REACHRIGHT Podcast

What are local directories, and why are they important? Getting listed in these directories should top your list of priorities if you’re looking to boost your website rankings and be more easily discovered online.

Local directories are vital for your search engine rankings, online discoverability, and overall digital marketing efforts. We’re going to discuss why they matter and where you can find them, and offer tips for getting the most out of your listings.

Table of contents

• What are Local Directories and Why Are They Important for Churches?
  • How Do Local Directories Help Improve Local SEO?
  • What’s the Difference Between Local Directories and Local Citations?
• Where Can You Find Local Directories?
  • Popular U.S. Directories
  • Local Directories in Your Area
  • Church-Specific Directories
• Tips for Creating an Effective Listing for Your Church

Local directories are online listings of businesses in a specific geographic area. They help potential customers find local businesses, including churches, that offer the products or services they’re looking for.

There are dozens of websites out there with directories or listings (think: Yelp, Foursquare, Google Business Profile). Each one offers an opportunity for your church to be discovered by people who are actively searching for a place of worship.

When you invest in SEO, Search Engine Optimization, you will be able to ensure that your church website shows up at the top of search engine results pages. In addition to helping customers find your church, local directories also provide valuable backlinks and citations for your website.

Backlinks are links from other websites to yours, and they’re important because they signal to search engines that your website is relevant and trustworthy (check out this episode on link building for churches).

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on the internet. You want your NAP and other contact information to be consistent across all local directories, as well as your own website.

If there are inconsistencies, it confuses search engines and can hurt your rankings.

When you claim your listing on a local directory website and include your NAP information, you’re automatically creating a link and citation for your church, which is great for boosting local SEO.

People often use the terms local directory and local citation interchangeably, but they’re not exactly the same thing.

A local directory is a website where you can create a listing for your church. It’s a website that specializes in listing local businesses in a specific geographic area. Also, they usually include additional information about each business, such as reviews, ratings, hours of operation, and so on.

A local citation is simply an instance of your NAP being listed on the internet, which could be in a directory or somewhere else. Local citations may also be from a blog or website, social media site, or any other online platform.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about where to get listed!

Local directories cover pretty much every city, town, and village out there. Some sites have listings across the country (even globally) while others, such as a Chamber of Commerce or local business association, are specific to a particular geographic area.

Here are 10 nationwide directories where you definitely want an up-to-date listing for your church:

• Google Business Profile
• Facebook
• Yellow Pages (YP.com)
• Yelp
• Apple Maps
• Bing Places
• Foursquare
• Yahoo Local
• Superpages
• Local.com

There may be additional websites specific to your city, neighborhood, or geographical area. Do some research to see where you can list your church under “Churches and Places of Worship” in community resources.

Some examples include:

• Chamber of Commerce
• Local business associations
• City or town websites
• Neighborhood websites
• Local newspapers or media outlets
• Local blogs

Finally, there are also church-specific directories where you can list your church’s information. These websites are geared toward helping people find local churches. They can be a great way to reach people in your community who are specifically looking for a church.

Some examples of church-specific directories include:

• Your church denomination website (or church affiliation organization)
• Church Angel
• ChurchFinder.com
• Church.org
• USA Churche...

The Information Age started in the mid-20th century and has been a paradigm shift for society, but what does this mean for the church? We can fully embrace the opportunities we have to reach people online and stay relevant if we follow some essential digital ministry tips.

This stuff isn’t new but, sadly, many churches are still running ministries and services exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, and trying to tack on some digital elements here and there.

The digital ministry tips we’re talking about in this episode aren’t just technical, they require a mind shift in the way we do church. So, let’s get started!

Table of contents

• What is Digital Ministry and Why Does it Matter?
  • What’s the difference between digital marketing and digital ministry?
• 5 Pillars of Effective Digital Ministry That Builds Community
  • 1. Create a Digital Strategy
  • 2. Define Your Target Audience
  • 3. Develop a Content Calendar
  • 4. Create Compelling Content
  • 5. Encourage Engagement

Digital ministry is the use of digital technologies to further the mission of the church. This can include everything from using social media to reach brand new people, to developing online courses or resources for your members, to live streaming weekend worship services.

In short, it’s all the ways you connect, equip, and communicate with people using online platforms.

Now here’s another important question to consider…

In these conversations, it’s easy to get confused about digital marketing and ministry because there’s a lot of overlap and we’re using the same tools, platforms, and communication channels. When it comes to digital ministry tips, setting up a church website, Facebook group, and running Google ads is only the beginning.

Marketing is about getting your message out and creating content that will attract and engage people who are not yet part of your church community.

In the past, church digital marketing has been about getting people physically into your building. That’s still a necessary goal, but what about the people who live too far away or are homebound? Or, what about people who come on the weekend but want to connect throughout the week?

People have a phone in their pocket at all times, so how can we connect with them regardless of time or location? Businesses and media have figured this out, and the church must as well!

Digital ministry isn’t just about feeding people content online, it’s about building relationships and discipling people through online technologies. It’s about providing resources and support that will help them grow in their faith journey.

