Communication In the "Wee Kirks"
When it comes to social media and the small church, many tend to think that these "wee kirks" don't have to worry about having a good website or Facebook page. After all, that's something for megachurches that can afford communications staff. Not so, says a blogger at the church communications blog Church Juice. Here's what Jarod has to say to small churches:
It’s not uncommon for someone to tell me they appreciate reading about church communications but don’t think it really applies to them in their small church setting. Or they’ll say the advice we give is good, but it assumes there’s a full time staff member working on communications. The wording is usually different from person to person, but the sentiment is the same: small churches with small staffs are exempt from being intentional communicators. Friends, you’re using your size as an excuse to not make the tough decisions that come with creating a communications strategy. The truth is in our current society every organization, regardless of size or sector, has to think strategically. Your members live in a world where they interact with other companies and organizations that have coordinated marketing, branding and communications efforts. They can tell the difference between that and something that’s randomly thrown together. Will they give their church some leeway? Probably. But think about how much more engaged they could be if you were being more intentional in planning how you communicate? If you’re not communicating effectively, people will eventually give up on trying to find the information they need if it’s not easy for them to access.
Read the whole thing. Because we live in a connected world, small churches are going to have enter into the media age. That said, it's not as scary as one might think and you just might start getting folks to visit that would have never thought of your church before. Sometimes, size doesn't matter.