The job of church communicator is vitally important. Your church's brand often depends on how well you carry out your responsibilities. This can be a lot of pressure, so it's understandable when you begin to believe certain non-truths about yourself as a communicator and the job itself. It's easy to jump to these conclusions when you're stressed––or when a project simply doesn't go as well as you might have hoped.
In order to stay focused and do your job well, here are five myths that you need to stop believing.
1. “I have to do it all.”
Well, you really don't have to do it all. Part of your role as a church communicator involves trusting, delegating, and asking others for help!
The problem can be knowing who to trust, who to delegate to, and who to ask for help. After all, you want them to do just as good a job as you do. You also want to make sure the other person has the necessary skills to complete the task. For example, you wouldn't want to make the mistake of asking someone with very little computer skills to add a few updates to the church website.
Something else church communicators have to remember is that not everyone is on the same creative page, and might be at different levels with their creative skills. If you have found someone who you think might eventually be able to do a certain task, try taking this approach with them:
- You do the task while they watch
- You do the task while they help
- They do the task while you help
- They do the task while you watch
It might sound a bit micro-manage-y, but it doesn't have to be a negative way to train and help others learn. The more people you can do this with, the more people you can trust to help you with your job.
2. “I’m not getting anything done.”
With so many different jobs a church communicator has to get done, it may begin to feel like busy work, which means you're prone to feel burned out. The moment you do feel like you're "smelling smoke," the best thing you can do is admit you're beginning to lose steam. You may need to take a much-needed break, re-evaluate the situation, and consider rearranging your schedule.
It's easy to focus on what you haven't been able to get done, instead of what you have been able to do. If you really do feel like you're not getting anything done though, start each day by making a list of all the things that need to be accomplished by the end of the day (or week or month). Put a checkmark next to each task as you complete it. When you see those checkmarks at the end of the specified time, you know you've made some progress. If you're really not feeling like you're getting anything checked off, try writing down a list of things you've done rather a list of the things that you still have to do.
(Or consider some of our other time-save and communication tools here).
But don't worry. Because you totally are getting enough done, you'll need to beware of the next myth:
3. “I’m not providing enough value.”
Many church communicators put a lot of pressure on themselves. They feel that if they don't do their job well, then God can’t act. While many communicators feel this way, it simply isn't true. Think of it this way: as a Christian it's your job to share the gospel message with others, but it's not up to you to "save" them. Only God can do that. When you're faithful in doing your part, God will be faithful in doing His. That goes for doing your job as a communicator as well. We all know better, but this temptation is easy to fall into. Watch for creeping feelings of panic or guilt.
We know it’s hard to determine the value of your church comm work––it’s certainly not as easy as your online giving tool ROI.
Whenever you're feeling that you're not providing enough value, try naming at least 3 specific ways your job has a positive influence on your church. By doing this one simple thing, you'll see just how much value you really do provide.
If you really can't see the value you bring to the table, start with this: focus on the new members you've been able to connect with, the engagement with current members you've created, and just how much light you've brought into your church by communicating in a modern, relevant way.
4. “It doesn’t have to look good or be organized. People will come no matter what.”
Even if it’s for church (and even if your church family is tight-knit), your promotion and events and website do still have to look good. It's good to keep in mind that people don't just come because they feel obligated. Your community would much rather attend a meeting or a holiday event because it sounds incredibly fun––not just because they "have to!"
Always take the time to make your stuff look good, organized, attention-grabbing, etc.
So the next time you're tempted to slack off or another team member tells you it's ok to rush something through and it doesn't have to be good work, remember this: remember this: as a church communicator, you should feel like you're the owner of the church brand—and you should be proud of it!
Download our free design kit if you feel a little lost in the graphics and visual department.
5. “Volunteers will save time, money, etc.”
Our churches really only thrive on a well-run network of helping hands. Volunteers are 100% the life-blood of most churches. But not for 100% of tasks, or 100% of the time.
Having a volunteer complete tall-order tasks like building a website, hosting an event, etc. might save time and money––but what else does it cost you? Even though someone is willing to volunteer, it might not mean they will have the necessary skills. Do the job, yes. But do it well, maybe not. They might do it flat-out wrong, or worse yet, they might end up causing a disconnect between your staff and your congregation.
Of course, we know how hard it is to spend money on extra staff––even if it’s part-time––but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of just pawning off some work on volunteers. When it comes time to determine whether a project is for the staff or the volunteers, remember to rely on the person's expertise and how well they can complete the task for the good of your church.
If it's simple and doesn't require any specific skills (or it's a skill you can easily train), recruit your volunteers to help out.
