Fall may seem like a long way off, but your plans for fall are likely underway. That’s the topic for our Courageous Storytellers membership site this month—fall kickoff—so in addition to a host of resources for our members, we’re also talking to church communicators to see how they handle fall.
What do you need to do between now and the fall to be ready?
We asked seven church communicators what they need to do to be ready for the fall season. Here’s what they said:
Start Now
Sandy Hughes, pastor of communications at Central Peninsula Church in Foster City, Calif.:
We require our staff to turn in all their fall promotion details by May 30 or we cannot guarantee their ministry will be promoted. Our comms team pushes all year and I want to make sure we all get our vacations in. In a large church, with many ministries, requiring all the details for fall in May gives us the opportunity to work and create throughout the summer and not feel frazzled when fall hits. The best part about this is that when we get a last-minute request we have the bandwidth to serve our teams.
Work the List
Charla Wilkerson, director of communications and administration at Fairfax Circle Church in Fairfax, Va.:
Never never never stop! Ha. My app developer and website guy each have a list for you.
Oh, and did I mention that we’re the “banner church?” We live by a busy street and are known for our awesome banners. So I’ll be designing a couple more of those.
Expecting
Kelon Moore, director of communications and technology at Concord Church in Dallas:
Well I’m on a different mission. I’ll be welcoming my third child in June so I’m preparing my team for the summer—which includes fall planning—as if I won’t be around.
Plan Ahead
Rebecca Llenos, communications director at First United Methodist Church Pearland in Pearland, Texas:
I need to meet with ministry directors and work with them to create a calendar and plan for the fall. By making a plan, it is easier to communicate to all (internally and externally) the flow of the season and how/why ministries are working together to meet the needs of our church and/or community.
Christy Farrell, director of communications at First Christian Church in Columbus, Ind.:
Normally the summer tends to be a little lighter and I can catch up on things like style guides, freshen up stale brochures, etc. but this year the summer is very busy—a big community event on May 20 and another one even bigger for June 17. I need to work with the ministerial staff on deadlines and get buy-in so that things can be completed in a timely manner with excellence.
I need to be asking them for information and not waiting on them to remember what they need for their big events.
Re-Branding & Second Service
Sarah Murry, communications director at Rock Bridge Community Church in Northwest Georgia:
We are re-branding the small group and serving initiatives I mentioned before, so that needs to be nailed down and ready to go for the fall. One of our campuses is launching a second service in the fall as well, so I need to help them rev up our marketing in the community leading up to that launch.
Prioritize
Molly Reichard, minister, community engagement at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Edina, Minn.:
There is a fair amount of strategy and planning that needs to happen in a short period of time. We have four new staff positions which is exciting, but it also means we have a high learning curve. We will need to prioritize and focus; rally around the highest priorities to get done what is most important by fall.
More:
Do you need help gearing up for your fall kickoff? Check out our Courageous Storytellers resources for fall kickoff. Learn more about becoming a member of Courageous Storytellers.
