What is the overarching narrative that runs through your church or ministry right now? At the risk being too simplistic, it is probably one of two extremes. One is a story of woe and discouragement. It’s captured in the phrase, “2020 is trying to kill us,” and it includes a recitation of all the different difficulties that we are experiencing. 

A second says, “In the midst of a lot of bad news, God is doing something.” It’s a narrative that expresses curiosity and anticipation. It is not a naive view that ignores reality, but it is anchored in confidence that God is with us and is at work in our world. 

It’s important to note that you can point to facts that support either narrative. More important to note is that those in leadership largely determine which of the two narratives has the most traction within an organization. The themes and stories that you emphasize in your communication will set the tone for your organization.

The first narrative emphasizes survival. Phrases like “hunker down” or “conserve resources” or “circle the wagons” characterize this narrative. This is a natural instinct when the world seems to be a dangerous place.

The second narrative emphasizes opportunity. Leaders may talk about “taking new ground” or “better to try and fail than not try at all” or “getting out of our comfort zone.” It calls for movement that breaks out of the status quo.

What narrative would best serve your church or ministry right now? And how can you use your platform to shape that narrative?

Communication is one of a leaders most important responsibilities and most powerful tools. Even though effective communication is known to be vital, it is frequently overlooked or poorly executed.  Patrick Lencioni likes the term CRO – Chief Reminding Officer – instead of CEO. It’s a nod to the necessity of regularly reminding people of purpose and priorities.

Especially in this season of anxiety and uncertainty, leaders need to step up their communication. In “normal” times, communication in a church or ministry may be little more than a listing of upcoming events with an inspirational or thought-provoking message thrown in. But this is certainly not a normal time, and the standard communication pattern doesn’t fit today’s needs (and probably wasn’t adequate back then). Your communication should:

• Clearly state what you do know. You don’t have all your plans worked out yet, and that’s OK. You can and should communicate what you do know. It may be a “no sooner than” date for regathering. Or it may be a set of criteria that will guide your decision or the listing of people who are making key decisions. 
• Be honest about what you don’t know. Leaders who claim to have all the answers quickly lose credibility. Be willing to say that you don’t know when you’ll be able to regather or what the protocol will be when you do. This message can be particularly effective when coupled with what you do know. For example, “We don’t know when we’ll gather again for worship, but we know it won’t be any earlier than mid-June and that we’ll follow the guidance of governmental and medical experts when we do.”
• Remember how little your audience knows. You’re probably absorbing a lot of content to inform your decisions. But most of your audience is not. They aren’t thinking about all the complexities involved in reopening. They may assume that most people’s attitudes toward regathering are the same as theirs. So your messages need to be crafted with this level of innocent ignorance in mind. 
• Offer hopeful glimpses of the present and the future. I continue to hear encouraging stories about the creative ministry that is occurring in this season. Are your people hearing those stories? You don’t want them to have the impression that God’s work through your church or ministry has shut down. But if you’re not sharing stories about what is happening, that’s exactly the impression they will be left with.
• Keep the mission in focus. When everything is changing, how do we decide what to do or not do, what’s important and what isn’t? The answer should be that the organization’s mission is the guiding light through which all decisions are filtered. So make sure to keep the mission at the forefront in all of your communication.

I’m not suggesting that one leader is responsible for all communication. But you can begin the conversation about how to maximize the impact of your outgoing messages match.

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Have you ever ridden Disney’s iconic Space Mountain roller coaster? If so, you know that other roller coasters have more thrill features – bigger drops, loops, etc. But that doesn’t mean Space Mountain lacks intensity. What makes it unique is that the entire ride is in the dark. The inability to see what’s ahead dramatically raises the white-knuckle effect.

Roller coasters are designed to increase a rider’s heart rate. However, creating that kind of anxious response should not be the goal when leading a major change in a church or ministry. Whenever anxiety is high, resistance to the change will rise and buy-in will diminish. 

I’m not suggesting that it’s possible to lead change without creating some anxiety. But I am saying that keeping people in the dark creates unnecessary anxiety. And far too often, change efforts are doomed from the start because people are uninformed or confused. 

This knowledge gap is often created unintentionally. A great deal of time may be spent deciding what changes to make, with little thought given to how the changes will be communicated. Or leaders may think “everyone knows why we need to change,” when in fact they don’t. Sometimes people are kept in the dark intentionally because “telling them will just invite opposition.”

Either way, it’s better to shed plenty of light on planned changes. Here are 3 flashlights that can help:

• Start with why. It’s not enough to describe what changes are being proposed. People need to understand why. Without this understanding, they’ll feel like the child whose parent says, “Because I said so.” (See Simon Sinek’s outstanding TED talk on “start with why.”)
• Create a robust communication plan. Don’t leave communication about major changes to chance. Anticipate the questions and objections that are likely to arise. Take the perspective of someone who has not been in the loop. Ask for help from people who are gifted in this arena.
• Connect with head and heart. The best communication for change efforts is both rationale and emotional. That’s because some people respond better to numbers and logic and others to anecdotes and stories. Don’t neglect either.

Space Mountain was designed to keep people in the dark. As you develop plans for a new year, don’t let the same be true in your church or ministry.

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You’ve seen the signs that realtors put in front of a house that is being sold. The basic sign has generic “for sale” wording plus the realtors name and contact. The sign may also have an add-on with extra information, such as “pool” or “open house.” The other day, I saw a new add-on: “Price Improvement.” I wondered if this was an improvement for the seller (meaning a price increase) or for potential buyers. I eventually decided that they were trying to communicate a reduction in the price. (No one would advertise a price increase!)

All leaders are in the communication business, regardless of the type of organization that they’re leading. And just like the sign on the house, it’s easy for us to think that we’re being crystal clear when our words are actually confusing. The problem is that leaders spend much of their time with their inner circle. This group may develop a shared understanding of words that doesn’t necessarily translate to the rest of the organization.

Even words that are commonly used – like “improvement” – can be confusing because definitions can vary from person to person. Do you think that everyone in your church or ministry has the same understanding when they hear discipleship, community, team, or transformation?

So how can you make sure that you’re not misunderstood? You can’t. But you can …

• Avoid words or terms that are not commonly used. You may want your church to be a “missional outpost,” but people will understand better if you say that your church will “share God’s love with your community.”
• Pay attention to body language. If you see furrowed brows or puzzled expressions when communicating an important message, something isn’t clear to the audience.
• Invite non-insiders to give feedback. Ask them to summarize the message or to point out things that weren’t clear. 
• Define key terms. If a particular word or phrase is central to your communication, then define what you mean by it. 

The last bullet is particularly important. A simple phrase such as “share God’s love with our community” is clearer than “missional outpost,” but it can still be interpreted in many ways. When the message is important, don’t leave it to each of your listeners to define on their own. Keep these simple practices in mind, and you’ll see an “improvement” in your communication.

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