Evangelical Lutheran Church in America synod communicators, in response to requests from congregational members and staff, have joined to produce this series of resources. You are invited to use these tools to improve communication in your congregation. All are available for download on the World Wide Web. This remains a work in progress; new items may be submitted at any time to sharing@elca.org.

The producers hope people will use as much of this material as applies to them, and that the material will spark imagination in others, so that every congregation will produce excellent communications.

Communication happens both internally and externally. Internally you communicate with your congregation's members, and externally you communicate about your church to the rest of the world.

Here are some examples of the forms of communication you may have within your congregation:

• Sermons and music in worship
• Telephone calls
• Worship bulletins
• Newsletters, both print and electronic
• Web site
• Bulletin boards
• Face-to-face conversations, etc.
• Sunday school handouts
• Annual reports
• Answering machine/voicemail system
• E-mail

Any of these methods may also communicate to those outside your congregation (for example, if a friend of a member happens to pick up the monthly newsletter). But most often the ways people outside your congregation will learn about your church include:

• Exterior signs, including church sign, parking lot signs, "main entrance" sign, etc.
• Anything distributed on church stationery to anyone
• Web site
• Brochures
• News releases
• Mentions in local media - print, TV, etc.
• Phone book and other community ads
• Participation in community events

Why should we be concerned about
how our congregation communicates?

Better communication with your congregation's members means better responses to the things you want them to care about. Clear, easy-to-understand communications are more likely to draw people o an event - or to worship - than anything sloppy, hard to read or confusing. Since the quality of your communications reflects on your congregation, it is important to convey a clean, consistent, professional image that is inviting and easy to understand.

Most congregations have a goal to "reach out" to people with the Gospel. How that "reaching out" happens is communication. The Gospel is communication. The role of the congregation is to "market" the Gospel to unchurched people. That is the essence of "public relations," and everything the congregation produces should be directed toward that goal.

Good planning starts with an assessment of your current status. Performing a communications audit will help you understand where your current strengths and weaknesses are.

Once your audit is completed, use the tools included in this online resource to help you strengthen the communications you have, and to get ideas for additional communications that will enhance your congregation's ministry.

Involve staff and members in a committee to share the work as you integrate communication concerns into the congregation's planning process.

Having a "unified look" to congregational communications makes it easy for people to identify the congregation and its product.

With common identifying information on every congregational communication, it is easier for people to respond.

Every print, Web or audiovisual communication from the congregation needs to begin with the following information:

• Who are your audiences?
• What is your message?
• What do you want each audience to do?

Every print, Web or audiovisual communication from the congregation needs to Include:

• Congregation's Name
• Location
• Mission/Vision Statement
• Phone Number
• Web Address
• Times for Worship
• Graphics consistent with other communications

Make sure the congregation has adequate staff and equipment (hardware and software) for desktop publishing.

Be very aware of, and observant of copyright laws; get permissions where needed.

Look for upcoming and unusual opportunities to present your congregation in the media ((Let the big guys have Easter; you grab Palm Sunday).