So, with that being said, let’s dive into some practical digital ministry tips that will help you engage.

The first step in any effective digital ministry is to create a clear digital strategy. You need to clarify your purpose and how you will achieve it. Sharing funny cat memes on social media may get you likes but does it help you achieve your mission?

Your digital strategy should answer the following questions:

• What are your goals for digital ministry? Be clear about what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’ll measure effectiveness and success.
• What are your channels for digital delivery? These are the major digital platforms or channels you will create and maintain such as a website, social media, email newsletter, weekly webinars, or live mid-week worship.
• Why will you produce content? Is the goal of your content to entertain, encourage, teach, connect, or other?
• How often will you produce it?
• Who is responsible for creating and curating content?

In addition, this strategy is not a one-and-done exercise, you need to regularly revisit and update your strategy based on feedback.

Before you can create effective digital content, you need to know who you’re trying to reach. Trying to appeal to everyone will only result in watered-down content that doesn’t resonate with anyone. You can reach different groups at different times, however.

When developing your digital ministry and strategy, think about what needs or pain points your people have. It could be anything from loneliness to parenting to finances. Then, you can create content that addresses those needs and figure out the best online platform for connecting.

Some questions to consider when defining your target audience:

• Who are we trying to reach?
• What do they need or want?
• What problems do they need to solve?
• What kind of content will resonate with them?

Once you know who you’re trying to reach and the conversation you want to start with them, it’s time to develop a content calendar. This will help you plan and organize your content so that you can be strategic about when and how you release it.

Some content elements to consider:

• What topics will you cover?
• How frequently will you release new content?
• Which platforms will you use to share your content?
• Who is responsible for creating and curating content?

When implementing your digital ministry strategy, be sure to create compelling content that is interesting, informative, and shareable. At the same time, being consistent is vital so figure out what’s sustainable for your team to produce long-term.

Creating digital content is time-consuming so you’ll likely need to hire staff, find volunteers, or outsource.

Some things to keep in mind when creating content:

• Make it visually appealing (photos, graphics, videos)
• Keep it short and sweet with an option to read/watch more
• Write headlines that make people want to click
• Make it interactive and engaging

Keep the purpose of digital ministry in mind. It’s more than creating cool content, it’s about reaching people, building them up in their faith, and connecting them to your community.

So, how can you

If you have a ministry or church ready to help change peoples’ lives, you first need to get them in the door. And these nine foundational ministry marketing ideas will help you do just that!

Unfortunately, if you build it, they may not come! You have to intentionally reach out with your message, connect with people, and draw them in.

So, how can you engage people through traditional and digital media? We’ll cover that question and more as we walk through your core strategy for ministry marketing.

Table of contents

• 9 Ministry Marketing Ideas
  • 1. Word of Mouth
  • 2. Website
  • 3. Blog
  • 4. Email
  • 5. Text Messaging
  • 6. Social Media
  • 7. Traditional Media Ministry Marketing Ideas
  • 8. Print Materials (and QR Codes)
  • 9. Community Involvement
• Final Thoughts

If you had unlimited time and resources, you could try every trick in the book. You could invest significant dollars in traditional media like radio, tv, and billboards and jump on every new and emerging social media platform that pops up.

But what’s ultimately worth your time? And what will build a solid marketing strategy that will outlast the trends? Here are nine foundational marketing strategies we think all ministries and churches need!

Nothing is more powerful than a personal recommendation. Word of mouth tops the list of most effective (and least expensive) ministry marketing ideas.

Before you try anything else, ensure that you firmly establish a “culture of invitation” in your church or ministry. Create a sense of ownership, community, and openness, so everyone involved feels equipped and empowered to invite.

And you need to make it easy for them to share clear information and digital and print tools.

Your ministry website is most people’s first impression, so it needs to be top-notch.

Remember that your website isn’t an online brochure with every piece of information under the sun. Instead, it should serve a specific purpose: helping people find you and getting them to take the next step.

Regarding websites, SEO (search engine optimization) is key to having your site show up at the top of search engine results pages.

Here are a few key elements your site should have:

• A clear and concise message that communicates what your ministry is all about
• Engaging photos and videos
• Easy navigation
• Social media integration
• A way to sign up for your email list
• Contact information
• Up-to-date events calendar

A blog is central to a solid marketing strategy for ministries. For one, it can improve your website SEO (as mentioned above).

A blog provides an easy way to share your message with a broad audience, connect with readers, and build relationships. And, perhaps most importantly, it provides quality content that can be shared by others, further extending your reach.

You can post prayer guides, devotionals, ministry updates, testimonies, resources, and more. Your blog writing can also be a source for social media content.

Yes, it seems like people complain about getting too many emails these days, but email is still one of the most effective ministry marketing tools available.

Email connects you with interested people who have subscribed to your list. You can send them regular updates, announcements, event reminders, and more.

Some secrets for effective email marketing:

• Well-designed and engaging
• Keep it brief and clear: short sentences, paragraphs, and overall message
• A compelling and catchy subject line
• Includes a call to action
• Finally, track your metrics to see what works best with your audience

Text messaging is one of the newer ministry marketing ideas for churches, but it’s a quick and easy way to stay in touch with people. Furthermore, stats show SMS has a 98% open rate compared to email!

