An important lesson learned by many as a result of COVID 19 is that life moves fast. There isn’t always time between situations to make arrangements. When the pandemic initially hit, students were in school having fun with friends and learning, and the following day schools shut down, and all class instruction was virtual.
After The Pandemic Lockdown
The same happened with those working in offices and other types of business settings. Office work immediately changed to remote work from home, and even once crowded grocery stores became ghost towns as more people shopped for groceries online. During the height of the pandemic, many people realized that establishing a line of communication is essential in all sectors of life, including church life.
Be Resourceful And Go Digital
Finding strategic ways to deliver sermons virtually and ways to keep parishioners up to date on information became more significant for churches during the pandemic. Some of the things parishioners need to know about include deaths, births, birthdays, church outreach strategies and goals, the church budget process, and so forth.
Leadership understands that a stronger and more unified church, built on knowledge of all things concerning the church, is the cornerstone of strong communities.
The methods chosen to get information to parishioners will outlast any pandemic and stay in effect for many parishioners long after the world reopens. With that understanding, some ways of keeping parishioners up to date are:
Church bulletin inserts
Church bulletins can be printed or delivered digitally online. They are a guide for the order of church service or programs and a communication tool for members. Church bulletins usually include phone numbers and directories of church staff, office hours, information about different ministries such as Sunday school or Bible study, dates of Vacation Bible school, and more. Bulletins also usually include notes of encouragement to parishioners.
Including an insert in the bulletin weekly with a new report is a great way to keep parishioners informed. Church bulletins and inserts are great ways for leadership to build on their strong foundation.
Announcements on social media
Social media has been one of the most advanced tools available for sharing information, and it is no different when it comes to information from the church. When used the right way by churches, social media is a powerful asset and can be a great way to keep members connected throughout the week.
Social media is a great way to give real-time information about members and information regarding the church. Another benefit of having a solid social media presence is that social media can help younger grow church members.
Mass texting or automated calling
Typing out a text or recording a message to go to all church members is probably one of the most efficient and safest ways to get information to parishioners. Installing one of these reliable systems means that your parishioners won’t have to wait until Sunday to get information.
A church phone system is easy to operate and are great for:
- Sending out prayer requests
- Changing times for services
- Messages for band or choir members
- Request volunteers
- Adding service times
- Bible study groups
- Other benefits to using mass texting or automated calling systems are:
- They automatically detect mobile numbers
- Texts can be personalized
- It manages replies
- Messages can be scheduled in advance
- Recorded messages can be saved for future use
- They leave voicemails
Facebook live updates
Facebook live is another social media forum that allows real-time updates to parishioners and attendees of the church. What churches can do with Facebook is unlimited, from church service to using it as an effective strategy for outreach. A church with active leadership can reap tons of benefits from using Facebook live. Facebook live can help church members grow their audience and extend to people worldwide, making the outreach using Facebook immeasurable for churches.
Creativity Is Key
Finding creative ways to deliver sermons and strategic ways to keep parishioners up to date on information was important during the height of the pandemic. Church leadership understands that a stronger and more unified church, built on knowledge. Some methods of keeping parishioners up to date are inserts in the church bulletin, using social media apps to make announcements, mass texts or automated phone calls, and Facebook live.
