Have you ever considered just how powerful words are? Words can inspire and uplift or tear down and destroy. They influence our thoughts and behavior and move us to action. We string words together to pen beautiful songs, poetry, and prayers. Words are often the foundation of human connection as we tell stories and share our experiences.
James 3:5 gives great imagery to the power of the tongue, saying that “the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.” Proverbs tells us that the tongue has the power of life and death. There is weight to the words we use. If we're called to be mindful of the words we speak as individuals, how much more should we be mindful of the words we use in our churches, businesses, organizations, and homes?
The average person speaks around 7,000 words every day. Whether in a corporate meeting, a casual conversation, or thinking something to ourselves, we are constantly using language to communicate. Our words are a continual expression of who we are and the message we want to share.
As leaders in ministry and the marketplace, we can leverage language to maximize the potential of our message. There are some fundamental principles in choosing the what and how of communication.
1. DEFINE YOUR MESSAGE
To use language to its fullest capacity, we have to be confident in the message we share. To share a message without understanding it would be like asking a chemistry professor to teach a foreign language class — bits and pieces might work for a moment, but we want longevity in the message we share.
Once we establish our main message, we can use it as a roadmap. It’s a great point of reference when we need a reminder of our direction or want to explore a new communication route. If you’re struggling to define your message, there are a few questions you can ask to start laying the groundwork:
Who is your audience?
What are your values?
If you had to share your organization's purpose in one sentence, what would it be?
What problem are you solving and what solution are you offering?
2. SET GUIDING LANGUAGE
Once we’ve determined our message, we can start developing guiding language. As we enter a new church season or collection of talks, guiding language serves as an anchor for the rest of our creative process. It’s like a bridge that connects all of the pieces, echoing our values and culture while ensuring our voice and tone are consistent.
When it comes to establishing a framework of guiding language for your upcoming campaign or event there are three fundamental areas to focus on:
- Scripture — Our message is magnified when anchored to the word of God.
- Symbolism — What are themes, references, anchor words that encompass the overall purpose of your campaign? Bring these to the forefront and make them plain and simple for your creatives. Your words paint a picture for the team to create.
- Succinctness — The most powerful message communicates much with little. It is important to drill down to the core of your message. Start by casting a wide net and then work your way down to trim out the fluff. What you're left with is a simple, yet profound, direction that provides clarity and confidence.
3. SHARE YOUR MESSAGE
Once you've defined your message and your guiding language it's time to share! We value what we communicate and who we share it with. Methods will come and go, but the message will always stay the same — utilizing different methods of communication allows us to reach more people. Here are a few avenues we regularly use:
We follow a weekly email cadence at VOUS to communicate on a macro and micro scale key information, resources, invites, and more. From our church-wide Monday and Friday event emails to our weekly leadership content blasts, we strive to bring value to any piece of content we deliver. One of the primary focuses when it comes to our email marketing is — who. Our message takes on meaning when communicated to the proper person. We focus on micro audience segmentation to ensure we are reaching the right people. If you're a new parent we want you focused on all things VOUS Kids. If you just decided to follow Jesus, before we speak to you about giving, we want you in a small group! These life stages matter just as much as the message we give.
Our small group discussion guides that continue the conversation from Sunday’s sermon. Our communications team works together after every message, compiling a dynamic discussion for our community to unpack and grow in faith together. Often, the most powerful aspect of these discussions is the question prompts that lead to organic conversation.
A space for discovery with resources and reflections, curated by the VOUS community and team, to encourage you on the journey. The blog is designed for exploration and creativity — a melting pot of different voices from the VOUS community.
This is a great avenue to continually engage and interact with people worldwide. On social we see the message come to life visually, audibly, and through the written word. Our social accounts are a creative collaboration between our communications, marketing, design, social, film, and photo teams. As the outward facing aspect of our brand we want this to be a welcoming, resourcing, and uplifting space.
As our church grows in locations, we are still one church with one message. We may be in many rooms, but our message remains the same. We work to ensure there is consistent language being used across all platform moments whether with our service hosts at main service or servant leaders conducting a team rally before Sunday begins. We aim to leave people feeling equipped and encouraged to take their next steps. Some practical ways we ensure consistency in communication is through: service hosting language (sent via email prior to each Sunday), team rally voice notes (sent by our location producers with item by item descriptions of each talking point, and overall PCO flows (with itemized line items for each announcement).
The message we communicate matters more than we know. Our clarity in communication shows our value of the people we serve. As we seek to bring more people on the journey, I pray we continue to let God guide our communication. He gives weight to our words and meaning to our message. May he continue to stay at the forefront of your communications campaigns.
