Introduction
When it comes to church staff, creating healthy internal communications builds trust and transparency, fosters a sense of community, and ensures everyone works together to lead the church well.
It’s deeper than just improved operations and productivity (though those are benefits), it’s about building a strong, connected community for the sake of the Gospel. Healthy staff communication keeps everyone united; and moving in the same direction.
Without strong internal communications, a few missteps can occur including:
- Miscommunication and confusion
- Lack of coordination
- Decreased morale and frustration
- Missed deadlines
- A loss of trust
Poor staff communication can ultimately hinder the church’s ability to carry out its mission.
To combat this, here are 3 ways churches can establish healthy internal communications.
1. Meetings
Meetings are a great way to ensure everyone stays on the same page and is aware of updates and changes. Hosting regular staff meetings also provides opportunities to discuss church happenings, share information, and collaborate.
Whether in-person or virtual, here are a few types of meetings to incorporate into your regular work rhythms.
All-Staff Meetings
All-staff meetings are important for sharing major announcements (like staff changes or church events), professional development, and spiritual growth (like devotions, prayer, and worship). This is a time for everyone to come together to both work and fellowship together.
Deciding how often to host all-staff meetings depends on the size and needs of your church, but it’s a good idea to set a regular cadence whether that’s weekly, or monthly.
One-on-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings between church staff members and their supervisors are essential in creating effective internal communications. These help to ensure everyone feels supported and motivated in their role.
Here are a few benefits:
For staff, this provides:
- A dedicated time to ask questions
- Space to provide feedback on current projects, team dynamics, and church happenings
- Opportunities to discuss the challenges they’re facing
- A clear occasion to discuss career goals
For Supervisors, this provides:
- Time to give feedback on performance and character (both positive and negative)
- Opportunities to discuss goals and expectations
- Dedicated moments to offer support and guidance
- An occasion to share opportunities for growth and development
Department Meetings
Department meetings are important in making sure staff members who work in the same ministry or on the same projects can come together and discuss issues related to their work. This improves collaboration, problem-solving, and unity.
Some departments could include age-specific ministry (kids, students, senior adults, etc.), gender-specific ministry, missions, worship, recreation, and communication/tech.
Retreats
Lastly, retreats may not be your typical “meeting”, but they’re important for team building and creating an environment where staff members can come together outside of their usual work environment.
Retreats may include:
- Spiritual and professional development
- Training sessions
- Workshops
- Team-building activities
- Sessions dedicated to strengthening culture and fostering collaboration
- Time to plan for the upcoming year
This time is an opportunity for your staff to have fun, gain new perspectives, and return to work refreshed and with a renewed sense of purpose.
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2. Emails
Email is a crucial key in internal communications because it provides a quick, easy, and convenient way for staff members to communicate with one another. Emails can be used to share updates, ask questions, and provide feedback. Plus, they can be sent and received at any time, making them an efficient way to stay connected.
Here are a couple of email types that are helpful to send.
Update Emails
As the name describes, update emails are useful in providing quick updates and sharing information without the need for an additional meeting.
Meetings are great, but sometimes, an email is all it takes!
Educational Emails
Educational emails are helpful in disseminating tips and training materials to staff members. This could be text, a pdf, or even a video. One of the best parts is this allows people to access the training as they have time.
A few examples include:
- The communication team sharing best practices for submitting a comm request form
- The administrative team sharing how to update people’s information in your ChMS
- And, the pastor sharing updated training material on how to make hospital visits
Direct Messages
Lastly, the quickest forms of internal communication are direct messaging platforms. This software can help to facilitate instant communication that allows for quick responses among church staff.
Direct messages are best used for questions that need a simple, quick answer, project updates, and urgent matters (ex. needs of a church member). Most platforms also allow for both one-on-one chats and group chats so different groups of people can chat about specific projects and tasks.
There are multiple different platforms to consider when it comes to direct messaging including:
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- And, Google Chat
Keep in mind, that most of these have options to download a mobile app so teammates can be reached whether they’re at their desks or not.
Conclusion
Maintaining healthy internal communications in a church not only creates a positive staff environment but ultimately helps to create a healthy, unified church focused on a singular mission.
Creating healthy church staff communication involves setting up different methods of communication including:
- Intentional meetings (all-staff, one-on-one, departmental, and retreats)
- Effective emails used for updates and training
- And direct messaging software for quick and urgent communication
When staff members can communicate clearly, collaborate effectively, and stay informed about the latest developments and changes, they’re better equipped to work together toward common goals and a unified mission.
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