You can text reminders, announcements, updates, or check in to see how someone is doing.

Most people have their phones with them at all times, so your message will be seen right away. This can result in higher open and read rates but also feel more invasive and personal. To avoid spamming people, make sure they opt-in to receive messages and be courteous about when and how you use text messaging.

Whether you love social media, hate it, or have a volatile love-hate relationship with it, the reality is that billions of people are on social media daily. And you want to reach them!

Social media is continuously evolving. It can require a huge commitment of time and resources to stay on top of the trends. So make sure what you’re doing has a good return on investment.

To be effective on social media:

• Create a content calendar with a strategic plan for what you’ll share.
• Figure out how to repurpose content across platforms or in different formats.
• Focus on just a couple (even one) platform, don’t spread yourself too thin.
• Be authentic; your content doesn’t have to be perfectly polished to be effective.
• Be engaging and always respond to comments.

Don’t forget about good old-fashioned print and broadcast media! Traditional media is still a great way to reach people who might not be active on social media or have internet access.

You can use traditional media to share your ministry’s story, promote events, or run ads. However, keep in mind that this can be costly, so you need a solid plan before committing.

Examples of traditional media include:

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Radio
• Television
• Billboards

Although the world is digital, there’s still a place for print materials. Printed materials can be a great way to promote your ministry to put in peoples’ hands or if you’re exhibiting at an event or out in the community.

You can use good old-fashioned postcards, brochures, and flyers to share your contact information. Include QR codes that people can scan to be taken to your website or social media p...

Link building is vital for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for any website, but it’s especially crucial for church and ministry websites. Here’s why.

Churches and ministries have a unique mission that sets them apart from other types of businesses. They exist to serve their community and spread the gospel message. So, they need to ensure their website is visible to as many people as possible.

This means you need to boost your website’s Google ranking, and link building is one of the most important factors in achieving that milestone.

In this episode, we’re going to break down link building and tell you all you need to know!

Table of contents

• What is Link Building?
• Why is Link Building Important?
• What are the Basic Types of Links?
• What’s the Difference Between Good and Bad Links?
• What About Keywords and Anchor Text?
• How Can Churches and Ministries Engage in Effective Link Building?

A “link” is simply a connection between two websites. When you’re on a website or blog and see clickable text, that’s a link taking you to another webpage. Although this is pretty basic for anyone who uses the internet, you may not have realized that Google and other search engines use links as a way to determine how well a site should rank on their results pages.

Link building is the process of creating those links. It’s a bit like networking – you’re making connections and relationships that can benefit both parties involved.

Link building is one of the primary factors that Google uses to rank websites. It’s also an important signal for other search engines, like Bing and Yahoo.

By looking at the number and quality of links pointing to a page, search engines can gauge how popular, important, and reputable the page is. This in turn affects how high the page appears in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

Link building will also help you drive traffic to your website. By getting your site to rank higher in search results, or having a link on popular sites, you’ll increase the chances that people will click over to your website.

And finally, link building helps build relationships. When you reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your site, or link to theirs, you’re building a relationship that can be beneficial down the road.

All links are important for SEO, but not all links carry the same weight. Here are the basics:

Internal links connect to other pages on your website. They help visitors navigate your site. This is ultimately important because if your website is poorly designed and people can’t find what they’re looking for or aren’t enticed to stay, they’ll leave which increases your “bounce rate.”

External links point to other websites. Linking to credible, high-quality sites helps search engines understand what your site is about, enhances your credibility, and provides value to readers. External linking also helps to build relationships with other websites and can bring traffic to your site.

Inbound links or Backlinks are links from another website to yours. Backlinks are gold when it comes to SEO because they show search engines that your site is being talked about and linked to from other places on the internet. Every link from a reputable site is a vote of confidence. If someone else is vouching for you, that says something important about your site to Google.

The quality of links is more important than the quantity. Your goal isn’t necessarily to get as many links as possible but to get the right kinds.

A good link will come from a website that:

• Is relevant to your church or ministry (or subject matter)
• Has a high domain authority (this means it’s a well-established website with a lot of traffic)
• Isn’t using link-building schemes

What would be considered a link-building scheme? Anything that’s meant to manipulate search engine results or artificially inflate link numbers. This could be things like link farms, link wheels, or link directories.

Don’t ever try any of these methods, no matter how good the promised shortcut may seem. These are all red flags to Google and can result in your website being penalized.

Keywords are the words and phrases that people use to search for information on the internet. When you’re link building, it’s important to use keywords in your anchor text.

Anchor text is the visible characters and words that hyperlinks display when linking to another document or web page. Search engines give more weight to anchor text than to any other part of the link.

For example, say you’re linking to a page about your church’s summer camp program.

Good anchor text would be: “church summer camp in Fairview” because that’s a phrase people are likely to search for. And it’s better for local SEO.

