Pam Parish

I’ve spoken to many church “communicators” or “marketing” staff and, over and over, I hear the same thing…. “I love what I do in marketing but one day I’d like to be over a ministry.” While, I certainly wouldn’t try to persuade anyone not to become a Children’s Pastor, Youth Pastor, etc… if that’s what God’s called them to do - it does make me wonder why it’s hard for some to view church communications/marketing as a ministry. To me, what my team and I do everyday is just as much a ministry as others - not more or less.

The very definition of our roles - “to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to our church and community through web, print, and other forms of media” - is ministry centered. There are a couple of critical things that we do as church communicators that are ministry focused and driven:

Pastoring Pastors
In our roles as church communicators, it is our jobs - our mandate from the Lord - to provide expertise, advice and guidance to staff Pastors, department heads and others within the church on the best ways to communicate the message of Jesus to the people they are responsible for reaching. In this way, we become a Pastor to the Pastors - helping to guide them, encourage them and provide them with the tools necessary to succeed in what God has called them to do. For me, this part of my role is very, very important - not only does it give me a sense of purpose, it keeps me accountable to making sure that I’m prayed up and living in deep relationship with God so that I can be in tune with what He is trying to do through each of our Pastors. When you begin to see your job in this light - it changes how you work.

Bringing Understanding to The Word of God
In much the same way as a Pastor brings understanding to the Word of God through a sermon or discipleship, as church communicators, we do the same thing everyday in newsletters, blogs, website updates, promotional material and many other ways. We are continually communicating the Word of God through media and imagery - seeking to find ways to connect the heart of man to the compassionate, grace-filled heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is important to remember because it keeps me centered in Christ because I must be able to hear His voice about how to communicate His love and bring true understanding. Everything that we touch should connect with people and bring understanding of Christ’s love into their lives. In this way, we fulfill our part in the Great Commission.

There’s no more important mandate from our Lord than the Great Commission, To go into all the world and make disciples. In our jobs to get the message out there - we are playing a big role in the Great Commission. So, be encouraged - no matter what your title may be, if you’re serving as a church communicator - you are a minister of the gospel and God is using you in mighty ways.

Marketing is a Ministry - and, I personally, am extremely honored that God has called me to play this role in His agenda to reach this world for His glory.

Communicating His Good News,