Hello Emmanuel,
If you read the MMP two weeks ago, you would've read about the not-so-tragic event of my wife's missing coat. It is with great relief that I inform you that her coat has been found. As expected, it was a total accident. Two coats that looked similar were mixed up. All is fine with the Universe now....... which leads me to this week's MMP.....
There are more coats at Emmanuel than ever before......
...and the more coats there are, the better chance of there being confusion and accidents and mix-ups. And don't think that it can only happen at the coat rack. With more coats, there are more people and with more people there can be more confusion, accidents and mix-ups all over the church building. With more people there can me more ideas, more ministry, more opinions, more evaluating and more.... well.. maybe you get the idea... but if you don't.....
As I mentioned Sunday, March is a crazy month for Emmanuel. Spring, in general, is a very busy time and it is all that I can do to stay focused on the simple task of communicating (I've often believed good communication is 80% of effective ministry). Every time a new article was put on www.emmanuel-umc.com or a new announcement was made for Sunday, something else would pop-up on the calendar, expecting word to get out on some other event, idea or ministry. To be sure, we could've easily had twice as many announcements on Sunday. It's tempting to do so because so much of what we do this time of year is important in so many ways and we want you to know about how to be a part of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
This causes me to consider what we can do to make communication as effective as possible. Recent history tells me we will only get more busy, not less busy. There will be more coats next year, not less. So how do we deal with such a dilemma? I have some thoughts about what we can do now and what we can do in the near future. But if you are already bored with this article (or don't want to read my rambling), then skip to #4.......
1. Continue to Distinguish between 'inside' and 'outside' information - If ministry teams can find a way to communcate well with each other privately, we can use communication tools (website, announcements, etc) for announcing information that would be relevant for everyone, including guests. For example, not everyone is waiting to hear when the next Outreach Team meeting is, but they may be waiting to hear about the next Outreach Event (like the Easter Egg hunt). If the Outreach Team communicates well with each other, there would be no need to announce it otherwise (other than having it on the church calendar), leaving room for communicating events that may interest everyone. Most teams already do this well.
2. Website and the Newsletter: For many churches, the main vehicle for communicating is Sunday morning announcements. This changed for Emmanuel a few years back. While there may have been a little grumbling with this change, the reality is that we cannot spend 25 minutes making announcements every week. First and foremost, Sunday is for worship. Emmanuel's main vehicle for communicating is the website: www.emmanuel-umc.com. This is why we encourage people to register every week. We simply cannot get the word out on every aspect of every ministry on every Sunday. Communcation starts with the website..... sort of.... for those who don't have internet access, there is a hardcopy of the newsletter on the Welcome Table every Sunday.
3. The magic of the Church Calendar: What gets on the website is usually a result of what is on the calendar. If it isn't on the calendar, it likely will not make the website. And ANYONE can put stuff on the calendar (either the wall calendar at church or the Google calendar on-line). Those who edit the website (there are about 6 of us), edit based on events we find on the calendar. 'Outside' information (ministry that the entire congregation may be interested in) gets top priority for front page stuff. Inside information (team meeting schedules, etc) gets last priority because it is expected that teams communicate with each other privately. If it isn't on the calendar, it has no chance to make the website or the newsletters.
If you read the MMP two weeks ago, you would've read about the not-so-tragic event of my wife's missing coat. It is with great relief that I inform you that her coat has been found. As expected, it was a total accident. Two coats that looked similar were mixed up. All is fine with the Universe now....... which leads me to this week's MMP.....
There are more coats at Emmanuel than ever before......
...and the more coats there are, the better chance of there being confusion and accidents and mix-ups. And don't think that it can only happen at the coat rack. With more coats, there are more people and with more people there can be more confusion, accidents and mix-ups all over the church building. With more people there can me more ideas, more ministry, more opinions, more evaluating and more.... well.. maybe you get the idea... but if you don't.....
As I mentioned Sunday, March is a crazy month for Emmanuel. Spring, in general, is a very busy time and it is all that I can do to stay focused on the simple task of communicating (I've often believed good communication is 80% of effective ministry). Every time a new article was put on www.emmanuel-umc.com or a new announcement was made for Sunday, something else would pop-up on the calendar, expecting word to get out on some other event, idea or ministry. To be sure, we could've easily had twice as many announcements on Sunday. It's tempting to do so because so much of what we do this time of year is important in so many ways and we want you to know about how to be a part of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
This causes me to consider what we can do to make communication as effective as possible. Recent history tells me we will only get more busy, not less busy. There will be more coats next year, not less. So how do we deal with such a dilemma? I have some thoughts about what we can do now and what we can do in the near future. But if you are already bored with this article (or don't want to read my rambling), then skip to #4.......
1. Continue to Distinguish between 'inside' and 'outside' information - If ministry teams can find a way to communcate well with each other privately, we can use communication tools (website, announcements, etc) for announcing information that would be relevant for everyone, including guests. For example, not everyone is waiting to hear when the next Outreach Team meeting is, but they may be waiting to hear about the next Outreach Event (like the Easter Egg hunt). If the Outreach Team communicates well with each other, there would be no need to announce it otherwise (other than having it on the church calendar), leaving room for communicating events that may interest everyone. Most teams already do this well.
2. Website and the Newsletter: For many churches, the main vehicle for communicating is Sunday morning announcements. This changed for Emmanuel a few years back. While there may have been a little grumbling with this change, the reality is that we cannot spend 25 minutes making announcements every week. First and foremost, Sunday is for worship. Emmanuel's main vehicle for communicating is the website: www.emmanuel-umc.com. This is why we encourage people to register every week. We simply cannot get the word out on every aspect of every ministry on every Sunday. Communcation starts with the website..... sort of.... for those who don't have internet access, there is a hardcopy of the newsletter on the Welcome Table every Sunday.
3. The magic of the Church Calendar: What gets on the website is usually a result of what is on the calendar. If it isn't on the calendar, it likely will not make the website. And ANYONE can put stuff on the calendar (either the wall calendar at church or the Google calendar on-line). Those who edit the website (there are about 6 of us), edit based on events we find on the calendar. 'Outside' information (ministry that the entire congregation may be interested in) gets top priority for front page stuff. Inside information (team meeting schedules, etc) gets last priority because it is expected that teams communicate with each other privately. If it isn't on the calendar, it has no chance to make the website or the newsletters.
4. Are you bored with this article? Then consider this: there were 81 people at the first worship service in the new sanctuary in 2005. There was an average of 130 in 2009. There was an average of 170 people in 2012. Boring? I think not!! Exciting as all-get-out? I think so!!! When you go about communicating the Good News of Jesus, you want as many coats as possible. However, in doing so, you want to avoid confusion, accidents and mix-ups. Granted, they will eventually happen. However, if you can minimize them and stay focused on our purpose of communicating Jesus, we will continue to bring more coats into the church.
We aren't perfect at this. We never will be. But I will continue to do my best to equip the church leaders to stream-line the most important of church communication to you. While I'm finding this to be increasingly difficult, I will not let us get tangled up in less-important matters than that of 'making disciples of Jesus'.
Now.... to find a bigger coat rack.....
God is Good,
We aren't perfect at this. We never will be. But I will continue to do my best to equip the church leaders to stream-line the most important of church communication to you. While I'm finding this to be increasingly difficult, I will not let us get tangled up in less-important matters than that of 'making disciples of Jesus'.
Now.... to find a bigger coat rack.....
God is Good,
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