SENDRECEIVE

A Quick Guide for Maximizing Your Ministry Communication

KEVIN MCMILLAN

SPECIAL OUTREACH EDITION

SENDRECEIVE
A Quick Guide for Maximizing
Your Ministry Communication

OUTREACH EDITION

2014 by Kevin McMillan

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SENDRECEIVE was developed, written,

and designed by Kevin McMillan
and revised with Outreach, inc.
Outreach.com
KevinMcMillan.com

A short
introduction...

Communication is one of the most important things we do

in ministry. Unfortunately, we have so many other things
demanding our attention that it is hard to find time to perfect
our communication. Therefore, we tend to rest on traditional
approaches or popular methods.

SENDRECEIVE was

created to quickly guide churches and ministries who have

little free time through the foundational (and most important)
elements of communication, marketing, and design. Each
section involves parts of education, encouragement, and
evaluation. The ultimate goal is to empower you to look at
your unique situation and decide what is best for YOU.

One more thing...

Communication is more than your website or bulletin.

Throughout this booklet, I will primarily use the term
communication to refer to the relay and/or reception
of information as well as the plans, processes, research,
decisions, evaluations, and strategies involved (marketing)
along with the actions and tools of promotion (advertising).
Therefore, my use of communication is a very broad term
that encompasses marketing, advertising, design and more
(e.g., your graphic design, print products, online presence,
podcasts, social media, and even your lucky Sunday tie).
Now lets get started.

Step 1

WHAT IS YOUR
PRIORITY?

Communication is
how we connect
with others.
All of our relationships (whether between your spouse,
congregation, supporters, or customers) are dependant
on communication. The health of these relationships is
heavily dependent upon the quality, form, and frequency of
our communication within them. Think about what would
happen if you ceased (or reduced) your ads, emails, web
services, phone calls, sermons, social media, and other
conversations and interactions? How would this action
hinder or prohibit your ability to talk and listen to your
audience? Would it ultimately cause the relationship to die?

Its how you share

your message.
There are thousands of things we want to communicate
with our audience from general statements such as we
are professional, or we care about you, to the details
about what we do and believe. Without an attention to
communication, these messages are easily distorted or
lost. Again, how important is communication to you?

Is it one of your
main priorities?
Most of us would say that communication is important, but
HOW important is it really? Is it a top priority? Consider the
ten questions on the opposite page.

10

1. Do you have a written communication plan?

2. How much do you invest in communication planning
(time, money, manpower, etc.)?
3. How much do you invest in evaluating your
communication (time, money, manpower, etc.)?
4. How much do you invest in communication education
and improvement (e.g., books, blogs, magazines,
consultants, seminars)?
5. When budget reductions are necessary, is marketing
or communication one of the first lines to cut?
6. What are you doing to know your audience better (e.g.,
feedback, surveys, research, involvement)?
7. Have you improved the quality, quantity, and/or form
of your communications in the past year? How about
the past five years?
8. Who handles the bulk of your marketing and graphic
design (e.g., an outside firm, freelancer, professionally
trained staff member, untrained staff, or volunteers)?
9. How far in advance do you make communication
decisions (a year, months, weeks, days, or hours)?
10. Do you believe people dont expect you to have
professional communication or graphic design since
you are a church or ministry with limited funds?

11

How do you make

communication
a higher priority?
What are some ways in which you can devote more
time, money, manpower, and attention to communication
planning, education, evaluating, and action?

12

BANNERS
AND SIGNS
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Step 2

WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE?

Communication
is everywhere.
You may not realize it, but you are actively involved in
communication every day (and you cant turn it off).
Everything we do communicates something to those
who see, hear, and experience it. We tend to think of
communication in terms of planned actions, such as
developing a sermon podcast, running a magazine ad, or
displaying banners at an event. However, communication
is wider and deeper than that.
You are continually expressing, even if it is unintentional,
things about yourself to those around you. In turn, these
people will make judgements about your beliefs, intentions,
preferences, or feelings based on clues from even
your smallest actions (or inactions) and decisions. Your
choice of room temperature, style, office hours, paper or
plastic, and logo colors are all communicating messages,
maybe not as directly, but sometimes just as powerfully as
multimillion-dollar television commercials. It is not a choice
of ARE you going to communicate but a question of HOW
and WHAT you will communicate.

