Mark MacDonald

Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, bestselling author, church branding strategist for BeKnownForSomething.com and Executive Director of Center for Church Communication, influencing and empowering 10,000+ churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, websites, and social media. His book, Be Known for Something, is available at BeKnownBook.com.

Articles by Mark MacDonald

• 5 communication knowns about 2021, the year of unknowns

  2020 has proven that the only consistency in life is that we should expect change. And our definition…

  Tuesday, December 08, 2020

• The beginner’s guide to church websites: 4 steps

  There are many communication channels for your church. You can talk from the stage, in your bulletin,…

  Friday, November 06, 2020

• The beginner’s guide to church SEO

  Everyone can benefit from a third-party endorsement where someone recommends what you’re offering.…

  Tuesday, October 27, 2020

• Warning: 3 things you need to know before a church rebrand

  It’s all the rage, and it’s a great trend. In fact, if you haven’t branded or rebranded your church…

  Tuesday, October 13, 2020

• Churches, ‘COMM’centrate on 6 things

  There are many distractions and options when thinking about church communications. Focus is the key,…

  Tuesday, September 29, 2020

• Stop developing your church website until you do these 3 things

  You're trying to achieve a great online presence. You're looking at other websites and wondering why…

  Tuesday, September 15, 2020

• The church trifecta: Benefits, expectations, consistency

  I love to eat, and I especially enjoy experiencing food from new places. But, as I'm sure you'll agree,…

  Tuesday, September 01, 2020

• A checklist of 10 critical church website functions

  Your church website is the critical center of your digital communication hub. An app requires downloads.…

  Tuesday, August 18, 2020

• Channel preference: How most want communication content

  Your congregation and community consume communication content a certain way (a channel). Over time, it’s…

  Tuesday, August 04, 2020

• Building a website? Don’t forget this surprising thing

  The one critical thing you need to remember when building a website: it needs to be full of content your…

  Tuesday, July 21, 2020

• 7 warning signs your church needs branding help now

  "You mean our church logo, right?" No. Your brand is more than a logo. It's the emotional aftertaste…

  Tuesday, July 07, 2020

• 3 tips for winning with communication goals

  I confess, I love setting goals. It grounds and focuses me — and lets me know if I'm winning. It's…

  Tuesday, June 23, 2020

• 3 unlikely but essential ways to communicate generosity

  God often puts us in a crazy situation and demands trust. Perhaps you’re like Elijah and God's given…

  Tuesday, June 09, 2020

• 5 ways to avoid category exhaustion at your church

  Jesus said we'd be known for having love one towards another. That's quite a brand! Different communities…

  Tuesday, May 26, 2020

• Reopening church: 5 strategic tips to communicate properly

  First of all: Church never closed. Sure, your building had restrictions but the Church (the Christ-followers…

  Tuesday, May 12, 2020

• 5 things I wish I knew when I graduated from college

  I was interviewed for a college webinar about church communication. After a lively discussion with the…

  Tuesday, May 05, 2020

• 5 tips for communicating when tired

  What a year. What a Sunday. What an event. Today, many of you are waking up and wondering what hit you.…

  Tuesday, April 21, 2020

• Will your church be ready when the crisis ends?

  The language of COVID-19 is here and probably won't vanish when the last case ends. Social distancing,…

  Tuesday, April 07, 2020

• Be prepared: 15 crisis communication tips

  We have been reminded of the value of essential, effective communication. When any crisis happens unexpectedly,…

  Tuesday, March 17, 2020

• 3 ways to simplify church content to get it noticed

  Attention spans are incredibly low — and dropping. People stop listening and paying attention a lot…

  Tuesday, March 03, 2020

• 3 drastic changes the church must understand now

  In the popular book from a couple of decades ago, "Who Moved My Cheese?" the mice got complacent in their…

  Tuesday, February 18, 2020

• 7 critical directions for effective church signage

  Not everyone who sets foot on your property is aware of your building's layout. You'd also be surprised…

  Tuesday, February 04, 2020

• 4 personalities that don’t do communication well

  Everyone communicates something; not everyone communicates well. It takes a lot of control and skill…

  Tuesday, January 21, 2020

• 3 church social media tips to encourage engagement

  Social media is a required communication channel for churches. It's free to set up, which is great —…

