3 Things I Learned in Diocesan Communications

Working and ministering at a diocese, especially in the Communications Office, can be difficult work. Most offices are doing their best, but sometimes all the hard work can cloud us from seeing why we are really there. As someone who worked in a Diocesan Communications office, the following are 3 lessons I learned:

1. You are sharing more than just news around the diocese – you are sharing the Gospel.

Many diocesan offices are starting to shift their focus away from the status quo, and toward newer things. For a number of reasons (maybe because they are ineffective or just too costly), diocesan communications are changing too. Instead of focusing on reporting the news and past events, many are putting their resources towards evangelization. No matter what tools you are using and what you are communicating, whether you are using a newspaper, magazine, Flocknote, or social media, you are spreading the Good News of Jesus. Whether it’s a seemingly small parish raffle or a new big diocesan partnership, each piece of communication helps us grow closer to Christ, no matter how big or small. Having this in the forefront of our minds can change the way we are communicating with people, and have profound effects on the Church.

2. Building bridges and mending wounds are more important than you think.

It’s no secret that many people, no matter their walk of life, have a distrust of the Church. Some parishioners are wary of their priests, priests are doubtful of their Bishops, and everyone is suspect of, what we called, ‘the big bad’ diocese. I encountered parishioners mad at priests for the way they ran the Lenten Fish Fry 10 years ago. Similarly, I heard priests complain about what a past Director of Communications had done before I was even born. Though some of these things seem small, they are wounds that need to be healed. One of the greatest gifts in my position was working on building relationships with these people instead of brushing these complaints to the side. Trying to communicate their needs where I could, and doing my best to right those wrongs they felt, could help their ministry and relationship with Christ. By walking with these people and using it as a form of ministry, it also allowed me to empathize with them, and gain new perspectives on how the Church can do better in the future. This form of ministry can take a long time, but the patience pays off when you make a new relationship and they are able to do things in their ministry that they weren’t able to do before.

3. The Church needs good communicators.

One of the Church’s greatest needs is for good communicators. Sometimes that means people who are good at writing, being in front of a camera, or speaking to an audience, but what I have found, was the additional need for personal communication alongside those important tasks. We need people who will take evangelization and relational ministry to heart throughout the diocese and work with one person at a time to make change. This won’t happen overnight, of course, and it takes time for people to grow in new skills. But small steps of growth in these areas can yield more fruit than you can imagine! In my experience working at the diocese, the people who did both (had a heart for evangelization and took steps towards improving their communication skills) made the greatest impact changing the culture between the Church and its members.

While working at the diocese, I recognized the dire need to share the Gospel effectively, build relationships with those around me, and work on being a good communicator. These things transformed my ministry and my mindset. Now working at Flocknote, I am honored to help other church leaders in the diocese do the same.

If you’re interested in discovering how Flocknote can help your diocese, send an email to diocese@flocknote.com or schedule a phone call at Flocknote.com/call. We look forward to speaking with you and chatting out next steps!

Written by Justin Kirkland

Flocknote Happiness Engineer