Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church and School

1. Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church and School Communications Audit

2. Survey Response • 100% of respondents want to continue to receive weekly email • 99% consider Mt. Calvary a friendly church • 49% belong to Mt. Calvary Facebook Page • 73% feel either very informed or extremely informed about what’s going on a Mt. Calvary • 63% feel either very engaged or extremely engaged to the mission at Mt. Calvary • 66% feel that The Messenger is less than effective in sharing news needed to participate in the mission at Mt. Calvary

3. Survey Response • 93% feel the weekly bulletin is at least generally effective in providing needed information • 97% feel the weekly email news is at least generally effective in connecting to the mission at Mt. Calvary • 60% sometimes or never read The Messenger • 71% believe our screen should be used for pre-service announcements • 42% receive most of their information about Mt. Calvary from the weekly email; 27% from the Sunday bulletin

4. Summary • Mt. Calvary is in a period of change • More than ever: consistent, effective, 2-way channels of dialogue are needed • Messages need to be frequent, on-point, and focused on articulating mission/vision • Mt. Calvary is distinctive: talent, determination, passion, facilities, most of all “hearts that are truly on fire for mission”

5. Goals • Assess/realign communications activities to increase current member engagement and to multiply mission to community • Coached in the development and implementation of sustainable, substantial social media plan that complements its larger strategic goals for mission/ministry • Inspired to launch social media communication that ties together passions, energies, interests of member/staff with needs in congregation/community to build stronger, more diverse, and more active membership

6. Strengths • Heart of messaging is in place • Consistency in articulating Mt. Calvary’s core distinctive • Leaders firmly focused on mission/ministry • Significant openness to strategic development • Pastor E. as consistent champion for mission (relational/leadership skills) • Positive and welcoming spirit • Diverse membership

7. Implementation/Support/Integration of Strengths • General familiarity with digital channels • Weekly email consistently mentioned as a key source of info • Creativity and passionate expression of weekly worship (central “communication” activity of any congregation) • Pastor’s capacity for vision/dreaming • Senior leaders recognize more resources needed to improve communications • General responsiveness to change over a period of time • Digital “savvy” exists across membership

8. Weaknesses • “Destination” urban church • Membership divided about Mt. Calvary’s future as urban mission vs. church in urban setting; must be resolved

9. Implementation/Support/Integration of Weaknesses • Resistance by older/engaged members to changing vision • Website lacks effectiveness in sharing Mt. Calvary story • Messenger not as effective as it could be • Perception of some “engaged members” that it is “all up to them”; newer members use “they” language when referencing church activity/programming • Potentially not enough “person power” • Budget limitations • Some missional discord between church and school • Value for high quality materials • Leadership has clear “head” knowledge of the importance of core values and of the need for better communications

10. Threats • Lack of cohesion around mission (are we an urban mission or a congregation in an urban setting; are we focused first internally or externally) must be a prime focus for communications and coalition building

11. Implementation/Support/Integration of Threats • “Worn out” core has strong martyr complex that stands to impact the success of new tactics • General lack of awareness in immediate neighborhood • Too frequent use of “they” language by members reinforces leadership’s concern that not great enough percentage of the congregation is actively engaged in the mission • Fragmented cohesion between congregation/school mission will hurt complete success of the church’s total message focus

12. Recommendations • Never miss an opportunity to tell the Mt. Calvary story • Clarify SHARED vision of CHURCH and organizational structure • Write/implement communications strategy • Reignite passion/turn attention toward the urban vision of Mt. Calvary • Identify credible messengers • Tell individual stories of Mt. Calvary members (not just school children); people over programs (website!)

13. Recommendations • Tighten channels for message delivery; combine messages more intentionally and for greater impact • Deepen weekly email; redevelop The Messenger (recommend abandoning it); use screens to share pre-service announcements; deepen “About Us” section of web site • Match ministries and messages to needs (inbound and outbound)

14. Implementation • Develop effective materials • Build valuable partnerships • Train messengers • Conduct steady message outreach • Monitor and Evaluate

15. Support and Integration • Integrate communications throughout the organization: plan, train, teach how to use social media channels • Involve staff at all levels: Training of church AND school staff in strategic development and communications strategy/practice that help provide a context for why we message the way we do and practical instruction about how to do this