Bad anchor text would be: “click here for info” because that doesn’t tell Google anything specific about your content.

The best practice is to use keywords that are natural and descriptive. Don’t stuff them in there or you’ll end up with anchor text that sounds spammy.

Here are some effective link-building strategies that churches and ministries can use:

• Reach out to other faith-based organizations and collaborate on projects. This could involve guest blogging, co-hosting events, or link exchanges.
• Submit articles to relevant online publications. This is a great way to get your name and website out there, while also providing valuable content to readers.
• Get a link to your website in directories like Chamber of Commerce or your denomination or church association.
• Get involved in local news stories, radio, and community events that will link to organizations and partners online.
• Create a blog and post high-quality, link-worthy content on a regular basis. This will give people something to link to, and it also helps improve your site’s SEO.
• Establish a social media presence and share your content across all platforms. This will help to increase your reach and give people something to share and direct others back to yo...

As a church, doing a regular local SEO audit is vital to ensure that your local community can find you online. Whether they’re looking for an electrician or a church, people’s first step is to pull out their phones and do an internet search.

So will your church pop in those search results? Unfortunately, having a pretty website is not enough to ensure you’ll show up on page one of Google.

Local SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of optimizing your church’s website for local search results, and technical know-how is becoming increasingly important with 1.17 billion websites in the world.

Even if you’re not a digital marketing expert, you can boost your church website’s Google rankings with this local SEO audit checklist.

Table of contents

• What is Local SEO for Churches?
  • How Do Keywords Relate to Local SEO?
• How Do You Do a Local SEO Audit as a Church?
  • NAP Consistency
  • Google Business Profile
  • Reviews and Testimonials
  • Directories and Citations
  • Site Speed
  • On-Page SEO
• How Can You Get Help With a Church Local SEO Audit?

By auditing your site regularly, you can ensure it’s visible on local search engine results pages (SERPs), which will ultimately help you reach more people in your community.

Here’s a sobering statistic: 75% of internet users never scroll past the first page of Google.

This means you need a basic understanding of local SEO to optimize your site so you can appear on the first page of local search results.

And if you want to take things a step further, aim for the top three local listings, known as the local pack (also called the Google 3 pack of the Google Map pack)

The local pack is the area on a SERP that displays three local businesses related to the searcher’s query. It includes the business name, address, and phone number and shows how far away the business is from the searcher’s location.

People are looking for a church within a certain driving distance, so it’s vital that your church shows up on the map, has accurate information, and features good ratings.

According to Google, local rankings are based on three primary factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.

General searches will include results from businesses and websites from all around the world, while local search results show businesses near the searcher. So before diving into the local SEO audit, we want to talk briefly about keywords.

Local keyword searches often include location-based modifiers like “near me,” “close by,” or “in [city].” Some types of keywords you need to be aware of and include in your local SEO strategy are:

Incorporating the right keywords is critical for your on-page optimization strategy. Now let’s move on to the local SEO audit checklist for churches.

To stay relevant, you need to do periodic check-ups, where the local SEO audit comes in. Based on advice from Google and SEO experts, here are elements you want to cover.

One of the most crucial local SEO ranking factors is NAP consistency, which stands for name, address, and phone number. This information needs to be correct across your whole website-including your social media profiles, Google Business Profile, and anywhere else your church’s name appears online. If this information is incorrect or inconsistent, it will confuse Google and hurt your rankings.

The Google Business Profile (GBP) listing is one of the most crucial local SEO ranking factors for churches. The GBP listing allows businesses to control how they appear on Google Maps and local search results. Make sure you provide as much complete, accurate information as possible. To claim your listing, go to google.com/business and follow the prompts.

Google uses reviews and testimonials to signal your “prominence” ranking factor. So it’s essential to encourage your church members to leave reviews and that you respond to your reviews. You can also link to any positive online reviews in your website’s sidebar or footer.

These are mentions of your church’s NAP information on other websites and sometimes include reviews. The more listings and citations you have, the better. You can create listings on directories like Yelp, the Chamber of Commerce, or other local directories. You also need to ensure all your listings stay accurate and updated over time.

Site speed is a critical ranking factor, so you want to make sure your church website loads quickly. Test your site’s speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool, and then follow their recommendations for how to improve your site’s speed.

This is the process of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher in search results. You’ll want to consider optimizing on-page SEO factors for your church website, including page titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt tags.

Charging for church events is a topic that often stirs up debate. On the one hand, some people believe that all church events should be free.

However, charging for specific events can help offset the costs and provide a better experience.

So which side is right? Or does it depend? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of charging for church events.

Table of contents

• What Exactly Are You Charging For?
• The Debate on Charging For Church Events
  • Will it Affect the Quality of the Event?
  • Will There Be Food?
  • Are You Offering Something Unique?
  • Will it Affect the Number of People We Reach?
• Are There Other Ways to Cover the Cost?
• But is It Really the Right Thing to Do?

Before we jump into the debate, we need to clarify what we’re talking about when we say “church events.”

Are we referring to weekend services? Vacation Bible School? Leadership conferences? There are many types of church events, and each one could be handled differently.

