Back in the days when we were producing more creative collateral items for clients, we had an involved marketing piece we had put together for a ministry. The piece was beautifully crafted—many pages, specialty paper, carefully designed layouts. It was used to introduce the ministry’s new brand and vision and had been thoughtfully developed. We…
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The idea of tracking communication activity can feel intimidating. For some ministries, it even seems intrusive or inappropriate. Tracking web activity, email interactions, or engagement metrics sounds like something a business would do—so why should a church or ministry care about this? The answer is simple: stewardship. If we are to be intentional about stewarding…
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There are many ministries and nonprofit organizations that lack a dedicated staff member responsible for coordinating and managing communication and marketing efforts. In fact, a majority of ministries do not have someone in this role. This absence can lead to breakdowns and disconnects in communication, not only across the organization or its audience but also…
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One of the most pressing concerns for pastors, church leaders, and board members is how to measure the spiritual health of their congregation. We know it’s important. We know that spiritual health is at the core of meaningful ministry. But how do we measure something that isn’t as simple as counting attendance or tracking giving…
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A while back, a friend recommended the book Measure What Matters. At the time, we were deep into creative and tactical work for ministries, trying to develop better metrics for tracking results. This book introduced a new way of thinking about goals and measurement that was both practical and transformative. Many ministries hesitate to apply…
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When we evaluate ministries and their communication, one of the key areas we assess is consistency. As much as I’d like to think of myself as someone who embraces change, I, like most people, am a creature of habit. I find myself returning to the same restaurants, coffee shops, and stores because of the familiarity…
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The lack of truth-filled communication is one of the biggest relationship killers. Why? Without truth, trust erodes, understanding falters, and vulnerability—so essential for connection—disappears. This isn’t just an issue for personal relationships; it’s a challenge for ministry too, where relationships are foundational. Ministry thrives on relationships—relationships with your team, congregation, and the broader community. And…
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Everyone knows communication is important. If you look at your bookshelf right now, I’d be willing to guess that you have at least three books on communication. You might have even read at least one of them. There are workshops about communication, blog posts about communication, podcasts about communication, assessments to gauge effective communication, and…
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“That place could burn down, and it wouldn’t matter.” I remember the moment I heard someone say those words about a church we were consulting for. They weren’t suggesting arson, of course, but their statement was just as striking. From their perspective, that church was irrelevant. If it disappeared, it wouldn’t make a difference to…
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How do you figure out the true health of your church? This is kind of a danger zone for pastors and leadership teams for two reasons: 1) we are prone to base it on anecdotal evidence or general feelings; 2) we tend to either use no metrics or misleading metrics. Additionally, unless you’ve only been…
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