What’s your name?
Denise Folkersma
Where do you serve, what is your title, and how long have you served there?
Front desk. Title: Office Manager/Financial Secretary
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t go to church?
All secretary details, phone answering, assistant to lead pastor. I create the weekly bulletin, update the online calendar, make slides for the services. I have a part in my job description that says “special projects” so my job can change week to week when new projects come.
What were some of the things that you experienced that shaped the way you approach your work?
My desk is in the main foyer so on days when there are groups in the building I adjust my workload for that day knowing I will have distractions and will want to be helpful and friendly to that group. The job can’t be all business. The church is the “business” of people so I try to be as welcoming and helpful as I can to groups.
What’s the one thing you wish people knew about your job?
In my position, I am constantly keeping track of who is in the building and when to make sure groups are not showing up to use the same spaces. I sometimes need to mind read for people and remind them of things their ministry may need building access for and to be sure they are filling out the proper request forms.
What is the one tool for your job that you can’t live without, and why?
I use pretty basic programs, I make the bulletin in Word, we use google calendar and forms for events. We did invest in Church Motion Graphics which has been a game-changer for creating slides and Facebook posts. It has so many things pre-made it helps to make that process move along a little faster.
What is the biggest mistake that you see churches making when it comes to communications and marketing?
Overposting and not communicating with other ministries. You want each group to have their post noticed and not lost in the Facebook feed. If you post too many people will scan by your page in their feed thinking you are posting random things to keep your page “higher in their feed” but if you are not posting meaningful content it won’t matter who much the page appears.
Who is someone that you look up to in the church communications world?
This is the first page I’ve been invested into so I would say here. I have been listening to Kadi Coles Together Project podcast, which is how I found out about this page. I have been very intrigued by Katie and Kadi. I look forward to diving in more and finding ways to help myself grow in my position.
You are one amazing multi-tasker, Denise! We are ever so proud of people doing their best and even doing beyond what is expected of them. Keep on serving your Church the way you already do and we hope everyone will be inspired as well.
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