15

Everything
is an opportunity.
Since communication is everywhere, so are thousands
of opportunities to share a specific message with your
audience. You can pay little attention to minor details OR
strategically look at everything as a new chance to make a
statement. Remember that most things will communicate
something about you whether you want them to or not. So,
why not make sure they are presenting an accurate and
powerful message?
..........................................................
Try this: During the day write down everything you see that

could communicate a message to those who come into

contact with your church or ministry. Then, list what that
message was AND what you want it to be.

16

Your message
is the critical
component.
One of the primary questions to answer and remember in
communication is What is my message? The answer
should originate from (or match) your mission and goals.
Before you even think about the different means and
recipients of your communication, you need to know what
you are trying to say. We all have (or should have) a few
central things we are trying to communicate. What is your
message (i.e., what are you ultimately trying to communicate
to your audience)?

17

Clean your
message.
The last time you hired someone, made a business
purchase, responded to someone in your congregation
or ministry, created an advertising piece, picked a color of
paint, or answered the phone, did you ask yourself how (or
will) this action or decision communicate the main message
I want to share?

In other words, are you considering

everything you do as a method of communication and,

therefore, an opportunity to share your message?
One way to protect and promote your message is through
a process I call Filtering. As you know, filtering is generally
defined as the means by which you separate, suppress,
absorb, or remove something unwanted from the parts you
want to keep. Air filters block dust to ensure the air is clean
to breathe. Water filters take away dangerous particles
to provide pure drinking water. SPAM filters quarantine
hazardous emails to protect computers.
In a similar manner, you can purify your communication
through filtering. Simply ask what message this action,
word, decision, etc. will communicate and compare that to
what you want it to communicate. You may find that you
are doing a lot of things that have nothing to do with your
mission or message.

18

Create synergy in
communication.
A great overlap exists between your mission, message,
identity, and actions. You will find that each one effects the
other. For example, your mission can lead to actions that
will communicate a message that forms your identity. At
times, you may focus on one over the other, but make sure
that ALL are continually working in together in harmony.
When they dont, people will feel a sense of incongruence.
Imagine a church whose motto is Help Those in Need, but
the congregation doesnt care for those in their community
(their message and actions are in conflict).

19

Imitation is
not an identity.
Copying parts of a successful ministry or church may seem
to save time and effort, but it is dangerous and limiting. I
have seen churches, ministries, and people fail or implode
because they were trying to be like something or someone
else. Yes, learn from others and gleam their wisdom, but
never forget that God has blessed you with unique abilities,
goals, resources, experiences, staff, etc. Seek to harness
these strengths and be the person or ministry GOD has
called you to be (not someone else).

20

Determine
your foundation.
What is your mission (what do you want to accomplish)?
What is your message (what do you want to say)?
What is your identity (who do you want to be)?

21

Build on
your foundation.
What are you doing to accomplish your mission?
What are you doing to communicate your message?
What are you doing to reinforce your identity?

22

Remove the
weakest links.
People tend to remember and talk about their BEST and
WORST experiences. So, being average has little power
to do something amazing. Also, the littlest thing can have
a huge impact. You may be surrounded by a hundred of
the friendliest employees on the planet, but just one bad
receptionist can create a negative impression for your entire
organization. This example brings up another important
point: make sure your first (and second) impressions are
always accurate and powerful (especially when it comes to
your advertising, website, and those who represent you).

23

Get feedback.
You may not have an accurate impression of how others see
you unless you ask them. Do they know and understand
your mission?

What messages are they hearing from

you? How would they describe who you are? Get some

feedback. Try listening to your audience through tools

such as comment cards and surveys (via mail, phone, web,

or email). Also, some of the best responses and ideas

come from letting your audience be involved with what you
are doing.

24

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Step 3

WHO IS YOUR
AUDIENCE?

