August 22, 2017

As August draws to a close, I invite you to pause for a few moments and take a deep breath ( here's a 2-minute mindfulness meditation you can do right at your desk ).

I pray that you've had some downtime along the way to soak in the wonder of this special time of year. Click on over to our synod communicator Facebook page to share your summer highlights in emojis.

Thanks for being part of our synod family tree, communicators. You are deeply valued and appreciated.

Synod updates: 
  • Last week Bishop Steven Delzer published a statement in response to racism. It is available here. Please share the link in your context.
  • The summer issue of the magazine is available. Thank you for sharing the link on your Facebook page/bulletin/newsletter. http://bit.ly/rcsummer2017. 
  • Here's an image of the cover page in case that's helpful as your share the link.
  • Here's The Bridge for September. It's about First Call Theological Education. Please use any back issue of The Bridge in your congregational publications. The 2017 series is built around answering the question "What is _____?" to empower readers to understand the core functions of the synod.
  • For the months of September to May, we create a monthly synod reminder guide. Here's the September guide. It includes helpful dates & links and resources; please share it with the rostered ministers and faith formation leaders in your context.
Communicator Resources: 
  • When you go about producing content for slides, newsletters, bulletins, or videos, what are your primary goals? I sometimes/often fall into the trap of information overload. I spew out lots of facts and data but forget to connect my audience to the topic. Whoops! My announcements become wordy and boring. As a staff, we are working on a new approach. We are focusing on three communication goals: inspire, motivate, inform. Effective communication includes all three elements. Feel free to print this visual as a reminder for your own work.
  • Have you joined the "Church Communications" Facebook group? It has over 10,500 members and is a great space for collaborating and sharing ideas. It's also a good place to ask questions and get quick feedback. Here's the link. 
Have a good afternoon!

Grace and peace,

Rev. Emily Carson
Director of Communications