Action Step #3: Create a communication plan.
Most people don’t like change. And as a leader, you like change less than you think. If you don’t believe me, try sleeping on the other side of the bed tonight or go the entire day with your wallet in your other back pocket. Even if change is desirable, it’s still uncomfortable.
That’s why you must create a detailed and effective communication plan. Your communication will make or break any change in your church, particularly the communication around killing a ministry.
When you think about communication, think about an airport runway. Big planes need to land on a long runway. The bigger the plane—the longer the required runway. You can land a little crop-duster in a small field, but a large 747 needs a long line of concrete.
If you’re communicating a big change that affects a lot of people, you need a long communication runway. It’s not enough to make an announcement one Sunday or send a letter to people’s houses.
When you communicate change, you need to focus on WHY more than the details. If people understand the WHY behind the WHAT, they will be on board with the details. It’s nearly impossible to communicate WHY too much.
If you want to stop doing a ministry, create a communication plan that involves multiple formats. Start by talking to people individually. Then bring in key leaders. Then use all the communication resources at your disposal. Things like …
- A Sunday announcement
- Vision for the change during a sermon
- A series of emails (not just one … several of them written from a different perspective)
- A snail mail letter to a select group of people
- A vision video
- Social media
Put all of this on a real calendar and let a solid plan drive your communication. If you’ve got a long runway, you’ve got time built in to address unforeseen problems or have one-on-one conversations.
What you stop doing in your church might be more important than what you start doing. (Tweet That) Follow these guidelines to stop ineffective ministries the right way.