Know
thy audience.
One of my ten commandments of marketing is: Know
thy audience. The better you know who you are trying
to reach (e.g., your congregation and community), the
better you will be at reaching them. Do you know who you
want to connect with? What are they like? What are their
preferences? How do they communicate? Where can you
reach them? Answer these types of questions, and you will
increase the effectiveness of your communication.

27

People are unique.

Thousands of variables make your audience different from
others. Location alone can change everything (New Yorkers
have a different vocabulary than Californians). Approaches
to communication should vary because people (and groups
of people) are different and communicate differently. Some
will prefer their pastor to stand behind a pulpit while others
like them sitting on a bar stool. There is no single right way.
You need to discover what works best for you and your
audience.

28

What is your
audience like?
Think through what you know about your audience. You
may want to consider the following characteristics: age,
gender, race, location, economics, education, religion, and
politics.

29

How should you

connect with
them?
Now, how you should alter your communications in
light of what you know about them?

30

Decide whose way

it will be.
You can choose to connect with your audience through
methods that YOU like best OR discover and employ ways
THEY prefer. The former option is not very customer centric,
and you will begin to alienate certain groups who dont want
to communicate your way. In addition, by conforming to the
preferences of your congregation and/or community, you
extend your reach and impact. As a result, you will connect
with a higher percentage of your audience. However, using
forms of communication that you are not comfortable with
can lead to other problems, mostly associated with quality.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both directions. You
almost have to choose between connecting with more
people or using your most comfortable approach (or one
that was previously successful). You must decide one way
or the other. Otherwise, you will find yourself doing both
and not being as effective in either.

31

Something for
everyone is
something for
no one.
Whenever you try to create something that everyone will
like, you typically have to water it down to the point that
everyone is OK with it but no one LOVES it. In other words,
to get the largest consensus you end up compromising,
which reduces attraction and interest.

This approach

also limits your creativity, depth, reach, impact, quality,

uniqueness, and more.

Therefore, I recommend that

people dont try to please everyone but instead focus on

those with similar and specific preferences. When making
decisions in communication, ask whether you want a large
group with a low appreciation or a small group with a high
appreciation.

32

CHURCH
WEBSITES
With Outreach Websites your church can have a flexible, easy-to-use site
that includes free graphics from the Outreach catalog. Coordinate your
invitations, banners and bulletins to create a professional, cohesive look.

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Step 4

WHAT IS YOUR
DIRECTION?

Communication
changes.
The way we communicate continually evolves over time.
Technology, economics, culture, politics, and a thousand
other things influence the way we distribute, receive
and interpret information.

Everything changed with the

introduction of the printing press, radio, television, and

internet. To maximize your communication, you need to take
into account the present approaches, tools, and means in
which people pass information. How are you responding
to changes in communication, media, or technology? Are
you even aware of such trends and advancements? What
can you do to stay current?

35

But, it is not
as simple as
following the
crowd.
Successful communication is NOT the result of merely
following tradition OR doing what is popular. Be cautious
of any action that is solely motivated or supported by the
statements as, This is what everyone else is doing or This
is what weve always done. Evaluate popular methods of
communication and decide which are the best forms for
you and your audience. Because something is working
for others doesnt mean that it will work for you. Trends,
by definition, will come and go. Build on the foundational
principles of communication and remain flexible to present
patterns when they are right for your situation. Also, avoid
the trap of ministry maintenance where you are simply
doing things just because you did them before. Tradition
has a powerful influence on our actions because change
can require more work and may cause friction from peoples
expectations and preferences.

Transitions may not be

easy, but successful communication programs continually

look at whether or not previous approaches continue to be
effective. When you decide to make changes, be tactful
because transitions can be uncomfortable. Evolve slowly
and with a certain level of transparency.

36

What is your
communication
motivation?
What are the main forms of your communication (e.g., ads,
website, email, posters, bulletins, social media, postcards),
and WHY you are using this method?

37

Break the rules.

It is easy to repeat what has already been done or copy
what people are doing now, but great innovation often
comes when you are willing to break the rules and try
something new. Think of ways you can communicate with
your audience that are outside the box. Such actions may
grab attention better than traditional or popular approaches
that have already been seen over and over again.