  Tuesday, January 14, 2020

• 5 things your end-of-year letter must communicate

  I get it. You're trying to remind your congregation that it's the end of the year and you would love…

  Tuesday, December 10, 2019

• 5 ways to avoid the TL;DR curse

  On social media, we love to use fun acronyms or abbreviations to state the obvious for the masses. If…

  Tuesday, November 19, 2019

• 5 social content ideas for every sermon

  Church communication is not all about the tools. It’s more about content. Your church needs to regularly…

  Tuesday, October 29, 2019

• 4 reasons every church needs a thread

  In our loud world, we know most are choosing what to listen to and what to ignore. The louder everything…

  Tuesday, October 15, 2019

• Do you know these 3 things about your community?

  Effective communication rises and falls on how well you know your audience. For the church, you have…

  Tuesday, October 01, 2019

• A surprising, often-overlooked church communication tool

  There’s nothing worse than discovering a problem that requires a specific, currently unavailable tool.…

  Tuesday, September 24, 2019

• 5 website issues your congregation finds annoying

  A few weeks ago, I heard a pastor (from the stage) say that I needed to visit their website for some…

  Tuesday, September 17, 2019

• Signs that your church brand isn’t working

  What exactly is a church brand? It’s more than your logo — although your visual brand is the "outfit"…

  Tuesday, August 20, 2019

• 7 tips for creating a print handout that works

  The church loves print materials! Historically, church communication revolved around the bulletin. When…

  Tuesday, August 06, 2019

• 10 do’s and don’ts for church communicators’ sanity

  Summer's winding down and the fall is taking over discussions. In this short lull before the chaos of…

  Tuesday, July 23, 2019

• Every church needs this type of calendar

  When our kids got busy in sports, school, church, and with friends, events would regularly pop up at…

  Tuesday, July 16, 2019

• 6 steps to great church video

  People love video. If your church communication does not contain video, you need to start considering…

  Tuesday, July 02, 2019

• 7 building blocks for church social media success

  It’s difficult to believe we've had social media for almost two decades. We once wondered if it would…

  Tuesday, June 18, 2019

• How to transition from a print hub to a digital hub

  The church has notoriously created a bulletin (or worship guide) that is the collection of anything important…

  Tuesday, June 04, 2019

• 5 reasons why social media isn’t easy

  Church is about fellowship, which by definition is social. And social media is simply a (mostly free)…

  Tuesday, May 14, 2019

• Spring clean your church website communication with these 5 tips

  You're busy. You juggle a ton of details and maybe even manage a group of chaotic people. And that's…

  Tuesday, May 07, 2019

• How to resurrect a church website

  Easter's here and spring is hopefully taking hold near you. New life is everywhere (especially as we…

  Tuesday, April 16, 2019

• 5 tests for an effective communication thread

  Imagine if your church maintained focus on a solution to its community. Something that instantly got…

  Tuesday, April 02, 2019

• 10 church communicator personalities: Check the mirror for yours

  I've always been fascinated by people. In fact, my college psychology courses established the understanding…

  Tuesday, March 26, 2019

• Church communication must show you care: Here’s how

  I recently spoke to a church about effective church communication. In my talk, I reminded the congregation…

  Tuesday, March 12, 2019

• Stop abbreviating — and 7 other content no-no’s

  Effective communication relies on the content more than the channels. But many churches want to talk…

  Tuesday, February 26, 2019

• Stop! 5 things to never do with your church logo

  Your church logo is a visual representation of your church’s brand. It’s not your brand. Your brand…

  Tuesday, February 12, 2019

• 3 steps to editing church website content

  People want to discover the information they’re looking for, when they need it, and in the easiest…

  Tuesday, January 29, 2019

• 3 things to consider before Easter

  I realize that Christmas is still in the rearview mirror. The chaos of special holiday and new year’s…

  Tuesday, January 15, 2019

• 3 ways to pray for your 2019 church communications

  Prayer allows us to open our minds to God’s plan since He uses prayer to align us with His will. How…

  Friday, January 04, 2019

• Want to love as a church? Start with a persona.

