TRAINING FOR COMMUNICATION LEADERS 2023

What is Communication?
The art of sharing information – use of words, pictures, lifestyle, etc. Any means of sharing
information with one or more people.
Effective Communication is usually 2- way especially in human communication.

Hence the communication partners send and receive information at the same time and that is
why it is known as transactional communication. It means that both partners have equal
opportunities in giving and receiving information.

Although Verbal communication is recognized as the major means of communication between

people, there are several other valid and useful forms of communications such as signs,
gestures, and other coded information methods that exist in different groups.

Increasingly however, it is becoming evident that our lives as lived communicate a lot to those
we interact with, and perhaps pass more critical information about us than our words.
Think of our actions and if there are times they contradict our words.
It is therefore important to appreciate the fact that our whole being is a tool of communication.
Communication in the Church (Usual Practices)
One- way
Top-down
Leader-follower- e.g. Sabbath school, divine service etc.
Hence there is a possibility that some church members may come to the church all day and all
year without fully participating in the service.
• How can we make the church more interactive and involving?
• How can we make our services more involving?
• How can we make every member active and participative?

Other forms of church communication that influence people’s perception of the Church
• Church bulletins
• Church announcements

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 • Church uniforms
• Church outings
• Church meetings
• Church facilities such as washrooms, seats, and the sanctuary itself
• Church’s relationship with other churches and neighbors
• Church members’ relationships between one another, elders and other leaders and the
pastor
• Church activities and involvement in the community i.e. funerals, weddings and other
community functions.
• Church evangelism activities and language used to address non-believers.
• Church’s contribution to the well-being of the local communities

Duties and Responsibilities of a Communications Secretary in the local church

The communications department plays a very critical role in the life of the church. This is
because communication is the nerve that links the church members with the pastor, with one
another and with the community.

Human beings are communicative in nature because God has given them the ability to speak
unlike the other animals that he created. This therefore means that we cannot communicate
because we have been given the ability to speak. Communication is however not united to
speak. We can communicate through silence and body movements such as facial expressions
and hand motions among other body movements. Silence is a powerful tool of communication
too because it leaves the would be respondents to our messages to fill the gaps for themselves.

The Seventh-day Adventist church recognizes the role of communication at all levels of church
organization that is why you will find such leaders at every level and for each level of the
church and the said officers have been given responsibilities pertaining to their areas of
jurisdiction. Hence, starting from the General Conference to the local church, communication
leaders are tasked to fulfil certain obligations. The church manual (Online 18 th edition pg. 87)
spells out the work of the communications department which include working with the press,
media producers, online personnel and internal media, in handling news and other media
activities. However, the above-mentioned activities are only an eye opener to what the
communication leader is tasked to do.

Following are some of the other duties a local church communication secretary is
expected to fulfil:

1. The communication secretary is the public relations officer (PRO) of the local church,
hence this person links the church with the community and helps to ensure that positive
communication relationships within the church membership are maintained. This
person is also the link between the pastor and the local church members because he/she
ensures that any news that pastor may have are shared with church members.
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 ✓ The communication secretary works closely with all the other departments of
the church to ensure that planned activities are well publicized among the
stakeholders.
✓ In order to realize success in the department, the communication secretary must
do the following:
✓ Project a positive image of your local church and the overall corporate image of
the Seventh-day Adventist church. This includes:
✓ Positive communication within and outside the church
✓ Mount appropriate signage – signboard that identifies us as a church
✓ Well written, edited, and updated church bulletins if your church publishes one
✓ Properly done uniforms for respective church groups
✓ A well-kept and updated notice board
✓ A well updated church membership of community events that affects them
2. The communication secretary also receives information from the higher organizations
through the pastors and elders’ officers and shares them with church members. This
includes news and other information that are deemed relevant for the church
membership.
3. The communication leader also identifies and solicits for testimonies and experiences
from church members that can be shared as mission stories with higher organizations
and within the church. It has been noted that many or our church members have
experiences tremendous blessings from God and yet do not have the opportunity to
share them.
4. The communication secretary also takes photographs of the various events and
activities that take place in the church and shares the same with the church members
and higher organizations.
The communications secretary also takes photographs of newsworthy events and uses
theme for news.
5. In conjunction with deaconry department, the communications secretary identifies and
welcomes people that are visiting the church.
6. In conjunction with the church pastor and church elders, the communication
secretary ensures that;
✓ Church announcements are clearly written and made for the benefit of the
church members.
✓ Church announcements are short, clear and to the point
✓ Church announcements do not consume time unnecessarily
✓ Those making announcements clearly articulate the announcements
✓ The long announcements are availed on the church notice board so that church
members can refer to them

