While summer vacations and cookouts are still in full swing, fall is just around the corner.

Your church team has been preparing for this moment all summer — the moment that attendance jumps, new families arrive, and a more consistent rhythm resumes alongside the school year.

How has your church’s communications team been preparing for this moment? It can seem like every ministry has important announcements to make as soon as fall arrives. That demand for communications planning will be huge and will eat into your team’s time and resource allocation.

But what if jumping straight into a slew of church announcements and ministry campaigns isn’t where you should start this fall?

Let’s discuss three reasons to build in margin to communicate your church’s systems and platforms to your audience this fall.

1. Don’t assume

Fall kick-offs can almost seem like more of a reunion than the beginning of something new. Welcoming people back is a great thing, but that message can also dilute the importance of what a fresh start this time of year can be for your church.

So, as your church’s communications leader, don’t assume.

In this scenario, avoiding assumptions means that you’re viewing everyone who walks through your doors (or visits you digitally) this fall as a new visitor to your church. That may sound silly, but in the context of communication, it allows you the freedom to reestablish—or establish for the first time—how your church plans to communicate with people.

So as you are planning for those first weeks of the fall ministry season, don’t assume. Come with a fresh perspective and help everyone who is joining you arrive at an equal place.

2. Launch your communications plan for the year

This time of the year will give you a great opportunity to establish how your church will share information with your congregation and community all year long. Take a few weeks to inform and remind everyone what they need to do to get updates from your pastor and staff.

Here are a few examples of what those calls-to-action might look like:

• Follow us on social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, or whatever tools you use)
• Subscribe to our newsletter or email list
• Download the church mobile app (share a QR code or short link for easy downloading)
• Check out our resources/media library
• Set up an account with our church’s management system
• Join our messaging platform
• Anything new you might’ve added or changed over the summer

If you’re coming from a perspective where everyone is new to your church, you’ll be able to properly communicate each channel and the importance of being a part of it. You’ll also be surprised how many people that aren’t actually new to your church get connected on each of these channels, despite this not being the first time you’ve told them.

3. Take a cross-channel approach

A great way to make sure people aren’t missing out on your church’s platforms is to promote and remind them on other channels. But what does that actually look like?

It requires some intentional planning, but using each form of communication to promote another form can help improve your church’s holistic communication plan.

A few ways to do this include:

• Announce a platform each week from the stage.
• Use pre and post-service slides to direct people to your channels.
• Link to each platform in an email.
• Promote other channels on your social media feeds (your church’s and pastor’s accounts).
• Create a page on your website that directs people to any place your release information.
• Add a temporary banner or pop-up message to your church website.

This content may not see huge engagement numbers, but those reminders and touch points will keep it top of mind and drive the action you’re hoping for. So, make space in your planning to incorporate this cross-channel communication.

Create a strong communications foundation

It may seem like something very simple, but promoting all of your communication channels this time of year is well worth your time. Taking the time now will give you a strong foundation to work off of for the rest of the year.

You may still not get everyone onboard on every channel, but making this a priority now will help reduce the amount of confusion later. Has your team ever had to answer a complaint about someone not being aware of a big event? I’m sure you have.

So, cut down on the need to clarify and address pain points later. Get everyone set up and informed early so you can reduce communication pain points through the rest of the year.

Your congregation and team will thank you.

Want to learn how a church tech platform can simplify and enhance your church’s communication and engagement? Schedule a free demo with a Subsplash ministry consultant today, and equip your church with tools built intentionally to further your mission!