  We’re called to love. In fact, Jesus told His disciples that we’d be known for love if we’re properly…

  Tuesday, December 11, 2018

• 4 ways to save money on bulletins today

  Churches thrive on information. Each ministry has lots of information to provide and, we hope, our members…

  Tuesday, November 27, 2018

• Why what your pastor wears is important to what they say

  We live in a consumeristic world. I realize most pastors and ministry leaders don’t like this reality.…

  Tuesday, October 30, 2018

• 4 reasons why most churches are doing social media wrong

  I’m not sure why the church struggles with social media so much. It seems like our leaders, the congregation,…

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

• 6 tips for must-read headlines and sermon titles

  Everything in communication today involves editing. Why? Because our attention spans make us resist spending…

  Tuesday, October 02, 2018

• 4 simple changes to make your foyer more welcoming

  We all want guests to visit and stay at our church. Our well-produced websites, social media, and flyers…

  Tuesday, September 18, 2018

• 3 church communication myths

  Church communication is a popular topic in the church world. But the expectations of how to fix communication…

  Tuesday, September 04, 2018

• Protect your ‘fast’ communication channel (or risk losing it)

  Remember when we wrote letters to communicate? We’d send a letter, wait several days, then hopefully…

  Tuesday, August 21, 2018

• 4 benefits of a centralized church communication process

  Most churches try two process structures to effectively communicate, or a hybrid as a third possibility.…

  Tuesday, August 07, 2018

• 3 basic (and free) communication necessities for the fall

  How can it be? It’s almost fall, and once again many churches realize they have the same communication…

  Tuesday, July 24, 2018

• 8 signs your church has ministry silos

  As churches grow and pastors are hired to look after various ministries, the healthy-church focus becomes…

  Tuesday, July 10, 2018

• 3 principles for creating better church webpages

  Most churches have websites, but sadly, most church websites are created so that many won’t be interested…

  Tuesday, June 26, 2018

• Good church websites matter

  A website is "the front door to your church." At least that's what many are saying. But is it? Let’s…

  Tuesday, June 12, 2018

• 4 ways your church sign lets you down

  Drive around the streets of your town near your church. There are signs everywhere. Seriously, everywhere.…

  Tuesday, May 29, 2018

• Is your church communications ready for summer?

  It seems like spring just started but we’re almost into summer. Yes, time flies — especially when…

  Tuesday, May 15, 2018

• Why being different is critical to every church

  Have you noticed? Products and services are dropping from existence regularly. Toys R Us is closing its…

  Tuesday, May 01, 2018

• 5 budget-wise communication tips

  Churches need to demonstrate good stewardship — especially if you want people to donate hard-earned…

  Tuesday, April 17, 2018

• 4 ways to peacefully understand your church communicator

  I hear concerning stories from pastors or church leaders weekly. They often start with something like,…

  Tuesday, April 03, 2018

• Churches vanish for this one reason

  ​Research shows that thousands of evangelical churches close their doors annually in America. The reason?…

  Tuesday, March 20, 2018

• Winning church essential: Speed to benefit

  Everyone knows how to win a running race: Be the fastest while following the rules. But do you know how…

  Tuesday, March 06, 2018

• Why Facebook Groups will work for your church

  The news of Facebook algorithm changes abound. From some articles, you'd think that it spells the demise…

  Tuesday, February 20, 2018

• Does your congregation really know what’s going on?

  ​It happens all the time. Someone in your congregation sees you and asks about an upcoming event or…

  Tuesday, February 06, 2018

• A short checklist so people will receive your communication

  ​The sad truth: People aren't paying attention to most church communication. In fact, most people are…

  Tuesday, January 23, 2018

• 3 email scheduling tips for churches

  Church communication is easy if you can get people to pay attention. Except we live in a world that only…

  Wednesday, January 10, 2018

• 3 free ways to improve your church’s website by spring

  ​I've found that winter is a great time for refreshing things. And your website needs your attention.…

  Tuesday, December 12, 2017

• It’s a month before our event — What should I do?

  In a month or so you have a big event happening or finishing — as I'm sure you're aware. Is it too…

  Tuesday, November 28, 2017

• How your church can be relevant again

  ​I walked by a gentleman selling newspapers on a street corner. It appeared that few people were paying…

  Tuesday, November 14, 2017

• No, an annual emphasis isn’t your thread — neither is a vision

  ​Every ministry in your church needs to focus its communication on your community. Well, if you want…

  Tuesday, October 31, 2017

• Your staff web page is crucial (how to improve it)

  Your website should be the center of your digital communications. Everything should rely on it to inform…

  Tuesday, October 17, 2017

• How much should your church pay for good communications?

