Every church will have its own way of communicating with its members and the community it’s part of. By their nature, most church comms are focused on telling people about what’s going on in the ‘gathered’ life of the church – services, ministries, events coming up and so on.  

That’s right and good. But as well as sharing news, events, and requests for help, our church communications can also point to the importance of discipleship in every area of life. They can tell stories of godly impact in people’s everyday lives, or suggest ways people can connect the Sunday sermon series to their tasks this week. As well as letting people know what’s going on corporately, they can make the link to what God’s doing when the church is scattered in his world. 

With that in mind, here are some practical things to consider as you put together emails, news sheets, social media posts, and website updates. Tailor them to your own situation and needs! 

Website
If whole-life discipleship is a priority for you, does it feature anywhere on your website? It could be included in your vision or mission statement, if you have one. Or it could be included in your ‘About us’ description, highlighting the importance you place on equipping people for ministry in their everyday lives. 

Newsletters
Since the pandemic, lots of churches have stopped using physical news sheets, with emails becoming the primary method of communication for most. But whether you communicate on paper or digitally, what you choose to feature in those core newsletters can really help cement the message that your church cares about what God’s doing through people Monday to Friday. For example, alongside event listings and rota calls, you could include: 

• Bible passages explained briefly with a note of encouragement for the roles God gives us out in his world 
• Short testimonies from people in the congregation about the things they’ve noticed God doing in their daily context 
• Prayer requests for particular opportunities or challenges people are facing in their week – perhaps in a job, a friendship, a club, or a neighbourhood (these can be anonymous!) 

Slides shown in services
Lots of churches have rolling slideshows on screen before the service starts. If you include pictures of people in your church engaged in ‘ministry’, consider including photos taken in their everyday places, underlining the ways God works through us beyond the church programme. You could also include pictures of your local area with a prayer or Bible verse highlighting the church’s commitment to serve God in every sphere of society.  

Welcome pack
A welcome pack can be a great way of sharing a vision for whole-life discipleship with people new to your church. As well as highlighting the various different ministries and groups in your church, one idea could be to include here how ministry extends into people’s everyday life through their work, leisure, friendships, and so on – and explain the church’s commitment to support people in that ministry.  

Magazines
If you send out a regular magazine to your parish or neighbourhood, you could include an interview with a congregation member about what it means to be a Christian in the workplace (for example). There will be many who think that Christian faith is something that only affects Sunday mornings or other ‘religious’ bits of our lives – this could be a powerful new perspective for them. 

Social media
If you use Facebook, X, or Instagram, your feeds can be a great way to encourage people in your congregation during their week. You could regularly share Bible verses and invite people to consider their implications for daily life, or put up testimonies that could inspire them to see the difference they could make for God in their everyday. An easy way to do this is by following LICC (@liccltd) and resharing our prayers, stories, and posts – or use some of our pre-prepared stories (check out 6M People or The One About for these!).

Got other ideas you could share? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Contact the Church Team or join LICC’s Church Leaders Facebook group and share your idea.  

Jules Gadsby
Church Engagement Specialist