We see no justification for charging for weekend services, small groups, or other standard church ministries. Here, we’re talking about extras like conferences, retreats, or other special events. And these events vary a ton from church to church.

For example, there’s a range of offerings for kids’ summer programs in our local community. We’ve seen free Backyard Bible Clubs, $35 for a week of Vacation Bible School, and a $230 fee for a three-day summer camp onsite at a church. And more options are floating around beyond these three!

Whether you can or should charge for church events is complicated, and we don’t think there’s a blanket “yes” or “no” answer. So, let’s talk through some of the critical questions you need to ask yourself when it comes time to plan an event and, potentially, set a registration fee.

This is a valid concern for anyone planning an event. After all, no one wants to spend tremendous effort planning and persuading people to come to an event only for them to have a mediocre experience and never come back.

You can usually provide a higher quality event with a better environment, tastier food, giveaways, and other bells and whistles with a bigger budget. It also makes it easier to accommodate a larger number of people.

On the other hand, a free event may have to be limited in scope and what is offered.

Food is typically the biggest portion of any event budget. If you want to serve food (especially if you’re aiming high in quality and quantity), it will be challenging to do so without charging for your event.

A pro of charging for church events is that you can afford extra elements above and beyond the norm. People are more willing to pay for an event if they get something unique or special in return.

For example, a conference with well-known speakers will get people excited and eager to invite their friends. But, for most churches, the honorariums and travel expenses for these speakers are exorbitant without offsetting the cost with a registration fee.

This question can be argued both ways. On the one hand, you might say that more people would be more willing to attend a free event than a paid one.

On the other hand, church is free every weekend, but everyone isn’t stampeding to get in the door.

An event may need to have enticing special features to be attractive to more people – and the ability to offer those benefits requires extra money.

Paying for a ticket in advance also means people are more likely to be committed to attending.

One thing is certain: if you’re charging for an event, the value should be obvious. People should clearly see why they paid to get in and have a high-quality experience. Otherwise, you’re better off serving people with a free event and looking at other ways to cover the cost.

So, what if you want to have all the bells and whistles, but you still don’t want to charge for church events. Do you have any other options?

Here are a few ideas for covering the cost of an event beyond charging entrance fees:

• Ask for donations: this could be food, decor, giveaways, or other items from your church members.
• Charge for specific items: rather than charging an overall admission fee, you could charge for particular items like food or drinks.
• Do a fundraiser: this could be anything from a bake sale to a car wash.
• Get sponsorships or sell ad space: local businesses may be willing to sponsor your event in exchange for advertising.
• Generate money through sales: rather than give away t-shirts, books, and other items as part of the event ticket; you could offer them for a cost. This would save you money and help generate additional income to cover event programming expenses.
• Take up an offering: you can take up an offering during the event itself, explaining that it will cover the cost of the gathering and similar events in the future.

The bottom line is that there’s no easy answer regarding whether or not you should charge for church events. We could argue that Jesus never charged the crowds for an event as He traveled around preaching and performing miracles.

However, we may feel that we need to reach and disciple people by any means necessary, and people have different expectations in our day and age.

It really depends on your church’s culture, budget, and what you’re hoping to accomplish with your events. You can choose to strip down to the basics so you can offer your events for free.

Sometimes we make assumptions that people want or need a big production when they’re looking for authenticity and genuine relationship more than anything else.

Weigh the pros and cons carefully and decide based on what you believe is best for your church and the people you’re trying to reach!

What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

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Do you really need a preaching calendar? Some would argue that preaching calendars are impractical, constricting, and make services feel too mechanical.

But if you haven’t tried a calendar yet, you need to give it a fair shot before making your final judgment call. While it may sound like a bold statement, we do think that a preaching calendar can transform a pastor’s life for the better.

In addition, we think that if you fully embrace the planning process, you’re more likely to avoid these three preaching mistakes and instead reap four tremendous benefits. Read on to learn more!

Table of contents

• Three Pitfalls You Can Avoid With a Preaching Calendar
  • Redundancy or Gaps
  • Stress
  • Superficial Preparation
• Four Major Benefits of a Preaching Calendar
  • 1. Taking Time for Prayer
  • 2. Getting Input From the Right People
  • 3. Syncing With the Seasons
  • 4. Personal Wellbeing and Balance
• What’s Next?
  • More About Your Preaching Calendar

It’s somewhat a myth that you can get up and deliver a powerful Holy Spirit-inspired extemporaneous sermon week after week. Instead, more often than not, preaching feels like hard work!

Like any vocation you’re called to, preaching is about stewarding what you’ve been entrusted with and having a spirit of excellence in all you do – which is challenging if you don’t have time to prepare.

You also have to remember that the preaching calendar isn’t just about your personal work style preferences. A well-planned calendar ultimately serves the members you’re called to teach, shepherd, and lead.

If you don’t have a preaching calendar, here are a few mistakes or roadblocks you may encounter.

If you don’t put some time into the planning process, you may always fall back on the same sermons, points, and illustrations. You may forget what you preached seven months ago, but there are people in your congregation who will recognize that you’re preaching the same marriage sermon every February.