  ​I often hear things like "we're the best-kept secret" and then "if more people understood all the…

  Tuesday, October 03, 2017

• The first question church communicators always ask

  ​I speak across the country to many church communicators and ministry leaders. In fact, I just finished…

  Tuesday, September 19, 2017

• 7 things weeks of church shopping has taught me

  ​We recently moved to a new city and state. I'm regularly a church-attending church consultant and…

  Wednesday, September 06, 2017

• Are church emails worth the effort?

  A church recently lamented that they only have a 14 percent open rate for their emails. Plus their click-through…

  Tuesday, August 22, 2017

• ‘Leave me alone!’ 3 essentials a church must do to communicate

  ​I fly a lot, and I pray before each flight that God would allow me to have an effective conversation…

  Tuesday, August 08, 2017

• 3 tips to picking your church communication thread

  ​I've committed my life to helping local churches become known for something so communities will understand…

  Tuesday, July 25, 2017

• 3 horrible reasons to get a church app

  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize many in our congregations have a mobile device with hundreds…

  Tuesday, July 11, 2017

• Is your church communication broken like our dishwasher?

  We just bought a house in Florida. It had been sitting empty for months, and when we walked through it,…

  Wednesday, June 28, 2017

• 2 critical communication errors (and how to overcome them)

  ​There have been many times while working on my house, when I was seriously in the middle of fixing…

  Tuesday, June 13, 2017

• 3 social media problems that must be fixed — today

  At conferences, I often have people approach me to ask a question. They awkwardly describe their position…

  Tuesday, May 30, 2017

• 3 summer church communication preparations

  ​How can it be already? It's right around the corner. Summer. Depending on who you talk to, summer…

  Tuesday, May 16, 2017

• 4 must-dos before posting on social media

  I post regularly to social media and train churches on how to create a strong brand presence that engages…

  Tuesday, May 02, 2017

• 3 reasons you need communication coaching

  ​Have you wondered why sports teams need coaching? Can't the team members get together and decide what…

  Wednesday, April 19, 2017

• 3 signs your church isn’t connected to your community

  Has someone been talking with you and you start wondering if they realize you're not listening? Perhaps…

  Tuesday, April 04, 2017

• Whoa! Here’s a huge church communication problem

  We say too much. Do you ever catch yourself talking to your child, spouse or friend, trying to get them…

  Tuesday, March 21, 2017

• Church vision isn’t enough

  Many churches go through a vision process. This includes hundreds of committee hours researching and…

  Tuesday, March 07, 2017

• Scary indicators that you’re not connected to your community

  ​What's the biblical response to shrinking numbers? "Go out into the highways and hedges and compel…

  Tuesday, February 21, 2017

• Your church brand can learn from cattle branding

  ​Branding originated with cattle farmers who wanted to make sure people could distinguish their cattle…

  Tuesday, February 07, 2017

• Does your house have foundation issues?

  The wise man builds his house on a good foundation.The complexity with a solid church communication process?…

  Tuesday, January 24, 2017

• 5 signs your church needs a new logo

  ​I've been designing logos for three decades. I studied visual branding in college before computers…

  Wednesday, January 11, 2017

• 4 questions to consider before hiring a communications person

  ​It used to be so easy. You simply needed someone to produce the bulletin and maybe change the church…

  Tuesday, December 13, 2016

• The problem with talking to everyone

  ​This article is for people interested in doing effective church communications. If you aren't interested,…

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016

• Your church needs a communication thread

  Most people love consistency and flee chaos. A busy church tends to have so many messages and activities…

  Tuesday, November 15, 2016

• 6 steps to make social media help your brand

  Social media is a communication tool that will make or break your brand. Our marketing-cluttered world…

  Tuesday, November 01, 2016

• How social media can help your church brand

  Social media is a communication tool that will make or break your church brand. Our marketing-cluttered…

  Tuesday, November 01, 2016

• Church communicators should listen better

  ​Communicators enjoy talking and pushing information, but effective communicators must listen more…

  Tuesday, October 18, 2016

• Can you afford good communication?