38

CHURCH
CAMPAIGNS
Sermon series, promotional collateral, and small group curriculum
to create a cohesive, all church theme that unites members, attracts
and connects visitors and increases your churchs spiritual growth.

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Step 5

WHAT IS YOUR
STRATEGY?

You need a plan.

Strategic plans protect decisions and actions from being
reactionary, wasteful, and costly. A lack of planning can
be costly (literally because you may end up paying extra
charges for rush production and delivery). Plus, when you
make last-minute decisions, you lose the benefit of careful
evaluation and preparation. Sometimes you restrict yourself
from doing more, having a better quality, or enlisting the
best people. I hate hearing the statement, I wish we had
more time to __________. It usually comes from poor and
delayed planning. Do you have a plan?

41

Did I mention
that you need
a plan?
Developing a communication strategy is not a simple
task. It encompasses so many things, but it is essential to
maintaining successful and streamlined communications.
Most of this book is directed toward helping you
establish foundations and fill in the holes of your unique
communications approach.

But, you also need to

consider developing communication standards, goals, and

calendars.

In addition, establishing standard operating

procedures for repeat tasks can also save time, increase

consistency, and eliminate confusion (e.g., knowing the
steps for how an event goes from a calendar item to having
actual posters designed, printed, and displayed in town).

42

What is your plan?

Take some time to think through what your communication
strategy should look like.

43

Ministry is
marketing.
Many debate whether we should promote Jesus the
same way someone sells shoes or soap. Advertising has
rightfully earned a bad reputation, which is one reason why
we dont like to hear the words marketing or advertising
connected with ministry. However, let us not forget that
ministry is about building relationships, and a key to
dynamic relationships is good communication, and good
communication can be forged by the philosophies and
tools of marketing. So, ministry often involves marketing.
In addition, you are probably involved in some form of
marketing or advertising already. If you mail a weekly
church bulletin, you are actually involved in communication,
marketing, AND advertising, like it or not. Dont be afraid
to think of what you are doing in terms of marketing or
advertising as long as the end result is always honest
ministry and Gods glory. If you want to elevate the level
of your communication, you should discuss the positive
influences of marketing.

44

Call upon some

super heros.
There are some great resources and authors focused on
church and ministry marketing, but dont limit yourself to just
Christians. Sometimes, you can find some unbelievable
ideas and inspiration from those outside the church. Gleam
from these men and women. I recommend a healthy dose
of my superhero, Seth Godin (www.sethgodin.com).

45

Do they have the

right stuff?
Your communication is only as good as the people involved
with it. Take the time to evaluate those involved in each
aspect of your communication. As a leader you never have
the right to complain about the people under you. They
are your responsibility (and so is their work).

You can

either accept their performance, work to improve it, or find

someone else for the job. Listed below are a few questions
to consider when evaluating your communications team:
1. Do they understand the basic principles of
communication, marketing, advertising, etc.?
2. Are they qualified for the tasks they have?
3. Are they working under the same goals, principles, and
standards?
4. Do they have a clear understanding of who does what?
5. Is there one central person who knows all that is
happening that people can go to with issues?
6. Do they know when to use people in-house versus
outside professionals?
7. Are they using their primary talents and abilities?
8. Do they enjoy what they are doing?
9. Are they maintaining what was done the previous year
or advancing forward?
10. Am I the right person to lead them?

46

Make sure you

have the right
ingredients.
Eight powerful questions help evaluate any communication
message, decision, action, medium, method, or strategy:*
1. Is it NECESSARY (is this influenced by tradition or
what is popular, OR is it vital for the present)?

2. Is it INNOVATIVE (are there new and better ways)?

3. Is it RELEVANT (does it connect with our audience
according to where they are and what they prefer)?

4. Is it CLEAR (is it easily seen and understood)?

5. Is it CONSISTENT (does it match our mission,

actions, services, products, appearance, experience,

principles, messages, etc.)?