This also leads to gaps in knowledge and growth for your congregation. For example, they may hear primarily about specific topics or books of the Bible (which happen to be your favorites) but lack a well-rounded knowledge of the scriptures, theology, and life topics.

As soon as you get done with one Sunday, there’s another one coming! While some seasons you may be able to get by week-to-week, others may have unexpected crises or heavier workloads.

Last-minute prep usually leads to a less than stellar message and causes you a ton of stress.

And week-to-week sermon preparation can also create tremendous stress for the team members who need your sermon notes for service elements.

Without a plan, you may find that you don’t have enough time to generate the breadth and depth of ideas that can make a sermon original, inspiring, and impactful.

Additionally, lacking clear direction means that opportunities and resources are likely to be missed along the way. Think about the stories, books, facts, and research you may come across over a year and dismiss that could have been used in a sermon!

When you know what you’re preaching 3, 6, and 9 months out, you’re aware of various topics you need to research and reflect on. So then, you can gather more golden nuggets along the way.

You can experience many benefits when you devote time to developing a preaching calendar. If you aren’t currently planning very far in advance, start with three months and then gradually back up to create a longer calendar.

Even though planning doesn’t initially sound spiritual, we’d argue it allows you to be more spiritual. More advance time for planning means more time for prayer.

Blocking out the calendar for a sermon planning retreat is an excellent idea. This allows you to get away from the day-to-day distractions and focus on what God is saying.

When you involve other people in the preaching calendar planning process, you get the best input and insight from those who know you and your members.

Feedback can come from your mentors, senior staff, or a group of leaders from your church who help with brainstorming and planning sermon topics.

Additionally, getting input from others will also help ensure your messages are well-rounded and will meet the needs of all your church members.

Certain times of year see higher attendance than others. Plus, people expect to hear about specific topics during certain times like holidays.

When planning ahead, you have time to get creative to capitalize on peoples’ interests.

Planning around the seasons also helps you prepare for special events, conferences, or churchwide series. The sermon series preceding and following these events can build momentum and provide additional study tools and follow-up.

A preaching calendar helps promote your personal well-being and work-life balance. Too many pastors are getting burned out, and we don’t want to see that happen to anyone!

Knowing what you’re preaching months in advance allows for a more relaxed and stress-free week as you gear up for Sunday. You’ll have time to focus on your family and take care of yourself.

Additionally, a preaching calendar makes it easier to pass the baton and have other people step in and preach for you – and not cause them the stress of last-minute scrambling.

If you don’t have a preaching calendar, we hope this has inspired you to start one! On the other hand, if you already have a preaching calendar, we hope this post has given you some new ideas to consider.

To get started, we encourage you to take three simple steps:

1. Pray about your potential sermon series and topics.
2. Brainstorm (check out 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Brainstorming Sermon Topic Ideas and 72 Sermon Series Ideas to Draw People In).
3. Get the right people in a room with a calendar and start scheduling out sermon series!

What do you think? Do you currently use a preaching calendar, and what are your tips for best practices?

When exactly should you deliver your announcements in church? Although they can be disruptive, giving announcements in person is the most effective way to communicate vital information to your church members.

Timing your church announcements can be tricky. You want them to be impactful and avoid people tuning out, but you also want to maintain your service’s flow and atmosphere of worship.

You have options for making announcements before, during, or after service. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of each option to help you decide which is best for your church!

Table of contents

• Pros and Cons of Announcements at the Beginning of Service
• Pros and Cons of Announcements in the Middle of Service
• Pros and Cons of Announcements at the End of Service
• The Multiple Announcement Approach
• How to Decide When to Do Church Announcements

There are a few benefits to making church announcements at the beginning of service.

• It doesn’t interfere with the worship flow. Once announcements are out of the way, people can keep their full attention on worship and the message.
• When you put announcements first, there’s no chance they will get forgotten or left out due to time constraints.
• People are more likely to pay attention to the first thing said. When someone gets on the stage to speak, or a video starts playing, it’s an attention-grabber.

Of course, there are also some downsides to making announcements first. It depends on the church, but if you’re like most congregations, you have a large portion of people who run late getting to the service. This means they’ll miss whatever happens as service kicks off.

Another consideration is: Do you want announcements to be the first impression someone has? This could be good or bad, depending on what you say and how you say it. You can go out of your way to welcome new visitors, put them at ease, and let them know what to expect.

Another potential disadvantage is that announcements in the church are notoriously insider-focused. They’re for people who are already plugged in and know the lingo. So if someone is new, they likely won’t have context for the announcements or be able to remember the details by the end of service.

Putting announcements in the middle of service has its own pros and cons that you’ll want to consider.

Announcements in the middle of service could take the form of:

• A speaker transitioning from worship to the message
• Video announcements
• The pastor delivers an announcement before their sermon

The good news is that everyone should be in their seats (even your people that tend to run late). You won’t have to worry about people trickling in and missing the opening hook or getting up to leave.