  ​Autumn is upon us, and many start thinking about Christmas shopping. I just heard a statistic that…

  Tuesday, October 11, 2016

• 1 quick thing to do today to help your website

  ​When people show up at the door of your church and they've never attended before, you should have…

  Tuesday, September 20, 2016

• Does your church need a style guide?

  As we enter a new season, clothing stores are hyping change. Trying to convince everyone they need different…

  Tuesday, September 13, 2016

• Pastors, stop saying you have stories

  We've been there. Standing on the platform, we want to encourage the congregation. To motivate them to…

  Tuesday, August 23, 2016

• Too soon to think about Christmas communications?

  Everyone groans when we see the first back-to-school commercial of the year. Almost as much as seeing…

  Tuesday, August 09, 2016

• Tell your members what to say (but be careful)

  The power of good communications is the ability to get people to understand the "main" benefit of something…

  Tuesday, July 26, 2016

• 3 ways administrators are skeptical about church communications

  ​We recently finished a successful The Church Network conference in Dallas, where hundreds of church…

  Tuesday, July 12, 2016

• 3 critical ways to cut costs in church communications

  When buying an older house, the money pit concern nags at us. Are we getting into something that will…

  Tuesday, June 28, 2016

• A surprising use of church social media

  ​Your Pastor stands up in front of the congregation each week and shares what's on his heart. They…

  Tuesday, June 14, 2016

• You can’t do communications alone

  Of all the leaders in a church, business administrators understand that more is accomplished when a team…

  Tuesday, May 31, 2016

• 4 troublesome indicators of ministry silos

  ​Each time ministry silos are talked about, I think about the huge farms I grew up around. Their silos…

  Wednesday, May 18, 2016

• 4 surprising revelations from church focus groups

  I travel around the U.S. talking to demographic church groups to better understand what's happening in…

  Wednesday, May 04, 2016

• 3 essential branding tips for church growth

  ​People who follow after Christ are far from a majority in this world. We find ourselves struggling…

  Thursday, April 21, 2016

• Church communications on a tight budget

  You're headed into late spring and summer, which often reduces church attendance — and therefore, offerings.…

  Wednesday, April 06, 2016

• Get your community’s attention

  I travel a lot for my job helping churches communicate better. Walking through airport terminals, I'm…

  Tuesday, March 22, 2016

• 4 tricks to conquering church social media

  Social media is here to stay. ​According to Neoteric UK, 45 percent of users feel "worried or uncomfortable"…

  Wednesday, March 09, 2016

• 3 ways your lobby is a barrier to potential new members

  For years I've been conducting church mystery visits. Some call it a secret shopper, but ultimately I'm…

  Wednesday, February 24, 2016

• Is your church known by love?

  Church is a group of Christ-followers, and Christ asked us to love like He does. When each of us follow…

  Thursday, February 11, 2016

• Every sentence needs editing — Here’s how

  Barriers are obstacles that keep people from gaining access to something. With churches, for example,…

  Wednesday, January 27, 2016

• Find a simple way to say something complex

  ​I was talking with someone recently, and it felt like I needed to draw a flow chart in order to understand…

  Wednesday, January 13, 2016

• Is your church merry about Christmas?

  ​Culturally, Christmas is getting a bad rap (or is that wrap?). Companies are trying to secularize…

  Wednesday, December 16, 2015

• 4 sermon tips to help pastors communicate better

  I'm not a minister or a pastor. However, I am a communications person. All communicators aren't pastors,…

  Wednesday, December 02, 2015

• 7 crucial church communication New Year preparation tips

  Weeks? We're down to a few days. The New Year is around the corner and, unfortunately, Thanksgiving,…

  Wednesday, November 18, 2015

• When your website says no, but you say go

  ​I was driving down a city street in a school zone, and a police officer was directing traffic. He…

  Wednesday, November 04, 2015

• 4 tips to make church greeters more effective

  Every week you have families arriving to go to church. They walk through the main doors of your building…

  Wednesday, October 21, 2015

• 3 church communication failures

  No one wants to fail at something. A company doesn't set out with a product and hope it fails. A politician…

  Wednesday, October 14, 2015

• Why every church needs a communications director

  When we started our church communications company 15 years ago, few churches had full-time communication…