6. Is it COMPREHENSIVE (is it seen or used

throughout all or most forms of our communication)?

7. Is it UNITED (is it working independently or in unison

with other parts of our communication)?

8. Is it POWERFUL (does it stand out and grab

attention)?

* Some questions may not apply to every situation.

47

VIDEO AND
FILMS
Host a church movie night and reach your community. Outreach Films provides
movie licenses that allows you to legally show a movie in your church and to
promote your showing to the public using the title, actors and art from the movie.

Outreach, Inc. | (800) 991-6011 | www.Outreach.com

Step 6

WHAT IS YOUR
STYLE?

Design matters.
As an artist and graphic designer, I may be a bit biased
here, but design matters a great deal in communication.
Even though we are told not to, people judge books by their
covers, and they will also judge you by your appearance
(e.g., your website, logo, color scheme, print advertising,
and more). Design is often the first impression people will
have of you. A poor design can distort, distract, and bury
your message, mission, and identity. Your use or lack of
imagery, fonts, color, and a hundred other design variables
all have powerful influences on how people feel about and
interpret your communication. If you are serious about how
you communicate, then you need to place a very high value
and focus on design.

50

You are
not an artist!
Empower people to do what they do best. When using
outside professionals, respect and rely on their knowledge
and ability because they are skilled, trained, and do it every
day. For example, instead of telling them how YOU would
change a design, ask them how THEY would alleviate the
problem you want to fix (this is what you are paying them
for in the first place).

51

There are no
more excuses.
I am continually frustrated by poor design from Christian
ministries, churches, and organizations. It is usually the
result of tight budgets, lack of skill and knowledge, and/or
the use of volunteers. However, it is no longer something we
have to live with. Today, there are thousands of templates
and stock alternatives that are both professional AND
economical (stock means that it was designed to be used
and sold to multiple parties as opposed to a custom design
that you have the sole possession of).

These sources

include photography, logos, email, video, audio, and most

print advertising formats, such as postcards, posters,
letterhead, brochures, and more. In addition, you can find
thousands of freelance designers and printers online at very
low rates.

52

When do I use a
professional?
If you answer YES to some or most of the questions
below, you may want to employ some professional support:
1. To make something stand out more, do you tend to
make things bigger, bolder, or in starbursts?
2. Do you try to fill in all the white space on an ad?
3. Are you using clip-art and fancy fonts you found
online?
4. Do you believe that simple is boring?
5. Do you think people will read everything you put in a
advertising piece?
6. Are you unaware of color wheels or color psychology?
7. In your marketing, are you trying to make yourself
sound better or more than you actually are?
8. Would you prefer to use something poorly designed
rather than nothing at all?
9. Are you trying to copy what others are doing/using
rather than create something that works best for who
YOU are?
10. Do you have a degree in accounting?

53

You need some

standards.
One of the best ways to protect your brand and message
is through the use of a style guide. Basically, a style guide
lists or documents your identity standards and design
guidelines that EVERYONE follows when developing any
communication piece. This guide can include the use of
colors, logos, imagery, fonts, layouts, and design schemes/
styles. By using such standards, you can make design
decisions easier and retain a higher level of consistency.

54

What are your

standards?
Decide on some rules to govern how and what people
design and communicate within your organization.

55

NEW MOVER
PROGRAM
Reach those who have recently moved to your area with a personalized postcard
invitation from your church. Outreach automatically prints and sends out your
poastcards once a month and provides you a list of contact for follow-up.

Outreach, Inc. | (800) 991-6011 | www.Outreach.com

Step 7

WHERE IS YOUR
SUPPORT?

Never forget the

ultimate goal.
Everything we do should be for the glory of God. Dont
be blinded from this ultimate goal in life and ministry.
Temptations and distractions are ever present to detour
us from seeking His glory and Kingdom.

Even honest

and worthy goals concerning attendance and revenue can

overshadow our work for God.

Remember that Gods

definition of success and His means to accomplish it are

often different from ours. So, keep the focus on Him, and
you cant go wrong.