The major downside to announcements in the middle of service is they tend to disrupt the worship flow. It can be jarring to go from a profound moment of worship to a report about the family picnic and then try to get back into a spiritual moment again.

Another potential problem is the attention span of your congregation. When announcements happen, people may be ready to tune out and take a mental break. Or, when people know announcements are coming, they use it as time for a bathroom break or to check their phone.

The final option is to deliver announcements at the end of the service. And there are some definite advantages to this approach.

First, it allows you to end on a high note. People have had the opportunity to focus entirely on worship, prayer, and the message.

In addition, it allows you to deliver a strong call to action that people can move on immediately. For example, if you’re announcing a service outreach project, people can sign up right then and there without waiting or remembering to do it later.

Of course, there are also some potential drawbacks. The biggest is that people may slip out to beat the parking lot lines! If this is a problem in your church, consider moving announcements earlier.

Also, people may be checked out by the end of service, especially if your services tend to run long.

Another option you may have seen in churches could be termed “divide and conquer.” In other words, split up your announcements into shorter soundbites and deliver them at different moments in the service. This could be a way to hit high points and target your audience, for example:

• Welcome new visitors on the front end.
• Focus on a significant ministry initiative or event in the middle of service or beginning of the sermon.
• End with a sign-up call to action.

Because each church is unique, the only way to know for sure is to test out each approach. Tests should be long enough to ensure you get your experiment’s full feel and feedback.

Church announcement timing also depends on your worship service order and flow. In addition, some congregations are more prone to arrive late or leave early than others.

There’s no one best answer for when to make announcements in church, but this list of benefits and drawbacks should help you pinpoint what will work best for you. But, then, the way to know for sure is to try something new and measure the results.

What about your church? What do you find to be the best time for announcements?

• What You Need to Know About Church Announcements
• How to Create High Impact Church Video Announcements
• Church Website Templates – The Pros And Cons
• Great Alternatives to Church Newsletters to Boost Engagement
• Planning Center Review: Is This the Best CMS?

Have you ever preached one of your amazing sermon illustration ideas, only to find that the delivery comes across totally flat? If you’ve been a pastor or speaker for any length of time, you’ve probably been there!

Either the punchline wasn’t funny, the pacing was off, or the story just didn’t connect the way you imagined.

It happens to everyone at some point, but if you watch out for these five mistakes, you can avoid embarrassment and get your point across with impact. In this podcast, we’ll also discuss a great illustration formula and where to get more sermon illustration ideas.

Table of contents

• Why Do Sermon Illustrations Work So Well?
• 5 Sermon Illustration Mistakes to Avoid
  • Copying (aka Borrowing Someone’s Story)
  • Repeating the Same Illustration
  • Pacing Your Story
  • Scolding with Passive Aggressive Illustrations
  • Using a Bland or Unrelatable Illustration
• A Winning Sermon Illustration Formula
• Sermon Illustration Ideas
• In Summary

Why do authors and public speakers use stories so often? And why do we love hearing them so much?

A good story will engage the emotions, create mental pictures, and leave a lasting impression. It turns out that stories are hardwired into our brains and more easily remembered. In fact, storytelling is universal and has been shared across cultures and languages from the beginning of time.

That’s why Jesus used parables so often in His teaching. He knew that a good story would connect with His audience on a deep, emotional level and help them to understand His message in a way that dry facts and figures never could.

When you use a sermon illustration, you’re tapping into that same power to connect with your listeners and drive home your point. However, when it comes to using sermon illustrations, there are also some mistakes to avoid.

Now that people have wide access to podcasts, YouTube videos, and other online content you can’t get away with “borrowing” someone else’s material without acknowledgment.

It’s ok to use another person’s illustration – just make sure you don’t try to pass it off as original. Citing your source can be as simple as saying:

Once it’s clear that you’re borrowing, you can continue forward and even add some of your original details, perspective, and commentary.

Even if it’s the world’s best story, resist the urge to use the same illustration too often. Your congregation will get bored and you’ll run the risk of losing their attention.

The solution to avoiding repetition is: investing time. We know that time is an extremely precious commodity, but it’s the only way you’ll develop fresh, high-quality insights. You need time to sit and think, brainstorm, observe and research.

When you’re telling a story, it’s important to keep the pacing in mind. If you’re going too fast, people will miss key details. But if you’re dragging it out, they’ll tune out completely. This takes trial and error.

Try to find a happy medium where you’re moving the story along, but not rushing through it. And be sure to practice beforehand so you can gauge the timing and make any necessary adjustments.

Has someone gotten under your skin lately? It’s tempting to give them some public correction from the pulpit (and blow off some steam for personal vindication), but resist the urge!

Whether it’s an individual, group of people, or general mindset or point of view you disagree with, coming at it negatively just leaves a bitter taste in people’s mouths. The Bible tells us to correct people with love and in private. At the end of the day, using a negative or scolding illustration will only make you look bad and leave people feeling uncomfortable.

The power of illustrations is using a story that stirs people emotionally or connects with them in a way they can relate to. However, if your story is bland or uninteresting, it will have the opposite effect. No one wants to hear a long-winded or overly technical story that doesn’t apply to them.

