What does the local church need to do TODAY to communicate effectively?

Transcription

1 What does the local church need to do TODAY to communicate effectively? The Communications Connection YouTube video: The Power of Words Is this worth passing on to others? Knowing your target audience will focus your communications on those who will value and use your information. What message do you want to send? Who is your audience? Is your message relevant, worth sharing? What media will you use? 1 Relevance Sally Little 4 7 Message: Call people to action: Come. Pray. Give. Volunteer. Love. Sign up. Grow in faith. Create and maintain interest in your church. EMBED: watch?v=hzgzim5m7ou Advertise your church. Promote special programs such as Christmas and Easter. Build connections within the faith family. Produced by Purplefeather 2 5 Media Audience: The more local your message, the more it is noticed. What stands out for you in this video? What communication tools are used? We are one in Christ, but today it takes multiple tools of communication to make an impact for Christ: Print, Web, , video, verbal, in-person One size does not fit all. 30% do not have Internet at home... 81% read a weekly newspaper Some DSL, some dial-up! Should we use this/that, print/digital? Younger generations expect professionalism in appearance and content of any media. The answer is always YES! Design your message for busy people!

2 Use the site to update your local church dashboard: Tell about a time your church communicated effectively. How did you know the communication was successful? What communication tools were used? Two components of the OKUMC site Calendars The Web portion of the site is maintained by the Communications Department Lists events and meeting dates for Conference agencies and committees Also District and Local Church Calendars You will find information on all the Conference ministry areas 2. Media Library Information about the Conference staff and how to contact them Your Oklahoma Conference connection on the Internet On this site: You will find useful tools to help your church in ministry Information about The United Methodist Church in Oklahoma 12 An online catalog of video and DVD curriculum resources available for loan to local churches for use in Sunday school, UMW studies, or other settings 17 To access the Media Library: 2. The Administration features of the site 16 Tools on the OKUMC site: 1. The Web hub for the Conference Web resource tools available through the Oklahoma Conference Church officers Allows the Conference to communicate news and events to your leaders Classifieds Ministry job opportunities YOUR local church page on the OKUMC site Basic information for your church to have a Web presence Every church has been issued a user name and password to access that church s information Maintained by the Oklahoma Conference Administration office Record-keeping (BrickRiver) Database, officers, and church dashboard Clergy system 15 18

3 Resource check-out is free for local churches. This link opens the most recent issue as a PDF as it appears in print! What resources at have you learned about today? Publications section Make your choices online or browse the library, located in the United Methodist Ministry Center in Oklahoma City. Make your choices online or browse the library, located in the United Methodist Ministry Center in Oklahoma City. Journals Official annual record of our Conference, in PDF format Guidebook online, with interactive videos Handout: NEW Apportionment DVD newspaper online PDF Version Read the Conference news usually available one week before the printed version is out. News Stories The news archives list all the articles from the Contact newspaper and are available for reprint in your local church newsletter. RSS Contact Syndication Digest Receive the Contact by FREE Communicating by video Apportionment information People locator 26 Live streaming Find Clergy One way we use live streaming in Oklahoma is during the Annual Conference. This important meeting can be watched online as it happens. Clergy Directory with basic information about each pastor in the Oklahoma Conference Find Churches Church Directory with address and phone/ information for each church in the Conference The viewer needs to have a high-speed Internet connection. 27

4 Video: Do-it-yourself Using your smartphone, go to and the site will recognize your mobile device and format some of our features for your device: top news, calendar, and church/clergy locators. Make your message simple Requirements: 1. Video camera connected to computer 2. Internet connection 3. Computer 4. Free software for 28 broadcasting OKVideo There s an APP for the denomination, too! Produced by Oklahoma Conference Deptartment of Communications Do It Yourself Video Tips Share videos from your church s activities with other United Methodists by uploading them to OKVideo. Use brief videos from the Annual Conference to inform your congregation and promote support for specific ministries of Oklahoma United Methodists. 29 Choose your local church ministry to be lifted up and shared Create the storyboard (see template handout) Shoot scenes with the story from beginning to end in mind Don t use published works of music unless you have the copyright Upload your finished product to OKVideo/YouTube. 32 Online social networking: FACEBOOK 35 Video: OKVideo homepage: 5 Steps to Grow Your Facebook Congregation Make the connection on your mobile device 30 MyComTips#p/u/3/CnGGJMsj8u4 33 Produced by UMCOM (United Methodist Communications, the denomination s agency for media ministry) 36

5 Become a fan of Oklahoma United Methodist Communications Become a fan! Your church officers and clergy receive the Contact through Conference-paid subscriptions. Be sure their addresses are entered and up-to-date in the BrickRiver database. Crisis, Disaster, Controversy Crisis is different than disaster A controversy can become a crisis A crisis may start small.. and grow Communicating in PRINT Communicating in CRISIS Handout: Crisis Communication Plan Handout: Tips to make your church newsletter more effective Print gives legitimacy to your message. People report a higher level of trust with print than other media. Print has a longer shelf-life; the message sticks a little longer. Print can lead the reader to more info on the Web. Print part of on online item to point readers to the rest of it online. You just need to catch their attention. Definition of a Crisis A situation that puts your organization s values on trial in the court of public opinion - William N. Curry, Public Relations Society of America Do you recall a time your church or other group faced a crisis? How did you respond? What should the local church do? What does the spokesperson need to know? Does your church have a media policy?

6 Annual Conference Crisis Management Team Bishop Director of Communications Director of Connectional Ministries Conference Treasurer Dean of Cabinet District Superintendents Does your church post videos on YouTube? Is the background music you use copyrighted? Make the connection, because Handout: related to the affected church(es) Performance rights blind spots Message Audience Relevance Media 52 Use our online class to prepare your local church team for communicating in a crisis. 53 Need help? Contact the Department of Communications, , jharris@okumc.org Thank you for participating today. Observe copyright law The Oklahoma Conference Department of Communications 12/ Other sources: UMCOM, 54