Kem Meyer’s new book Less Chaos. Less Noise.: Effective Communications for an Effective Church should be required reading for anyone on staff at a church. She stands as a voice of reason in church communication, always returning the conversation to what’s really important.
This book updates her 2009 version titled Less Clutter. Less Noise: Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales. The principles remain the same but have been updated with fresh content and perspectives in light of the ever-changing landscape of communication and media. Her central idea is this:
Kem boasts more communication experience than most people ever will and her wisdom and knowledge shine throughout the book. She starts by unpacking five myths people tend to believe about communication and marketing. It provides great food for thought and causes readers to pause and question whether they have believed any misguided but well-intentioned conventional wisdom.
The second part of the book explores her five best practices:
- Know Your Audience
- Remove Barriers to Entry
- Reduce the Noise
- Tell One Story at a Time
- Declutter Your Digital Spaces
The third section focuses on relationships, internal and external. Kem isn’t afraid to call out things that should be common sense. At one point, she halts the narrative to say, “I will boldly go here: before you spend money on marketing, spend money improving the people skills of your people.”
Each chapter ends with a list of discussion questions for teams or individuals to go through. And, the very end of the book is a bounty of resources, including sample documents, checklists and Kem’s recommended reading list. Readers could Google for hours and not come up with as many helpful resources as she provides in this single book.
Less Chaos. Less Noise. is a great overall read to get some new perspectives on church communication. But it’s also a helpful resource when in the thick of a communication crisis and in need of advice. Any church staff member will be happy to have made an investment in the book.
More:
- Buy a copy of Less Chaos. Less Noise.
- Read our interview with Kem Meyer.