  Wednesday, September 23, 2015

• 5 ways to advocate for your audience

  I recently wanted to buy something at a local department store (FYI: it's like Amazon, except in a building).…

  Wednesday, September 09, 2015

• Your new church communication economy

  We put up with a lot in life. I just got back from the gym where I lifted heavy weights until every muscle…

  Thursday, August 27, 2015

• Church communication fears and tiers

  ​A crowd gathers in a large room. Everyone quiets down waiting for something to happen. They all have…

  Wednesday, August 12, 2015

• 4 limitations every church communicator must understand

  ​In life there are few truly unlimited things. There's God. But even He's limited to His nature (He…

  Wednesday, July 29, 2015

• Stop preaching to an empty room

  Imagine your pastor standing behind the pulpit. All the lights are on, the microphone is working nicely,…

  Wednesday, July 15, 2015

• What your church website screams about you

  ​Everyone uses the Internet. Well, almost everyone. According to ​Internet Live Stats, 86.75 percent…

  Wednesday, July 01, 2015

• 3 critical church website errors

  When the world started building websites, people were amazed. I remember my first conference in the mid…

  Wednesday, June 17, 2015

• 3 church social media mistakes

  ​We all have limited minutes to accomplish all the demands on our time. Clearly, we need to be strategic…

  Wednesday, June 03, 2015

• Why church is like ‘American Idol’

  The news seems to be everywhere. After 15 seasons, "American Idol" is ending. Remember in the early 2000s…

  Wednesday, May 20, 2015

• Oh yeah, it’s Mother’s Day!

  Church communications is not an easy task. Many people think it's as simple as telling everyone what's…

  Wednesday, May 06, 2015

• Make your church known for love

  ​Jesus called his disciples together in John 13 and washed their feet just before His evil betrayal.…

  Wednesday, April 22, 2015

• Spring cleaning for effective church communications

  ​Spring. It's finally here! For most of the country, the winter seemed to linger. But now that warmer…

  Wednesday, April 08, 2015

• Your last-minute Easter communication checklist

  ​Tick. Tick. Tick. The days are passing quickly as we approach one of the largest days on the Christian…

  Wednesday, March 25, 2015

• The difference between likable and sharable social media posts

  Social media allows us to read/watch/see something and then 1) scroll past 2) like it or 3) share it.…

  Wednesday, March 11, 2015

• 3 reasons you need a spring break

  ​It's difficult to take a break when running full speed on a treadmill. That's the thought I had at…

  Wednesday, February 25, 2015

• Your church’s elusive magic bullet for communication

  A friend recently texted to request help with a computer issue. I knew how to do it, so I gladly offered…

  Wednesday, February 11, 2015

• 3 time-savers for church communications

  ​As I visit churches across the country, I realize that ministries have so much to communicate. Events,…

  Wednesday, January 28, 2015

• Church goals? It’s all about the baseline

  I love dreaming up goals for myself personally, for ministry and for business. Have you done it yet?…

  Wednesday, January 14, 2015

• 2 ways to stretch your church communications budget in 2015

  ​It's that time of year. A lot of churches have already established their budgets for 2015, and most…

  Wednesday, December 17, 2014

• 3 broken church website issues

  A lot of churches are using broken online communication vehicles every day. Some are investing countless…

  Thursday, December 04, 2014

• Are you practicing Thanksgiving authentically?

  We're just days away. Thanksgiving really does come before Christmas, although you wouldn't know from…

  Wednesday, November 19, 2014

• You can’t afford to update your church’s website? Really?

  We spend lots of time and money creating print materials for people who come to our services while the…

  Wednesday, November 05, 2014

• Should a pastor be a brand?

  Everyone wants to have followers and a clear influence in their world. Personal brand recognition is…

  Thursday, October 23, 2014

• Pastors, make your logo smaller

  Have you noticed things are changing with communications? Probably not. You have so much going on that…

  Wednesday, October 08, 2014

• 2 symptoms of deep communication issues

  As you tend to your church, do you notice things that seem wrong? Perhaps you've even heard people talking…

  Wednesday, September 24, 2014

• Seriously, there’s no secret to good church websites

  The Internet is just a click away, and we rely on it constantly. So why do we think it's a secret about…

  Wednesday, September 10, 2014

• Stop your church from singing this way

  I was walking in a park and heard musical tones from the other side of a treed area. A brass instrument…

  Wednesday, August 27, 2014

• Our church needs communication help — Now what?