7. Taking care of communication equipment by;

- Ensuring that those handling the equipment are trained for the job
- Facilitating the purchase of professional equipment
- Making raised shelves or tables in which to store the equipment at all times
- Ensuring that proper and approved cables are used for respective pieces of
equipment
- Ensuring that proper the equipment are regularly cleared and serviced
- Ensuring that proper means of transportation are used in case of need
- Professionally handling the microphones

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 8. Reporting news from the local church to the conference. This includes: deaths,
baptisms, church participation in local community and any events or activities that may
be considered newsworthy.

9. Takes care of corporate identity by ensuring that proper signage and church logo
is used in all church publicity and information materials.

Uses of logo
Identity: Gives us a unique identity from others i.e. Catholic, Pentecostal etc.
Unity: unifies us as a church wherever we may be in the world- so that people can easily know
that we are one church.
Gives Direction to our visitors- Helps people to locate us much more easily than if we did
not have one.
Provides important information to visitors so they know when and how to worship in that
particular church- what time is Sabbath school or other services, address or phone numbers etc.

Corporate Adventist Church Identity

✓ The worldwide church voted that the Adventist Church adopts one logo and with
specific placement that reflects the sanctity of the Sabbath.
✓ This is about using a grid to divide the available space equally and placing the logo in
the Seventh column on its own in the recommended colors.
✓ It is about using recommended fonts in writing the signboard, and placing it
strategically in a place where it can be seen by all.
✓ It is about all churches in one conference choosing to use one size of signboard.
✓ This should apply to all our church institutions eg health, institutional and hospitality
institutions among others.

Recommendations

• Each of our churches must endeavor to put in place a recommended church signboard.
• Church members should not use church logo for private facilities, activities, or
ministries.
• Every church must ensure that relevant county levies and fees are paid so that the
signboard is not removed.

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 • Every church should therefore ensure that the church signboard is in place throughout
the year.

10. Identifying and recognizing visitors and church members:

In conjunction with the interest coordinator, deaconry and church elders, the
communication secretary identifies church members who have missed church or have
been absent for prolonged periods of time so as to facilitate visits from the pastor and
elders.

Hence the communication secretary should:

✓ Endeavour to know all the church members by name, and where they stay/live
✓ Have as many cell phone numbers of church members as possible
✓ Text or call when he/she notices that a member did not attend church
✓ Join the church pastor or elders to visit the member
✓ Design and maintain a church website where feasible and ensure that the
website is regularly updated with new information.

10: Coordinating the production of radio and television programs for local stations.

• Identifying available opportunities of evangelism through radio and television

• Identifying and training potential speakers and contributors
• Negotiating for free or paid airtime.
• Coordinating the nurture of the new converts with local church Pastors.
• Writing stories and testimonies of new converts for church newsletters and magazines.

11: Coordinates and manages local church social media platforms: Website, YouTube,
Facebook. Twitter, Instagram.

• Ensures that only acceptable content is posted to any platform according to set
guidelines.
• Updates all the platforms regularly
• Responds to various queries or interests on each platform.

12 Establishes and nurtures relationships with other stakeholders from other faiths.

✓ Other churches – establishing harmonious relationships with sister churches, and non-
Adventists churches
✓ Establishing and maintaining relationships with local media houses to solicit for free
coverage and publicity of church events
✓ This can be enhanced by:-
✓ Furnishing them with information on up-coming events to help them plan on coverage
✓ Seeking for free airtime on secular stations and laying strategies on how church
members can contribute programs.

