I truly value communication. It has always been one of my top priorities.

For a church, I’ve built a website, set up social media pages, published a weekly email newsletter, not to mention planned the weekly liturgy, written letters, visited with people, and made the obligatory announcements on Sunday morning.

And strangely, one thing has been true in every church I’ve served: people still say they don’t know what is going on.

'I’ve come to see the announcement time as the one true free and open space in our liturgy.' Share on X

I know that this complaint isn’t really about communication. I know that it is about connection and understanding. I know that, for some, a young priest coming into the community and shaking things up is about the very last thing they wanted. Or nearly last. Somewhere above a root canal and joint replacement surgery. But down there abouts, near the bottom.

It is about connection and identity and consistency and being in the know. It is also about having power and influence and being consulted and being included. And there are bunches of people who are no longer in on the conversation. And they don’t like it. They want to feel in the middle of things, not apart from things.

Communication in church should be as straightforward as making an announcement.

What are the Announcements?

Announcements are the clear, concise communications of the congregation’s news. Unfortunately, they often lack clarity and concision.

Before I go any further, I should say that I am not a fan of announcement time. Several years ago, I actively campaigned to get rid of announcements all together. So I’m not objective about them. I really do kind of hate them.

And I’m not alone. Bigger churches are shedding them. And it is becoming increasingly characteristic of the small church.

And yet, I feel obligated to do them. Or more precisely, make a big deal out of them.

While we have everyone’s attention, we need to make sure they hear what’s going on. This is only logical. But is it effective?

I’m not so sure.

How frequently do we make announcements only to hear at coffee hour “I didn’t know about that! Why didn’t someone tell me?” This is also true of written and electronic communication. In fact, the more attention I feel that I give to making announcements, the more I hear people say they didn’t know something.

Tacking on a moment to announce a book study or upcoming mission project seems important and necessary. It is also a very utilitarian view of gathering as a congregation. What if there is something else we should consider?

How might we use our announcements?

According to the Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission, there are three primary places to make announcements in a weekly service.

1. Before we begin.
2. Before we come to the table.
3. Before we dismiss.

And each one has a character that should match the moment.

If you are making an announcement about the liturgy, then make it before the worship begins. If it is an invitation to the table or directions for the end of worship, they go at the Offertory. If it is about our going out into the world to serve, then we do so as we leave the table and before we depart into the world.

Unlike the utilitarian approach of shoving the announcements in a convenient or least intrusive spot, we might consider how our worship actually functions and tailoring the character of our announcements to how we worship.

This transforms one of my pet peeves into a pet positive: that announcements break us out of the right mindset of the moment. But announcements that help us make better use of that moment can be of value.

As a personal practice, I’ve taken to using several such announcements in my funeral services, as we have these moments in which we can explain what we’re doing and what is coming. I’ve heard from many that this is helpful.

I’ve also taken to using this example for placing the traditional announcement time toward the end, as we leave the table, as an opportunity to highlight our mission. Though we do a lot of meandering and I need to tighten it up, this not only feels like a good space for them, but it reinforces a theology of service.

Open Space

Coming from a high-liturgical tradition in which we have a pretty formal worship service, I have often argued that we run a pretty tight ship. We go from one set piece to the next; all laid out and planned. Not every church is so formal or traditional as ours. And plenty are significantly more so.

I remember my mentor in seminary warning me of “open mic time” in church. He discouraged me from giving too much opportunity in worship or in meetings for people to speak without making sure what was really going to happen. It is hard for a pretty buttoned-up bunch to watch someone go off the rails.

More recently I started to wonder about that. About the structured, manicured nature of our style of worship. And I wondered if we even leave room for the Holy Spirit at all. I mean, certainly we invite her to join us at the appointed time, but do we let her show up in the rest of the service? Do we really want her to make an appearance at the sermon and the Offertory? Or the announcements? These three spontaneous and unregulated moments? What if she wants to say something?

I’ve come to see the announcement time as the one true free and open space in our liturgy. And for as much as I want to drive on past it or say “read your bulletin” and move on, I refuse to believe that we are to be so rigid.

It is a great moment to teach and shape and articulate an issue that has come up and drive our people toward our mission and formation priorities. And it is the one time our people feel confident in speaking up.

Ask Yourself

What is the most effective way of communicating with me? How can people get to me?

Thinking of my polar opposite: how do we get to them? How does s/he hear? What resonates with them?

What if the church trusted me to read my email, pick up a bulletin, or speak to my friends?

How well do we integrate newcomers into the communication stream?

What is the overall communication strategy of the congregation? How does it communicate the most valuable information to its people? How could it be made more effective?

 

[This is Day 28 of How to start deconstructing church. The next in the series is “Membership”. To start from the beginning, read the introduction here.]