  I'm often told at conferences, "Our church needs to fix our communication systems." Then they ask, "But…

  Wednesday, August 13, 2014

• A new brand is born — Now what?

  The National Association of Church Administration (NACBA) is now The Church Network. Whistles, confetti,…

  Wednesday, July 30, 2014

• Is social media working for your church?

  ​There are many who are blessed to stand in a crowd, but they have little worthwhile to say. And there…

  Wednesday, July 16, 2014

• Why 20 percent do 80 percent — and how to fix it

  I was having breakfast recently with a good friend. He's an active participant in ministry, and we were…

  Wednesday, July 09, 2014

• Please read these 297 words

  More people would read more books if they were shorter. Wouldn't you? More would pick up a 20-page book…

  Wednesday, June 18, 2014

• 3 ways to deal with church quitters

  Are you a quitter? Most would say no, but there are lots of ways we quit. Some statistics say as many…

  Wednesday, June 04, 2014

• Does your pastor need an optometrist?

  I realize now, more than ever, that I need a good balance between near- and farsightedness. Our church…

  Wednesday, May 21, 2014

• Church attendance: Fat ones, fit ones, new ones

  The church is like the gym. Like physical change at the gym, people realize they need something different…

  Wednesday, May 07, 2014

• Your welcome card needs updating

  Why do we expect visitors to fill out our visitor or welcome forms? I'm not saying to stop with welcome…

  Wednesday, April 23, 2014

• Your church needs an alarm clock

  I often listen to iHeartRadio and one of its many stations. I'm not even sure what I'm listening to most…

  Wednesday, April 09, 2014

• 2 McChurch lessons to stop the decline

  Fast food gets a bad rap in the media (from poor wages to high fat content). This means the average person…

  Wednesday, March 26, 2014

• An open letter to church communications directors

  Have you noticed that in our field you never get comfortable? Ideas, clients, production, suppliers,…

  Wednesday, March 12, 2014

• ‘My business’s website is my favorite,’ said no one ever

  What is your favorite website? What site do you go to over and over again? It's probably not your business's…

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

• ‘My church’s website is my favorite,’ said no one ever

  What is your favorite website? What site do you go to over and over again? It's probably not your church's…

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

• Church storytelling tips: Social media edition

  ​We've all been there. You're in a church service listening to the teaching. Your mind wanders to the…

  Wednesday, February 12, 2014

• Seriously! Stop using Facebook this way

  Social media has changed our lives. This month we say happy 10th birthday to Facebook. Time flies. Since…

  Wednesday, January 29, 2014

• Seriously, churches! Stop using Facebook this way

  This month we say happy 10th birthday to Facebook. Since Facebook has 1.2 billion active users, it assures…

  Wednesday, January 29, 2014

• Is your church jumping the shark?

  ​Every service or product has a life cycle. It's rare that a successful product starts out with an…

  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

• Why your church website isn’t being read

  ​Communication budgets are being wasted by churches. Almost every ministry has a website now, and sadly…

  Wednesday, December 11, 2013

• 3 sanity checks when caught in the middle

  My wife is a middle child. She tells stories about how she felt left out and sometimes caught in the…

  Thursday, November 21, 2013

• 3 simple reasons for simple

  ​I love recipes that contain three or four simple ingredients. Last night we had a taco soup that was…

  Thursday, November 14, 2013

• What’s your business wearing?

  What people wear — or the style they regularly wear — starts to become recognizable. In fact,…

  Wednesday, October 30, 2013

• What’s your church wearing?

  I have a few friends who seem to only wear black. And then there are pastors I know who always seem to…

  Wednesday, October 30, 2013

• 1 Web trend churches should do well

  Website design paradigms are constantly changing. Thanks in part to coding abilities and analytics (the…

  Wednesday, October 16, 2013

• 3 questions to avert church ‘shutdown’

  For the first time in 17 years, the U.S. government has shut down. Many thought it would never happen;…

  Wednesday, October 02, 2013

• 3 marketing lessons from Jesus

  ​I get pushback regularly from church leaders when it comes to marketing. And I understand why. Often…

  Thursday, September 19, 2013