There are three words that, if I hear them spoken in one form or another, make it clear to me whether a church is communicating effectively and truly open to reaching its community.

The words? “Our people know.”

Having been involved in communications for decades, a common challenge is the sharing of information. This seems to be particularly true in churches, especially regarding the communicating of changes, whether the message is aimed internally or externally.

Don't Lost People Matter?

The first two words, “Our people,” are loaded with issues. It clearly communicates that “our people” are those we care about, and all others are outsiders. It tells those on the outside, if somehow you make it in, then great. You’ll be one of us.

But the way in is not clear, not easy, and certainly not welcoming.

A youth group that had big hopes of growing was supposed to meet at its church on Friday nights. However, it became apparent that the group met only intermittently, at various locations, and stopped meeting completely during the summer.

For more than a year, the group had not met regularly at the church as stated on the website and in the bulletin. Most likely someone came to the church for these meetings only to find the doors locked and the building dark.

When the youth leader was asked why these changes had not been shared, he responded, “Well, our kids knew!”

This attitude sends a clear message, that despite any words printed or spoken to the contrary, the lost really didn’t matter. The community surrounding the church wasn’t important.

Country Club Church

The nonchalant attitude which results in information not shared or updated, especially when public-facing, signals, “We don’t really care about the community.”

Do everything you can to remove barriers to people becoming engaged in your church — and in the kingdom of God.

This is what I call a “just us folks” attitude or a “country club” mentality.

I’ve encountered the “our folks knew” response when times, dates, content, parameters, or locations for announced activities and meetings have been changed by those leading the groups or ministries yet didn’t let their church communicator know.

This happens with small groups, Sunday School classes, standing committee meetings, youth groups, and more — many that are public-facing events open to everyone, including guests and newcomers to the church. And still those leading the events wonder why no one new shows up!

In short, a “country club” church has become so insular that the only people who matter are those already in the fold. Everything is about the insiders. There is no thought given to those on the outside — the community the church claims to care about and wants to reach.

Communication Guidelines

Communication is challenging when things move fast and not everyone is facile at using digital media. If you have a church app, many may not use it. Or if you have an updated website, many don’t check it.

Thus, spoken and printed announcements still play into a good communication plan. But no matter how you shape the plan for your church, effective communication requires being relentlessly intentional.

Good communication will not happen with a laissez-faire, indifferent, dismissive attitude of “just us folks.” It will only happen when all those involved in communicating are truly interested in caring for their church and reaching their community. Good communication comes from deeply loving those being targeted with your messages.

Here are five general guidelines for ensuring better communication inside and outside your church:

1. Check-in frequently. If you are responsible for your church communications, check with church and group leaders regularly about events, schedules, and news. When an event or change is announced, follow up to make sure everything is accurate.
   
   If you are a church or group leader, check-in regularly with the person responsible for the church’s communications. Every time you make a schedule or location change, let your communication person know. Follow up to make sure the information was received and shared accurately.
   
   
2. Update frequently. When new information is received, update it immediately everywhere. You don’t want to make the change in just one place and not everywhere that it appears, which will lead to frustration and confusion. It really doesn’t take much time to update a website, Facebook page, bulletin, etc.
   
   
3. Share frequently. A rule of thumb for communication is, “If you’re not sick of sharing the message, you haven’t shared it enough.” If you are sick of sharing a message, it’s likely you’re just beginning to reach everyone who is targeted. You still need to keep repeating the message.
   
   
4. Clarify frequently. Every time you hear a question about a group, an event, or anything happening in church, pay attention. If one person is asking a question, it’s likely others are wondering the same thing but not speaking up.

   Update your communication channels with clarifying information based on those questions. In some instances, developing an FAQ (frequently asked questions) list will be appropriate. Then be sure to update the FAQs regularly.
   
   

5. Never assume. This is the one tip to rule them all! Never assume those you are targeting with your communication know anything. Always communicate the full who, where, why, what, when, and how of your event.

Don’t assume everyone knows the address. Don’t assume they know the person to contact. Don’t assume they know what’s going to happen. It’s only safe to assume one thing: that those you are trying to reach know nothing.

Messages Off the Page

One final word. A “just us folks” attitude impacts how everything is done in your church. Effective communication isn’t just about what shows up on your website or in your bulletin. It extends to how you greet newcomers to your services and how you execute outreach and evangelism efforts. Good communication is all-encompassing and never-ending.

You need to relentlessly and intentionally do everything you can to remove barriers to people becoming engaged in your church — and in the kingdom of God.

Remember, good communication comes from deeply loving those being targeted with your messages.