Church Comm Cohorts

The Great Lakes Region of the Wesleyan Church Cohorts

What is a Communications Cohort?

GLR Communications Cohorts are online learning groups designed for pastors and church leaders who are responsible for communications, whether communications is their primary role or just one of the many hats they wear. These cohorts create space to step back from the weekly rush, think strategically about your church’s communications and build practical systems that fit your church, your people and your available resources. Together, participants will share challenges, celebrate wins, learn from one another, gain practical ideas and receive coaching from the Fishhook team.

What impact will this help you bring to your church?

Church communications can feel overwhelming. There are more tools, channels and opportunities than ever before, and most churches have limited time, people and resources.

GChurch communications can feel overwhelming. There are more tools, channels and opportunities than ever before, and most churches have limited time, people and resources.

GLR Communications Cohorts will help you:

Clarify your communications priorities
Your church could communicate a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. How do you know what matters most? Learn how to connect your church’s mission, vision and values to your everyday communications priorities so your efforts are moving your most important ministry goals forward.
Build sustainable communications systems
Great communications is not about doing more. It is about creating clear, repeatable rhythms that help you decide what gets communicated, when, where and how. Learn how to build systems that work within your church’s actual capacity.
Know your audience and choose the right channels
Before deciding how to communicate, you need to know who you are trying to reach. Better understand your congregation, community and newcomers so you can make strategic choices about email, social media, your website, text, print and other communication channels.
Make wise decisions about tools and resources
What should you handle in-house? What can Canva help you accomplish? When do you need a professional designer, developer or outside partner? Learn how to make smart decisions about your brand, website, design, AI and other communications resources.
Create a realistic plan for what comes next
You do not have to be everywhere or do everything. Build a sustainable communications plan based on your church’s mission, audiences, team and resources so you know where to spend your next hour, dollar and ounce of creative energy.
Connect with other church pastors and leaders
You are not the only one trying to figure this out. Share ideas, process challenges, ask questions and encourage other leaders who are navigating many of the same opportunities and limitations.

What does a Church Comm Cohort include?

Each Communications Cohort will walk through a series of practical learning modules designed to help participants think strategically and lead communications more effectively.

Every session will include teaching, group conversation and coaching/Q&A time with the Fishhook team, along with follow-up resources and activities.

Session 1: Building Your Church Communications Strategy

What matters most and where should you focus first?

Your church could communicate a lot of different things in a lot of different ways, but your time, people and resources are limited.

We will help you connect your church’s mission, vision and values to your communications priorities and identify what is good, better and best for your church in this season.

Together, we will explore the role communications plays in moving your church’s mission forward, how to establish realistic priorities and how pastors and communications leaders can create greater alignment around what matters most.

Session 2: Creating a Communications System that Works

How do you manage all the messages, requests and moving pieces?

Great church communications is not about doing more. It is about creating a sustainable rhythm for deciding what gets communicated, when, where and how.

We will help you think through your priority messaging, communications requests, planning calendars, competing ministry priorities and repeatable workflows so you can build a system that fits your church and your available bandwidth.

Session 3: Know Your Audience & Choose Your Channels

Who are you trying to reach and what is the best way to reach them?

Before you create another social post, newsletter, video or announcement, you need to know who you are trying to reach and what you want them to know, feel or do next.

We will help you better understand your congregation, community and newcomers and make strategic decisions about where to invest your communications energy.

Together, we will explore how channels like your website, email, social media, text and print can work together to support your ministry goals and create clear next steps for the people you serve.

Session 4: Your Communications Toolkit: Brand, Design, Web & AI

What can you do yourself and when should you bring in help?

You do not have to be a professional designer, developer or strategist to lead communications well. You do need to understand the tools available to you, how to use them wisely and when it is time to bring in additional expertise.

We will explore the importance of a brand guide, how to work effectively with designers, how to utilize tools like Canva, determine what website work can realistically be handled in-house and identify when professional support may be needed.

We will also discuss emerging communications resources, including responsible and ethical uses of AI, and point participants toward helpful policies, templates and supplemental tools.

Session 5: Social Media & Your Sustainable Communications Plan

What should you actually do next?

Your church does not need to be everywhere or chase every new trend.

We will help you think strategically about social media, content rhythms, video, paid and organic opportunities and the metrics that actually matter.

Then, using what you have learned throughout the cohort, you will begin building a realistic communications plan based on your church’s mission, audiences, priorities, team and resources.

The goal is to leave knowing where to focus next and feeling confident about what you can say “no” to.

Session 6: Bring Your Questions

What is still on your mind?

Every church is different, and sometimes the most helpful conversations are the ones we cannot plan in advance.

This final session will be shaped by you. Throughout the cohort, participants will have the opportunity to submit questions, challenges and topics they would like the Fishhook team to address. We will use this time to dig into the real-world communications issues you are facing, revisit topics that need more conversation and explore anything we have not yet covered.

Nothing is off the table. Bring your questions about branding, social media, websites, team dynamics, difficult ministry requests, tools, trends, AI or whatever else is making communications feel complicated.

Our goal is to make this final session practical, responsive and immediately useful for the work waiting for you back at your church.

When will our cohort be?

Your GLR Communications Cohort will be every other Tuesday beginning on October 27, 2026 and running through February 9th, 2027. (With a holiday break between Thanksgiving and the early part of January 2027.) These will be virtual "lunch and learn" sessions from 12-1 p.m. EST via Zoom.

What's the cost?

The cost is typically $750 per person. But your cost will be a one-time fee of $250. The Great Lakes Region of the Wesleyan Church will cover $250 for each church! And Fishhook will scholarship each church $250!

Six weeks of group calls/coaching facilitated by Fishhook.
Five core learning sessions + 1 bonus “ask anything” session.
One, one-on-one 30-minute coaching session with a Fishhook team member.

To sign up for the cohort, complete the registration form below. Once you register, you’ll receive payment instructions and access to the Zoom links. We can't wait to walk with you as you bring momentum to your ministry.