
We can make sure that all of your communication is handled seamlessly through automation and your church database software. We also can manage your email databases as well.
Personal Messaging
We can make sure that birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated through emails. Nothing will make your congregation feel more loved than knowing that you are celebrating them on their special day. We can even send handwritten cards as an extra personal touch.
SMS and Phone Calls
We can also send church-wide text messages, phone calls, or personal phone calls to individuals. If you do not have an SMS (text messaging) system set up, we can set one up for you to ensure that everyone in your organization knows what is going on!
PR Statements
Do you have exciting news that you want to share with the larger community? Do you have a large event coming up you want everyone to know about? We can help craft and launch a PR statement that will let the wider community know what your organization or church is doing.
Facebook and Instagram Advertising
Do you have a large event coming up? Do you want to let your community know about it? Our team of FB and Instagram ad specialists can run ads to your event to let people know to check it out. Our ads perform very well with very high click-through rates and low advertising costs. Many churches use this service for Easter, Christmas, Vacation Bible School and more.
Website Updates
We can ensure that all of the newest information is updated continually on your website, week after week. Regardless of what platform your website is hosted on, we will make sure the changes are made!
Will a virtual assistant help my church or organization’s communication?
Yes! Of course, we are biased. But we have seen churches that struggle with clear communication be transformed by hiring our team. We streamline processes and can help you think clearly about how to communicate all the important information.
We intentionally keep our hourly pricing affordable in order to assist churches of any size.
If you want to get started with a brief 15-minute consultation, we’d love to talk about how we can help your ministry. Click the button below to get started.