Church Leader: 5 Things Your Communications Team Needs From You

Over the last five years, our team has partnered with churches of all sizes, working alongside lead pastors, executive pastors – and communications teams.

In each instance, ministry happens in the form of communication, connecting with, encouraging, and equipping people inside and outside the walls of the building. 

For churches with staff or volunteers that create and manage communication, here are five things your communications team needs from you as the lead or executive pastor to do their job effectively for the sake of the gospel and changing lives. 

Check out the bonus at the end with what people working on communications teams shared as well!

1. Resources

Ask them what they need to thrive in their ministry and prioritize the funds. Project management tools, for example, can go a long way. 

2. Training

Invest in expanding your team’s skills and knowledge through classes, online courses, or 1-on-1 coaching. 

3. Time

Sometimes pastors over-simplify the duties of creatives and communicators. Give them the gift of time to prepare and produce their best work. 

4. Respect

Acknowledge the strategic role they play and elevate their expertise. Too often, Comms teams find themselves stuck in worker bee production roles. 

5. Influence

Give them a seat at the table. Their creativity and ability to connect dots across ministries, messages, and methods will only strengthen what you do. 

BONUS: Insights from other communicators

After sharing this list on Instagram, I invited others who work in church communications to share the one thing they wish leadership knew. 

Below are the comments and messages they submitted. 

• Spending money on marketing reaches people that then attend your church.
• How they communicate matters.
• That no one cares about your event if they don’t know what’s in it for them. 
• That guilt as a means to get people to come to church is a bad idea. 
• Trust who you have in the role.
• To trust our knowledge and skill to do our job well without micromanaging us. 
• Micromanagement is erosive to creatives. 
• Don’t micromanage us.
• Authority
• Money (budget)
• A better salary
• Permission
• Praise (for a job well done)

When your church communicators have support like this, you’ll be amazed to see the impact and how many people come to know Jesus more deeply and faithfully.

Want to share your voice? Follow @tylerdharden on Instagram or Twitter.

Trying to connect with people in your community shouldn’t be a guessing game. Schedule a call with Tyler to discover your church’s ideal audience and how to engage them.