Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Communication
Department
2. Strategic Plans 2014-2018
3. Duties of Communication Secretary
4. Web-based Technologies for Ministry
5. Adventist Identity and Media Standards
6. Communication Advisory
History
“In 1912, the Adventist Church world headquarters hired
Baltimore Sun newspaper reporter Walter
Burgan to establish the Bureau of Press Relations, the
precursor to today’s Communication department.
Church administrators realized they needed help in
responding to the media’s attacks on church doctrines.
Leaders realized the importance of having a specialized
professional to respond to media—someone who
could speak their language.” ANN Style Guides 2014
Purpose
To create a favourable image of the church,
its mission, life, witness and related activities
by using the most effective means of
communication.
Theme
“Building bridges of hope.”
A Communication Director
•
•
•
•
Educates
Recruits
Trains
Produces
Responsible for
Websites
Printing
Marketing and
Advertising
Photography
Video Production
Reporter
Graphic Designer
Public Relations
Media Liaison
Image Guardian
Information
Technology
Andre Brink
“But to sum it up, I’d say that
someone who serves as a director
of communication is really just a
brand advocate.”
What is a Brand?
“a person’s gut feeling about a
product, service or company.”
“a brand is not what YOU say it is
It’s what THEY say it is.”
The Church Communicator
Successful church communicators are
attuned to the pulse of their church and the
culture outside of the church and strategize
ways to build bridges from their community
to the church.
The Church Communicator
They are passionate about the church’s
vision and care about how it translates to
people inside and outside of the church.
They defend it. They design it. They care
about it. It keeps them awake at night and is
a reason for them to get out of bed in the
morning.
John Jantsch
“Branding is the art of becoming knowable,
likeable, and trustable.“
"Your life bears a message. A message of
hope and redemption. But, before people in
your world encounter your message, they
encounter you."
Kem Meyer
Your church has a message. A message of
truth, hope and purpose. But, before people
in your congregation or community
encounter that message, they encounter
your church.
Your job, as Communication Director, is to
find the things in your church that attract
people to the message and remove the
things that repel them.
Strategic Plans
2014 - 2018
Strategic Imperatives
1. Spiritual Growth and Unity
2. Evangelism and Discipleship
3. Youth Empowerment
4. Stewardship and Development
5. Quality of Life and Community
Impact
Spiritual growth
and unity
#1 - Increased utilization of
Adventist identity
standards
#1 - Increased utilization of
Adventist identity standards
1. Increase the number of churches that put up signs
with the current Adventist standards
2. Encourage churches to utilize the Adventist
standards in their letterheads
3. Increase the number of churches that take
advantage of the free website offered by InterAmerican Division
4. Provide online resources that are relevant to each
Department for Departmental Leaders and
members to utilize
#1 - Increased utilization of
Adventist identity standards
5. Ensure that we have email contact for
each church
6. Utilize Google Calendar in order to allow
members and leaders to subscribe to
Conference and Departmental Calendar
of Events
#2 - Communication Points Table
1. Establish a media grading system for all
churches
#3 - Utilize radio programs to
share the fundamental teachings
of the church
1. Feature a fundamental doctrine on
Lifeline at least once per month/quarter
2. Provide copies of each of our current
radio programs on the Website
3. Establish the Pioneers of Faith program
that feature local lay members who have
given outstanding service to the church
Integrated
Evangelism and
Discipleship
#1 - Create opportunity for targeted
and diversified witnessing activities
1. Conduct at least one online evangelistic
series
2. Establish a Website for each of our major
evangelistic programs
Youth
Empowerment
Youth Empowerment
1. Live Youth Forums
2. Assist the Youth Department in reenergizing interest in Morning Watch
3. Radio Program for Youth
Stewardship and
Development
#1 - Acquire hardware and software that
will improve the quality of service
provided by the Communications
Department
1. Acquire Professional still camera
2. Creative Cloud Subscription
3. New Webhost provider (unlimited space and
bandwidth)
4. Handheld recorder
5. Create new Website
6. Computers (Video/Audio)
7. Headphone sets and Microphone for
Recording
8. Re-design studio for video production
#1 - Acquire hardware and software that
will improve the quality of service
provided by the Communications
Department
1. LCD Screen and speakers for
Conference Board Room
2. Screen Recording Software
3. Teleprompter
4. Online Giving
Education and
Training
#1 - Educate members on effective use of
media and technology for witnessing,
worship, fellowship and spiritual growth
1. Departmental ticker --Ticking tips on Health and
Stewardship displayed on Website
2. “How-to” videos for each Department posted on
website
3. Collaborate with NCU to provide certification course
in IICM
4. Annual Training for Communication Secretaries
(Parish by Parish)
5. Media Conference that facilitate exchange of ideas
on the use of technology in ministry
Quality of Life and
Community
Impact
#1 - Greater access to and sharing of
information among local congregations
1. Re-design of Conference Website to provide
more information for ministry
2. Improve Weekly Advisory
3. Increase our email contacts in each church
(Create map)
4. Make provision for members to submit news
articles
5. Android App as a companion to website
6. Central Focus Magazine
Communication Points Table
ITEM
• Camcorder/Video Streaming
• Certified Communication Secretary
• Church Bulletin (Special Days)
• Church/District Magazine
• Church Sign with Current Logo
• Church Sign
• Church Website
• Communication Committee
• Computer/Laptop for Media
• Elected Communication Secretary
POINTS
10
10
5
10
10
5
10
10
10
5
Communication Points Table
ITEMS
• Internet Connection
• Facebook Page
• P.A. System
• Projector Screen
• Projector/LCD
• Sixteen Channel Snake
• Still Camera
• Trained Technician
• Video Streaming
• Weekly Advisory (Email)
• Weekly Church Bulletin
• Weekly Advisory (Letter)
10
8
5
10
8
5
10
7
10
5
8
4
175
Grades
Grade 1 – 150 Points
Grade 2 – 100 Points
Grade 3 – 50 Points
Goals
Grade 1 – 25 Churches
Grade 2 – 100 Churches
Grade 3 – All Churches
Roles and Functions of
Local Church
Communication
Secretaries
Roles and Functions of Local
Church Communication Secretaries
1. Knows and understands the Mission and
Vision statements of the Conference
2. Knows and understands the Strategic
Plans (Conference)
3. Collaborates with the Conference
Communication Director
Roles and Functions of Local
Church Communication Secretaries
4. Ensure that information and reports on
church activities are communicated
internally and externally.
