Last week’s Table event was a bit different … instead of our usual in-person vibe, we hosted our first ever Office Hours Edition on Zoom. For two hours, church leaders and communicators popped in to ask questions, share ideas and encourage one another in real time. We enjoyed the time!
Here’s a quick recap of what we covered and what’s sticking with us.
With December approaching fast, some of our conversation centered around preparing for the Christmas season. We helped brainstorm new ways to invite the community, next steps for guest follow-up and talked about the simple (but powerful!) ways to make your church more welcoming - like creating space in the parking lot for guests to park close to encouraging congregation members to pay special attention and greet new guests, reminding each other not to underestimate the impact of one kind interaction.
As always, we shared ideas for how to focus messaging in this busy season, so that both regular attenders and guests feel seen, valued and invited in.
We also dipped into the ever-evolving world of AI. We shared what we’re seeing in the communications and ministry space. Including sharing new tools, responsible uses and a few laughs about robots taking over the world (just kidding). The big takeaway: AI can support your team, but it’s no replacement for authenticity, discernment and relationships. Making sure to bring the human aspect to our ministries is so important.
We’re here for tools that help … not ones that make things feel inauthentic to our experiences and relationship-building and care with people.
One attendee shared a Donald Miller (StoryBrand author) reference about “lowering the cognitive load” that made all of us pause.
Yes. Yes. And yes.
In a world that is loud, fast and overflowing with information, lowering the cognitive load for people is one of the most Christlike things we can do. When we can be clear, concise and more easily understood, it helps improve decision-making and engagement with people who are interacting with us. When we simplify, clarify and focus, we create space for people to truly connect with our messages and with Jesus.
It was such a strong theme, we even kept the conversation going in the Fishhook office after the event. This is what we want to help churches do more and more: Communicate the gospel clearly without overwhelming people. To humbly and gently share His love, peace and saving grace in a way that is a beautiful contrast to the noise, pace and tone of the world.
We’re grateful for everyone who joined us today. These conversations fuel us and remind us why we do what we do. Thanks for showing up, sharing your ideas and encouraging each other along the way.
Stay tuned for our 2026 Table Events and in the meantime, let’s keep lowering the load and lifting high the name of Jesus.