Walk into almost any church or ministry office, and you’ll find someone responsible for communication. They’re managing the website, posting on social media, preparing Sunday announcements, and making sure the bulletin gets printed.
But here’s a question worth asking: Who’s looking for the stories?
Untold stories
Every week, remarkable things happen in the lives of people sitting in your congregation. Marriages are restored. Someone discovers faith after years of searching. A family experiences an unexpected answer to prayer. A teenager finds a sense of purpose.
And in many churches, those stories remain untold.
That’s a tremendous missed opportunity.
After decades of working with churches and ministries around the world, I’ve discovered that one of the most powerful communication tools we have is a story about a life that’s been changed.
Think about it. You can announce that your church needs more volunteers, or you can introduce someone whose life was transformed because a volunteer cared enough to show up.
You can publish a financial report, or you can tell the story of a family whose circumstances changed because someone gave.
Which one would move you?
Rethinking communication
Perhaps it’s time to rethink the traditional communication director position. What if that person became your church’s Chief Storyteller?
Someone who intentionally searches for stories throughout the congregation or donors, interviews people and discovers where God is working. Those stories could become powerful videos, social media posts, sermon illustrations, or testimonies shared during worship.
And pastors, here’s a challenge. Set aside one hour every week to simply ask people, “What’s God been doing in your life lately?”
Then listen. You may be surprised by what you hear.
Your church is already filled with stories worth telling. Someone needs to start paying attention. Because when people see how God is changing lives, they begin to imagine what He could do in theirs.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was originally published by philcooke.com.
