The standards to keep in mind for all communication:
- Reinforce that we are a unified church working toward a common vision and mission. We are not a federation of sub-ministries.
- Be driven from the outside in. That is, there will be a heavier emphasis communicating to those in the outside circles (community, a first-time visitor, un-churched), and a progressively lighter emphasis toward those in the inner circles (members, committed, and core).
- Focus on the needs of the unchurched and our guests, not just the needs of our ministries.
- Deliver excellence in timeliness, accuracy, design, layout, and ease of use.
- Be simple and clear, eliminating unnecessary fluff or complicated content.
- Always present in a language, style, and method that is visible and understandable to the first-time guest.
- Communication will be based on City First Church priorities. This means that “equal time” is not a goal.
- Be designed to reduce the noise in people’s lives and avoid competition between ministries. Too much information can be just as dangerous as not enough. Therefore, we will provide the basic information for people to easily scan.
- Capitalize on our strength. Most people will connect to City First Church for the first time through a weekend service. Therefore, most of our communication resources will be expended on inviting people to the weekend service and then helping them take their next step beyond the weekend service.
- Be sustainable. We won’t launch a deliverable (i.e. website or publication) if we don’t have the systems and personnel to maintain it with excellence.
- Actively balance inspiration and information. Therefore, everything will be evaluated in the context of the church, not just a ministry audience.