Keep your stories short, sweet, and to the point. You also want to ask questions and interact with your members, and draw out principles and conclusions that relate to everyone.

When it comes to a great sermon illustration, here’s a simple formula to follow:

We often think of sermon illustrations as taking a story from everyday life, retelling it, and drawing a connection to a biblical truth or sermon point. For example, “the other day I was sitting in line at the drive-through and…”

Everyone can relate to a long wait, or having crazy interactions in a customer service setting. An everyday life story is a great way to incorporate illustrations into your sermon, but you probably don’t have a fresh example like this every week.

Never fear, you can pull sermon illustration ideas from a variety of other sources including:

Holidays like Easter usually see a significant spike in church attendance, but the goal isn’t a one-time visit. So, what’s your plan to ensure Easter visitors get connected?

Just announcing from the stage, “We hope to see you next weekend!” won’t be enough for many people.

In this podcast, we talk about some factors to consider to ensure all your Easter visitors can easily connect to your church.

Table of contents

• How to Get Easter Visitors Connected
  • 1. Outline an Easter Connection Plan
  • 2. Get Guest’s Contact Information for Follow Up
  • 3. Have Options Available For Those Who Want More
  • 4. Follow Up Promptly
• Get the Church Involved in Connecting with Easter Visitors
• Connecting With Everyone Who Attends at Easter
  • To recap:

You need a clear and uncomplicated plan to connect people, then make sure everyone in your church is on board. This could be your normal assimilation process, or you might decide to do something extra, like a unique visitor’s table or gift.

Your Easter connection plan should answer these questions:

• Who is responsible for connecting with Easter guests?
• How will you collect Easter guest information?
• What type of follow-up communication will you send, and when?
• What would you like your guests to do following Easter weekend?

This last point is a bit of a loaded question. Too often, our follow-up plans require the person new to our church to do something – attend a class, read a book, or join a group of total strangers to make awkward small talk.

Would you want to do any of those things, and do you have the time? If your answer is no, chances are good that your Easter guests won’t either.

Instead, focus on what you can do to serve them and make it super easy.

You don’t need people to sign their lives over or commit to an eight-week class after just one visit. They’re probably not ready for that.

But you do want to ensure they come back again, and the best way to ensure that is to get their contact info for a follow-up. Usually, an email is sufficient to start the relationship and communication. You can also provide an option to receive text messages if your church has a texting service.

According to Barna, 19% of Millennials are comfortable giving their physical address, and only 12% their phone number, so email may be the best bet.

In exchange for info, you could give each Easter guest a gift like a small Easter basket with church information and a token of appreciation like a gift card to a local coffee shop.

Don’t forget about online visitors. They should have an online form available, and the gift can be a digital download or e-gift card.

In fact, a digital gift may be more popular for both online and in-person guests as some are still checking out your church, and this doesn’t require contact. You can deliver this through a link via text or email.

However you get their contact information, make sure it’s minimally invasive and requires little effort for your Easter guests.

On the other hand, guests may have walked into your church ready to go all-in. Maybe they’ve been casually attending, were significantly impacted by the service, or are new to the area and looking for a church home.

Your plan to help Easter guests get connected should have the flexibility to meet people where they are. Some ways to do this:

• Have experienced volunteers or staff available to pray and talk with people after service.
• Direct people on how to make church their home (often a connection or membership class).
• Get people into community – have a gathering spot after service, or provide small group sign-ups.
• Have physical or digital resources available to help them grow in their faith.

Don’t wait too long to send a follow-up text or email. You can do it the same day, or try to send it at least within 1-2 days of their visit.

The message should be brief but contain a few links to connect further and learn more, such as checking out one of your church’s most popular sermons, your kids or youth ministry details, or joining a small group.

The follow-up plan should involve more than just the staff. Easter is an excellent opportunity to get your congregation involved, and this ensures nobody falls through the cracks.

Connection starts with the welcome experience. After all, many people will make up their minds based on the first impression.

Train your greeters, kids volunteers, and guest service teams on how to connect with Easter guests, which includes:

• Answering any questions guests might have about the service or the church.
• How to approach and engage a new person with the right balance of friendliness and respect for personal space.
• What the win is for a new guest (for example, fill out a connection card or go to a table to receive a gift)

All that being said, make sure your volunteers and staff are looking to connect with people personally, not just move people through a process or get them to fill out a card.

It’s easier to connect with everyone if they’re at the church longer than just service. You can host special Easter weekend events and activities that they would enjoy and cause them to stick around.

This could be as simple as serving donuts and coffee after the service or having an Easter egg hunt or photo opportunity.

People who are brand-new to church may be completely unfamiliar with church jargon and processes. It might not make sense to them why they would go to a membership class or join a small group. Offer activities they can easily understand and will find appealing.

1. Have a clear plan for connecting with Easter guests.
2. Involve your church members through welcome teams and after-service events.
3. Follow up promptly, and keep things simple for new guests.

Building a relationship is a process and requires trust over time. The main goal is to have your