If you were to sum up what it's like to be a church communications leader, what would you say? We want your help deciding which situation takes the cake.
We know ministry is difficult and sometimes it can feel more chaotic than inspiring. But we believe in you and know what you’re going through!
In fact, we put together a bracket of church communications situations we know you’ve gone through (or will soon!).
Which one best says, “You Might Be a Church Comms Leader If…”?
Vote along on our social media channels each week and help us decide!
Round 1 Matchups: Strategies/ Communications Process
We love making strategic communication plans. We don't love when they get blown up.
Here are a few scenarios you’ll be able to vote on:
- You’re having a good weekend until the lead pastor has a HUGE change on Saturday night.
- Everybody wants everything communicated from the stage in weekend worship services.
- Our church is struggling to decide if the bulletin still needs to be printed.
- Comms Dir. first hears of the year-long Bible reading plan when the pastor announces from the stage.
- A ministry requests a massive print project … 10 days before they need it in hand.
- When you’re trying to plan ahead, but the Holy Spirit and your pastor have other ideas.
- Senior pastor comes up with a new series title that accidentally has a double-meaning /innuendo.
- Having to deal with spam messages in the church’s live stream every Sunday. Curse the bots!
Round 1 Matchups: Team Dynamics
The best part of our jobs are the people. They're also the worst part.
The scenarios for this area include:
- The youth pastor goes off brand and creates a fun, crazy new logo.
- Cringe and pray when Pastor starts a sentence with “This isn’t in my notes but I feel led to share …”
- Lead pastor leaves for sabbatical and everything starts going awry (or everyone lets loose).
- A ministry leader wants volunteer training as a featured event on the homepage.
- The Pastor's phone is ringing off the hook from parents calling regarding the game played in youth last night.
- Everyone teases the Gen-Z staff member for the outfits they wear to work.
- We’re having a creative brainstorming session. It’s fun, energetic and focused on possibilities… until Negative Nancy joins the meeting and tells us what’s wrong with every idea.
- The pastor has big plans for a new church wide campaign with slogans, designs and merch. It lasts 5 weeks before they drop the idea.
Round 1 Matchups: Design
I mean, anyone can be a designer, right? RIGHT?
Sadly these things really happen:
- You think in hex codes, not colors.
- When a volunteer says they’re a designer … in Canva.
- Children’s ministry tells you they want their own sub-brand.
- A volunteer created their own church merch based on the new logo.
- Our website has so much important content to share. It all has to be included. But we also need more white space. And photos, LOTS of photos.
- You haven’t made a new series graphic in months because the pastor decided to go with a year-long study on the same topic.
- Design volunteer says they found a never-before-used stock photo for the next sermon series (but you’ve seen that same photo 900 times).
- The new design intern insists on using Comic Sans for their first project.
Round 1 Matchups: Digital/Websites
Technology can be fun ... except when it's not.
None of these things happen to you, right?:
- Every ministry wants their webpage linked at the top of the site navigation … our navigation now has 67 items.
- The new lead pastor wants our socials to look like Elevation Church .. but they’re only willing to hire a part time social position
- Someone says “I saw it on this other website so it should be doable, right?”
- Senior pastor has a new idea and wants to whip up a webpage(s) to present tomorrow night.
- Oops, we lost the password to the church’s YouTube channel (or social media account).
- Pastor wants an SEO audit after a church member couldn’t find the website on Google (they spelled the church name wrong).
- Someone who dabbles in web development asks to see the code and inevitably breaks something.
- Our church wants people to be seen, but also deletes or ignores hard questions or negative comments that get posted online.
Time to Vote!
Head on over to Fishhook's social accounts to vote for your favorites (or the ones that make you sweat) in the stories each week. We'll post again after each round to see which situation best describes the life of a church communications leader.
Just know that you are seen and heard in your role!
You and your work matter.