LAMPLIGHTER Fall 2019
Our St. John’s Communications Journey by Kristi Meyer Communication: noun; the imparting or exchanging of information or news; from the Latin for “to share.” With the creation of the Communications Committee in December 2013, St. John’s began its focus on communication. Where has our communications journey taken us over the past 5½ years? And where does this path lead in the future? As one of its first tasks, the Communications Committee discussed each St. John’s communications stream to determine its purpose and audience. This intentional “start at the very beginning” approach led to the development of several new communications streams and the refinement of others. The E-News (our electronic newsletter distributed on Thursday mornings) previews the weekend worship service and delivers the most important weekly announcements to our members’ inboxes. The Lamplighter (our quarterly newsletter) moved from the standard two-column, photocopied, announcement-heavy church newsletter to a graphically designed, magazine-style publication. For Pastor Joel Leyrer, this new design is a welcome change. “The reformatted and repurposed Lamplighter gives a broader perspective on what’s happening in our church and how our gifts are being used for gospel ministry.” A new and improved church and school website, a redesigned Crusader Chronicle (our electronic weekly school newsletter), Livestreaming of worship services, and printed service folders are just a few other communications refinements. All of these communication streams serve a specific purpose for St. John’s communications. “To not access all the media outlets available to us is the equivalent of having a printing press
and not using it,” says Pastor Leyrer. “In reaching people today, it would be irresponsible not to utilize these different venues.” An increased focus on communications also brings more subtle benefits. “Almost everything is at least a little bit easier in some way because information flow is better,” explains Pastor Kyle Bitter. “People now have a better idea of where they can go to have their questions answered.” This improvement in general information flow allows St. John’s to better involve all its members in our shared gospel ministry. Volunteers can only do so much to form and shape communications at a congregation like St. John’s, and there is a recognition that we have reached the limits of what can be done with volunteers. “As initiatives develop, they take up more time and responsibility,” says Pastor Bitter. “The responsibilities were becoming more than should be asked of a volunteer.” In response, the position of Communications Coordinator was created. This part-time position will provide St. John’s with a systematic, cohesive focus on communications. Pastor Leyrer describes the benefits of such a position this way: “A Communications Coordinator is a commitment to what we have been doing and what has, according to our people, been well-received and appreciated by them.” On a personal note, I am excited to step into this role of Communications Coordinator and am eager to carry out conversations about communications on a broader scale. I am especially passionate about telling stories of the gospel ministry God is allowing us to carry out at St. John’s Church and School. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with comments or suggestions related to communications. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback!