Creating a Strong Church Communication Plan

Effective communication is now the gold standard for any organization looking to make a meaningful impact, and that couldn't be more true for churches. A well-thought-out church communications strategy ensures that your message reaches the right people at the right time.

It can help you attract new members, keep current ones strong within the community, and even reveal new opportunities for member engagement.

We've put together this article to help church leaders create an effective communication structure, whether that's improving a current strategy or building one from scratch.

What is church communication?

Church communication includes all the ways a church conveys messages to its congregation and the wider community.  

An effective church communication strategy includes what the church will say, how it will say it, to whom it says it, and why it needs to be said. Perhaps even more importantly, the church communication plan talks about all the ways things need to be said.

A complete plan will usually also address:

• Sermons and highlights
• Bulletins
• Social media posts
• Ministry updates
• Calls for donations
• Volunteer recruitment

And much more.

Often, the church's communication involves finding the best ways to convey all these messages through various mediums, which may include everything from internal and external digital signage displays to direct-to-congregation communications, the church website copy, and even SMS.

Why create a detailed church communication strategy?

A church communication strategy brings order to the flow of information in the church and basically ensures that everyone who needs to be informed is informed in a way they can receive the message.

Volunteers know when and where they are needed, the Bible group knows what verses to prepare for Bible study, and donors know how close the church is to its goal.

Here are some of the key reasons you want to take some time to plan your communication.

1. Updates can become more impactful

It can get expensive, time consuming and stressful to send bits and pieces of information to a congregation through printing bulletins or repeated verbal announcements during service.

Streamlining communications ensures that important information is displayed in a way that catches attention and conveys the message without disrupting the service. This can also make critical messages harder to miss.

2. All your messaging is consistent

Building a sound, encompassing church communication strategy ensures that all communications are aligned with the church’s mission and values and that they stick to the plan.

Each piece of information will be sent via the proper channels (ministry updates and announcements during services and inspirational messages through social media, for example), and people will know where to look for information every time.

3. Members can get information in real-time

A well-structured communications plan will include allowances like digital signage screens for quick updates. This is important for when you need to update members on last-minute changes to service times or event details.

Read more: Ideas for church welcome signs

4. Greater chances for engagement

Church communication can help keep the congregation engaged and informed about events, news, and upcoming activities, making it easier to get involved and feel like a part of the family. This really shines through when a properly crafted communication plan is followed to the letter.

Read How Pflugerville Community Church Increased Major Event Attendance by 75% Using ScreenCloud Digital Signage

5. Potentially deeper worship experience for members

Communicating sermon notes, Bible verses, and worship lyrics, especially through the church LED signs, can help congregants follow along more easily and stay engaged during services. Visual aids can also make services more immersive, especially for members who respond to them.

What are the different types of church communication?

There are two major types of church communication: internal, which deals with everything the church has to say to its members, and external, which deals with communication with the larger community.

Internal communication

Internal communication involves all information meant for current church members and possibly prospects who have visited and are considering becoming members.

With internal communication, the goal is to encourage involvement in various activities like volunteering and donation – while also keeping service engagement and community high.

Some of the biggest internal communication channels in a church include:

• Direct to congregation announcements
• Announcements from the minister during service
• Emails and SMS to congregation members
• Bulletin boards (physical or digital)
• Internal displays
• Phone calls
• Social media updates to account followers

Some of the information members might receive through these channels include:

• Calls for volunteers
• Ministry updates
• Information on financial donations and church projects
• Invitations for various ministry courses
• Inspirational and encouraging messages

External communications

External communications involve information intended for non-church members; they are usually meant to reach the wider community and possibly invite them to worship in the church.

These kinds of communication aim to paint the church in a favorable light and show Christians the church family and fellowship that awaits them.

Some of the biggest external communication channels include:

• Social media
• External facing church digital signage
• Email and SMS (for prospective members)
• Advertising
• Flyers

You may have noticed that social media, email, and SMS appear in both internal and external communication. That’s because they have such a wide reach and can be used to communicate with both members and non-members.

How to create a church communications strategy

1. Decide what the church needs

Firstly, you need to decide what your church needs by way of communication. Current objectives could include increasing service attendance, attracting more ministry volunteers, or appealing to a younger demographic.

You’ll want to:

• Analyze past communication to identify strengths and weaknesses
• Identify what channels to focus on based on urgency and importance
• Discuss goals with church leadership and stakeholders
• Write out objectives so they stay on top of mind

2. Identify your audience

Once the objectives take form, the target audience is next. Will your church's communications focus on regular attendees, occasional visitors, potential new members, or the wider community in your town/city?

It’s a good idea to segment your priority audiences into groups and start identifying which channels are most effective in reaching them.

Great ways of segmenting your audience include:

• Age groups: For example a younger audience may favor TikTok, Instagram, and other channels
• Levels of engagement: Your content needs to do more work with occasional visitors as opposed to members of the church community
• Responsiveness: People who regularly respond and volunteer may be easier to reach.

3. Breakdown current communication channels

Here, you want to identify all the channels your church currently uses to reach people, including both internal and external channels.

Next, identify which ones need improvement and which most effectively target your prime audience.

The key is to prioritize currently effective channels that can reach your audience. You may also want to invest in channels that show potential, even though they’ll require a bit of investment.

4. Create a content calendar

A content calendar can help you effectively communicate by organizing your messaging in advance. This ensures that information is constantly timely and consistent and that no one is left out.

• Plan messages ahead of time
• Schedule regular updates for social media, newsletters, and other channels
• Include deadlines for content creation and approval to keep things moving.

5. Develop the key templates

Part of the motivation for creating a church communication plan is consistency, so it’s really important to develop a standard that all messaging will follow. This way, members know exactly what kind of communication they are getting and can be more likely to pay attention.

You’ll want to create a message framework that includes core messages and supporting points. It’s also important to pay attention to simple updates like announcements on the church LED signs and social media posts; these help maintain consistency.

6. Talk to your members

Feedback is a big part of creating a communications plan. Talk to your audience and ask for feedback about:

• What communications channels do they prefer?
• If any messaging has stuck with them in the past and why
• If they would consider sharing some of the church's updates with other members

Answers to these questions could be quite revealing and end up shaping your whole communications strategy.

7. Create a church communications team

If your church has many staff or volunteers, consider assigning responsibilities to different people. Decide who will oversee the creation, who is responsible for vetting and proofing, and who ensures information goes out on time.

It’s also a good idea to assign roles based on skills and availability and create a consistent workflow that everyone can follow.

8. Focus on new members and prospects

Growing membership is a major goal of many churches, and your communications strategy can contribute to this goal. By prioritizing contact with new members and making them feel welcome, your church can paint an inviting picture and help them integrate into the community.

Some ideas to explore are:

• Display custom welcome messages on church screens to welcome new members
• Create targeted communications to help address specific needs and questions newcomers may have
• Regularly follow up to ensure they feel like a part of the church body

9. Monitor and evaluate

You’ll want to check on your communications strategy regularly. Has execution deviated from the plan? Are your current channels working, or do you need to rethink things?

Analytics is very helpful here, allowing you to glean everything from email opens to social media engagements really quickly. Surveys are another great way to monitor your strategy since there’s no better source of information than the horse’s mouth. Ask members if they find it easy to respond to current methods or if they’d prefer something better.

Finally, you want to consistently double-check that you’ve covered the essentials of your plan. This is important if you find that the church has made a lot of big changes recently that could render your plan obsolete.

10. Incorporate digital signage

This is where church digital signage and other amazing tools come in. They can streamline your communication efforts and make tracking everything you’re doing easier. Digital signage, especially, can be very helpful for internal and some external church communication.

Here are some ways digital signage screens can help with internal communications:

• Service times
• Church announcements
• Sermon notes
• Worship lyrics
• Enable sign-ups for events through QR codes
• Facilitate donations
• Display community events, fundraisers, and other social activities

External communications screens positioned outside the church can focus on

• Providing information about the church
• Inspiration quotes and scripture
• Promotional messages for upcoming events

6 tips for using church digital signs effectively

Implementing signage can be highly effective if done correctly. Here are six tips to ensure you get the most out of your church digital signage:

Prioritize content planning

Plan your content in advance to ensure it is relevant, engaging, and updated regularly. Since your indoor church signs will display things like sermon notes and lyrics, getting these in advance from the minister and choir is a good idea.

If you have outdoor LED church signs, decide what they will display and have it queued up and ready to go.

Consider an audience-centric approach

Tailor your content to your audience's needs and interests by considering what information they would find useful and how it can be presented in an engaging manner. Some points are obvious, like announcements and event times, but some others might need experimentation, like motivational messages.

Consider using a mix of text, images, and videos to cater to different preferences and keep things engaging.

Test your church signs’ visibility and placement

Ensure that your indoor and outdoor LED church signs are placed in locations where they are easily visible to your target audience. For outdoor LED signs, consider factors like traffic flow and line of sight. Indoor digital displays should be placed where congregants naturally gather, like entrances and fellowship areas.

Seal the deal with clarity and readability

You’ll want to use clear, large fonts and high-contrast colors to ensure your church's message is easily readable from a distance. Avoid cluttering the screen with too much information at once. Instead, use multiple LED signs to break down information into digestible parts.

Troubleshooting your church communications

Even with a solid plan, you might encounter issues in your communication. Sometimes, the response isn’t quite what’s expected, or it seems like engagement has dropped off a cliff. Often, these problems can be traced to and solved by your communications plan.

Here’s how to troubleshoot some of the common problems you might experience:

Low engagement

If your engagement suddenly grinds to a halt, it may be time to reassess your content and channels. Are you providing value to your audience? Is the timing of your messages optimal? Are the right people getting the right messages on the right channels?

Inconsistent messaging

Here you want to ensure that everyone involved in communication is on the same page and are sticking to the guide. Regular meetings and additional content vetting can help.

Lack of resources or staff

If your church is short on volunteers or staff, it may be time to prioritize recruiting more volunteers with outreach duties. Depending on how your comms plan is structured, you may also push the call for volunteers on your channels.

This problem could also be solved by incorporating an easy-to-use solution that streamlines all your workload. An example is ScreenCloud’s digital signage software, where one or two users with access to the CMS could manage content on all the screens within the church.

Upgrade your church communications with ScreenCloud

ScreenCloud’s digital signage management software has features that will integrate perfectly with your church’s overall communications plan. Our solution is affordable, with plans that let you pay per screen.

Plus, your church will have access to professionally designed templates and an extensive library of information guides, so that anyone at your church can quickly create engaging slides for your screens.

As well as integrating with most software, there are also more than 80 ready-made apps and integrations available at your fingertips, making it much easier to combine the existing solutions you use for managing communication and outreach.

You can book a demo right now and see why over 10,000 organizations trust ScreenCloud with their digital signage.