Media Outreach

Churches are happening places! Not only do we have1-2 weekly, full blown get-togethers, we also have our bible studies, small group meetings, potlucks, youth groups, retreats and special events. I would imagine your church has anywhere between 20 and 30 ‘things’ going on every month. I know mine does.

In my years working with the church, I’ve seen a trend emerge of large churches trying to look smaller and small churches trying to look larger. Seeing these 50-100 member churches that have 2-3 events on their calendar daily makes me ask “what are we trying to communicate through our calendars?”

Sure, there’s ways for you to be involved, but is it really necessary to include every little thing your church does on your main church calendar on your website?

Most churches use their website calendar strictly for outreach (i.e. as a marketing tool). If your church is using your site this way, the calendar should reflect this. First time visitors won’t look at your calendar to figure out when you meet on Sunday. They are going to look for a “First Time Visitor” page or “Service times” page. So here are some tips on how to use your website calendar effectively to keep from overloading website visitors:

• Reserve the calendar for special events, not recurring, weekly gatherings.
• Make it easy for visitors to find the events they would want. If that means having a calendar page for members/attendees and one for special events, have two calendars (or get a system that allows you to sort your events into two calendars).
• Evaluate what you are using your calendar for and follow a methodology. If it’s for outreach events, don’t put “church clean up day” on the calendar. Reserve that for a bulletin announcement or separate page or calendar on your site.

Have you found any methods that help your church from overloading your calendar? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what works/doesn’t work at your church!

Photo By: Joe Lanman