58

Pursue excellence.
If we are working for the glory of God, then we should also
be pouring everything into it (100%) and reaching for the
grandest heights. Unfortunately, I have noticed that many
churches and Christian ministries lack this principle of
excellence. I dont mean that they should have the best of
everything, but they arent seeking the highest quality and
return possible for them and their situation. Instead, I think
people dont expect non-profits to be as professional or
excellent as other institutions and businesses (primarily
because they have limited budgets and often require the
service of volunteers). How about you? Are you more
concerned with getting things done than reaching for
excellence?

59

Add prayer.
Prayer is better than any celebrity endorsement, talented
staff, or unlimited budget. It involves the Creator of the
universe Who is the grand communicator. Are you trusting
in your own abilities, programs, and communication
mediums more than God? I have personally witnessed
church plants and ministry projects begin with a high focus
on prayer knowing how desperate they were for Gods
intervention. Sadly, as time went on and success came,
prayer began to fade away to the point that they relied on
their own strategies and abilities. Prayer is better than any
promotion. I wonder, what would happen if we took all
the time we spend planning, discussing, designing, and
communicating and replaced it with humble prayer begging
God to pour His Spirit down on our church, ministry, or
congregation?

60

GOD
doesnt need you.
It is true. God doesnt need us. Oh, I believe He wants
to use us and therefore created, positioned, and gifted us
in unique ways. But, the sovereign Creator doesnt require
us for anything. Rocks can cry out; donkeys can talk; and
bushes can burn. God can use anything He determines
to communicate His message, and amazingly He would
like to use us. Communication is more than postcards and
email. It is about being a part of the story God wants to tell
the world. Therefore, the BIG question is, Are we on His
communication team?

61

Who are
you trusting in?
Are you trusting in God for every aspect of your
communication from simple emails to entire marketing
campaigns? Are you calling upon Him for direction in what
to do? Are you approaching your communication (or any
project or aspect of your ministry/church) as if it was being
done for God? Take some time to reflect on these questions,
and write a new prayer turning your communication over to
God (the great Communicator).

62

CANVAS
PRINTS
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Outreach, Inc. | (800) 991-6011 | www.Outreach.com

Step 8

ARE YOU
READY?

Communication
requires action.
As our journey through communications ends, you may
be wondering why I didnt include a section on specific
methods and mediums. The truth is that you have everything
you need to make those evaluations and decisions. Like I
have said before, each of us is in a very unique situation,
and there is no single plan that works for everyone. Take
what you have learned about yourself and the foundations
of communication, GO share your message, connect with
your audience, and develop some dynamic, God-honoring
marketing plans.

The following pages are some final

questions and information to help you move forward.

65

Evaluation:
Write a brief summary of how you see your communications
present condition

66

Actions:
Prioritize a list of the changes you want to make in your
communications.

67

Obstacles:
What are some hindrances that are restraining you from
accomplishing these new communication goals (and how
can they be overcome)?

68

BULLETIN
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Save time and money with a church bulletin subscription. Church bulletins are
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Outreach, Inc. | (800) 991-6011 | www.Outreach.com

Need more help?

Contact an Outreach Specialist at 800-991-6011
to learn more tools and resources to improve your
ministry communication. You can also visit Outreach.
com to purchase professional bulletins, banners,
postcards, and more.

Outreach, inc.
Founded in 1996, Outreach, Inc. has quickly grown to
become the largest provider of church outreach products
and services in the world. With a mission to share Gods love
and empower the Church to share the message of Jesus
Christ, Outreach provides cost-effective, proven methods
and resources in a variety of forms, including books, media
and film, postcard invitations, banners, bulletin covers,
curriculum, church campaign materials, and more. Located
in Colorado Springs, the company has established five
divisions under the umbrella of Outreach, Inc.

Kevin McMillan
Kevin McMillan is a sociologist who has specialized in
communication, marketing, and design for over 15 years.
During his career, he has worked with numerous Christian
ministries and churches including Marannook, Man in the
Mirror, and Outreach, inc. In addition, Kevin has worked in
church planting and served on staff with different churches
as a childrens director, youth minister, and associate pastor.