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 13: Manages crisis communication in the local church.

Crisis Defined:
Some of the dictionaries define a crisis in various words. For example;

The Collins English Dictionary defines a crisis as ‘a situation in which something or someone
is affected by one or more serious situations’
The English Oxford Dictionary defines a crisis as ‘a time of intense difficulty or danger’
Blyden (2013: 5) defines a crisis as a defining moment in the life of your organization. It is
an unpredictable event that throws your organization into a spotlight’. Blyden further argues
that a crisis can turn out to be a danger that threatens or it can turn out to be an opportunity
that can strengthen your organization.

Categories of Crises

1. Natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, floods, or other events that occur from
nature.
2. Unexpected death either of a church employee, or a church member, terrorism,
accidents, to name a few of those can turn to be a serious crisis if not properly
handled.
3. Human error crises resulting from theft, alleged sexual abuse, bad decision-making,
lying and other human mistakes which are often followed by cover-ups can put an
organization into disrepute if not properly handled as well.

In all the three crisis categories communication remains the key to handling each of them. In
most cases when such crises occur, people resort to prayers or seek assistance from a third
party such as the police, friends or neighbours. While these are good approaches, they do not
replace effective crisis communication mechanisms.
There are two levels of crises; internal and external. An internal crisis is one that largely
concerns our organization (e.g. church) while an external crisis is one that draws public
attention to your situation or event.
When a crisis occurs we as communication leaders should try to manage it. This is so that;
• We can protect our name and reputation in the community
• We may reduce or avoid possibilities of litigation

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 • We control damage from false information, critics, or negative news
• We may be able to tell our story and get the positive message about our organization
• We help our organization move through crisis towards a solution

Phases of a crisis;

Before the crisis-although a crisis is unpredictable and unexpected, most of the time there
are trigger events or indicators that something is wrong. Such situations put us on alert and
we may remain in this phase of alertness unless the actual crises occur.
During the crisis- is the phase when the actual crisis is experiences and it causes chaos,
confusion, anger among other emotional rollercoasters. Blyden argues that ‘this is the time
when organizational leaders take action and work to gain control of the situation. Then
communication leaders step in to help them think through and effectively communicate in the
immediate aftermath’ (p. 10).
After the crisis- is the phase when things are calming down and getting back to normal and
people are grieving or moving forward. This is the time when such emotions are turned into
healing and constructive learning phase.

Operating Principles of Managing a Crisis

Openness- It is important to be open to the extent possible. In case of confidential

information that should not or cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, then you need to appear
helpful and informative rather than silent and secretive.

Integrity- Consider the effects on everyone involved. Protect privacy and show genuine care
because there are those it hurts and pains.

Accuracy-Check and double check facts before going public. If you make a mistake, point
that out before it is brought to your attention so that your integrity is not questioned.

Flexibility- Be accommodating to the people –media, church members or inquirers. Work

with them not against them. Be a reliable source of appropriate information.

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Appearance- Be mindful of what you wear, how you speak and how you come across to
others. Don’t appear defensive or afraid. Remain confident, sincere and helpful.

Fairness- Don’t play favorite during crisis. Treat all enquiries equally and respond to each in
a timely and professional manner.

Crisis management should be part and parcel of our work as communication leaders because
it is part of our public relations work. It is therefore important to sensitize our church leaders
and members on the need to be systematic in handling crisis so that our audiences can trust
us. If we remain silent during a crisis we may be taken to be indifferent or disinterested and
this will affect our relationship with our stakeholders.

Qualities of a Communication Secretary:

1. Warm and friendly

2. Outgoing and social – able to notice what goes on around them
3. Knowledgeable of church doctrine and hierarchy
4. A good orator/speaker – fluent in the language of use in the local church
5. A good orator/speaker – fluent in the language of use in the local church
6. A good reporter – skilled to tell stories as they happen without exaggeration
7. A competent photographer
8. A mobilizer – able to bring people together for a good cause hence one with people
skills
9. Respectful to authority of the church and fellow church members
10. Respectful – commands respect due to demeanor and character