Communication

Offering complimentary wi-fi to members during services is just one way churches are engaging with millennials. However, without properly securing your wi-fi and other organization-owned devices, you could be exposing your church to cyber attacks from outside intruders. With security threats to churches on the rise, cybersecurity is quickly becoming a top priority for religious organizations across the country.

With Lent less than two weeks away, I often find myself approaching the practice of Lent a little differently each year. For those, like myself, who did not grow up following the liturgical calendar, Lent may be a foreign thing. In short, Lent is the season of the Christian Year where we focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting to grow closer to God.

As a parent, you are concerned for your child's safety on the Internet. Teens and even young children as young as one are using mobile technology on a regular basis. Because technology changes so fast, it's helpful to have a sense of some of the concerns we all face. By being aware, and taking appropriate steps to safeguard our children, we can be aware of the dangers and teach our families how to move about the web safely.

Good church communication doesn't just happen. Whether it is the preacher's sermon or church announcements, time and thought needs to be put into what is being communicated to the listeners. Your church needs someone who can put focused attention into these communications. Someone has GOT to oversee your communications. Someone needs to be the gatekeeper for you.

We all want to keep up with communication trends so that we can reach our world. We remind ourselves that the Apostle Paul said “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:22,23a). Though we work hard to do that, we also need to be realistic as we work to apply what is currently useful in the secular communication world and how that will work out in the crucible of church culture.

If you're overwhelmed by the number of social media services and tools to manage said social media services, you're not alone. It seems like new solutions crop up almost daily. It's a changing landscape for sure. While we've blogged about many social media tools for church communicators, it's great to share this infographic published originally by Kenny Jahng and team to give you a sense of what social media tools communications within the church are using.

It's hard to fathom, but religious activity among American young people is at a notable all-time low. Millennials (born ~1980-2000) are less religious than their parents or grandparents, and, though little data has been collected on Millennials little brothers and sisters (Gen Zers, 2000-Present), it is safe to assume they aren’t pumped about revival meetings or Bar Mitzvahs either.

As I talk to church leaders, I'm amazed by the consistency of challenges the face. One of the biggest questions they ask comes down to their church communications... How do we get people to respond to communications and attend events?