5. Ensure media relationship and coverage
of major church activities
6. Presents a favourable image of the
Church
Roles and Functions of Local
Church Communication Secretaries
7. Directs the writing, editing and printing of
church publications (Bulletins,
Magazines)
8. Ensures that church’s Website, Social
Media Accounts and Notice Boards are
kept current
9. Access and shares relevant information
with appropriate personnel
Roles and Functions of Local
Church Communication Secretaries
10.Functions as the official photographer for
the church
11.Produces or oversees the production of
PowerPoint, video or audio programmes
for the church
12.Gathers and disseminates news,
including announcements
Roles and Functions of Local
Church Communication Secretaries
13.Ensure that the church sign, letterheads and
other relevant stationaries meet identity
standards
14.Record for posterity people of interest
15.Maintain a friendly, cooperative relationship
with other communication personnel
16.Present periodic reports to the church
business meeting
Web-based
Technologies for
Ministry
Features of the New Website
• Content of the
Website
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•
•
•
•
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•
•
•
About Us Section
Administrators
Departments
Districts and Churches •
•
Media
Institution
Special Events
Resources
Church Events
•
•
•
Weekly Advisory
(Subscription and
Archive)
Calendar of Events
News Items
Maintainability
Future
•
•
Prayer Request
Online Report Forms
Technologies that can assist in
Ministry
• Cloud Storage
•
•
•
•
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Google Drive
OneDrive
Dropbox
Google Calendar
Google Forms, Docs
Skype and other online meeting software
Video Streaming (LiveStream, Ustream)
Social Media
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Flickr
WhatsApp
Google+
Adventist Identity
Standards
Identity Standards
• Correct Name
• Seventh-day Adventist
• Abbreviation
• Adventist
• Not SDA or S.D.A.
Identity Standards
Logo and use of:
Identity Standards
Logo and use of:
WAYS ‘NOT’ TO USE LOGO
WAYS ‘NOT’ TO USE LOGO
Logo Colors
Letterhead
Envelope
Fonts
Advent
Advent Bold
Advent Italics
Church Signs
Crescent
ANN Style Guides
• Newswriting answers six questions: Who?
What? When? Where? Why? and How?
• Write the most significant information first,
and leave less significant details for later in
the story.
• Most readers won’t read much of your
story, so serve them by giving them the
most important details first.
ANN Style Guides – News
Stories
• Think, “If I had only one sentence to tell
this story, what would I write?” That
sentence is your lead sentence.
• Use quotes from your subjects and insert
them into the story to validate a
statement.
• Try to use at least three sources for your
story—
• people, charts, videos, policy books, etc.
What Stories to Report
• Speeches from church officials
• president
• secretary
• treasurer
What Stories to Report
• Significant actions of committees, boards or
constituency meetings.
• Trends in the denomination locally—
membership, attendance, school enrollment,
etc.
• Financial matters—how much is contributed
and how it's being spent.
• Religious liberty developments – encouraging
or otherwise.
What Stories to Report
• New personnel.
• Awards.
• New methods of outreach.
• Church’s response or statement on social
issues.
• Deaths of leaders and prominent members.
• Fun features about quirky ministries and
personalities.
Prove your News is
Newsworthy
University of Maryland journalism professor
John Franklin said the job of a journalist is to
report:
-What happened
-What it means
Prove your News is
Newsworthy
Also, many readers will only read a
sentence or two of a news story.
So if they only read one sentence, serve
them by making your leads tight and giving
them the most important information:
1. What happened and
2. What it means (the significance).
Reporting Meeting and Speeches
Meetings and speeches are not news—
what is voted at the meeting and what is
said at the speech is news.
Too often we see headlines such as:
Leaders meet to discuss issues
or
Conference president speaks Saturday
afternoon
Photographing news
Church photojournalism is similar to
government photojournalism or business
photojournalism. It’s sometimes
kind of a cliché, but often your pictures will fit
into one of four categories:
People at microphones
Portraits
File photo of institution
People actually doing stuff
Writing effective headlines
Make sure your headlines contain a verb.
Please don't write headlines that say
“Sabbath School Ministries” or “Pathfinder
Bake Sale.”
Communication Advisory
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Purpose
Format
Sharing
Subscription
Update Profile
CJC Communication Department
Director:
Damian Chambers
Assistant Director:
Charles Bulgin
Website:
centralja.org
Email:
communication@centralja.org