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Okay, time to get that awful Olivia Newton-John song out of your head. Moving on.

I took my son to the pediatrician for a physical/well-child exam. After looking him over and asking lots of questions, the doc leaned back in his chair and spoke. “Overall he looks great. [Insert mommy sigh of relief here.] You’re doing really well at getting him to eat lots of fruit, but what about green veggies? And I love that he’s playing games and doing puzzles but how much time is he spending running and jumping outside?” After the mommy guilt evaporated, I took his suggestions to heart and made a mental note to do better in those areas.

So what does this have to do with church communications?

One of our main services is a Communications Assessment. We attend services, meet church members, interview leaders and staff, and analyze communication tools and processes. Essentially we are diagnosing the health of this church’s communications. Then, we sit down with church leaders (sometimes via video) and walk through our assessment. It's similar to my son’s check-up! We share with the church about their strengths in communications ... and also the areas where they could use a little help. Our goal is always to help a church lean into what they are already doing well and encourage them to grow in other areas.

And you know how the longer you put off a doctor’s visit, the worse problems can get? The same goes for communications. Going unchecked, even small issues can grow to be problematic.

What can you do?

Here are a few easy ways to take your church’s communications temperature:

• Do a survey. Send an email survey to your congregation. Ask things like “What’s working with our Sunday bulletin? What’s not?” or “How do you prefer to receive information from us (email, bulletin, direct mail, etc.)?” There are lots of easy, cheap survey solutions out there. We love Formstack!
• Hold an informal focus group. Invite a good cross-section of your church to participate in a moderated focus group. Ask questions but mostly just listen, listen, listen!
• Hire a professional. Sometimes having an objective, outside opinion is just what the doctor ordered. It’s often hard to see the problems (and the successes) when you’re in the trenches.