A church’s message has to be more than, “Join us Sunday!” You have to tap into the real needs and feelings your community is experiencing and offer a tangible way to help.
Churches need to clarify their message and make themselves more valuable in the lives of those around them. How do we do that?
One very effective method called the StoryBrand Framework to help you clarify your messages in every platform your church uses to communicate. For more details listen to our Church Solutions Podcast with Jonathan Carone here
Here are some very basic steps to consider when communicating to your members.
1. Make the Person The Hero
In the StoryBrand idea the hero is weak. They need help. They need a guide.
Position the person, the mom, the dad, the addict as the hero in the story.
Help them understand their role in this world.
They can be the hero and your church can help them.
Watch the Church Solutions Podcast video about this here!
2. Show Them What Success Looks Like
People are hurting more than ever and they are looking for hope.
They are looking for someone to tell them that it’s going to be ok, and you are there to help.
We want to show them what success looks like in their:
Marriage – A happy family
Parenting – A mom and dad having fun with their kids
Addiction – Someone thriving in recovery
Community – People talking and laughing together
Transformed Lives – Stories of transformation. “I once was lost but now I’m found”
It is possible to tell a story using video, audio, and images. It’s telling people that they are here for a reason.
You’re not just another church where no one speaks up or feels comfortable … you want them to feel like by coming to your church, their burdens will be lightened and their hearts will fill with hope.
3. Be The Guide, Not the Hero
A big struggle with communication is that the church makes it about them.
People want to know ‘what’s in it for me?’.
Make the sermon, the copy, the images, the videos about them.
How can coming to your church help level up their lives?
The Guide needs to show two things, empathy and authority.
Empathy – “We get it, life is messy, we’re messy, too.” Let them know your church is for ‘normal people’ like them.
Authority – “We’ve helped people, just like you, find hope, find healing.” And this can be done with the transformed lives videos.
You don’t have to be perfect or super polished, just honest and real.
Your church’s story should show how they helped people (and maybe even you!) through difficult times, connect them with God, and provide a safe community for them to belong.
And by making the content about your members – instead of your own staff or pastor or church.
For more than 20 years our expert staff has worked exclusively with churches and ministries around the world. We are more than a tech company. Let us serve you. We are available 7 days a week, even on Sundays. Email us at [email protected] or use live chat at the bottom right of your page.