Craft a Communication Plan
The Start

Lesson 2: A Matter of Perspective

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People don't hear what you say—they hear what they see.

Here's something worth sitting with: every person filters what you communicate through their own experiences, expectations, and whatever season of life they're currently in.

  • A pastor might think: "That announcement was clear."

  • A first-time guest might think: "I have no idea what that meant."

Same message. Two completely different experiences. If you're not accounting for perspective, you're not really communicating—you're just broadcasting and hoping something sticks.

Perspective determines clarity

What's obvious to the people on the inside is often confusing to everyone else. Church language, acronyms, insider assumptions—all of that makes perfect sense to long-time members. But to first-time guests, people in the community, or someone just exploring faith? It can leave them feeling lost, or worse, unwelcome.

Perspective builds connection—or creates distance

When people feel understood, they lean in. When they feel overlooked, they check out. It's that simple.

A church that only communicates from the pastoral perspective might unintentionally be saying, "This is for us." A church that thinks through multiple perspectives says something very different: "This is for you." Clear communication means stepping out of your own perspective and into someone else's.

Perspective aligns your message with your mission

If discipleship is the goal, your communication needs to meet people wherever they are:

  • The committed believer needs depth

  • The occasional attender needs clarity and an invitation

  • The community needs relevance and approachability

Perspective turns announcements into transformation

Most churches are great at communicating information—dates, times, events. But people don't actually respond to information. They respond to meaning: why it matters, how it helps them, where they fit. One message, shaped with multiple perspectives in mind, moves a lot more people forward than one message shouted at everyone the same way.

In short, perspective shifts your communication from:

"Here's what's happening."

to:

"Here's why this matters to you.

One message, shaped for multiple perspectives, moves more people forward.

Perspective shifts communication from:

“Here’s what’s happening.” to “Here’s why this matters to you.”

A Simple Framework

Before you communicate anything, ask three questions:

  1. Pastoral Perspective — What do we want to say?

  2. Parishioner Perspective — How will our people hear this?

  3. Community Perspective — How will someone new understand this?

If you haven't thought through all three, the message isn't finished yet.

The 3 Key Perspectives

1. The Pastoral Perspective

How they think:

  • "This is spiritually important."

  • "People need to hear this."

  • "We've said this before."

What they value:

  • Biblical accuracy

  • Vision alignment

  • Depth and meaning

Common blind spots:

  • Assuming clarity when there's actually confusion

  • Overestimating how much people remember

  • Using insider language ("fellowship," "ministry," "covering")

2. The Parishioner Perspective

How they think:

  • "How does this affect my week?"

  • "Do I need to do anything?"

  • "Is this worth my time?"

What they need:

  • Simplicity

  • Relevance

  • A clear next step

Common frustrations:

  • Too many announcements

  • Vague or unclear instructions

  • Information overload

3. The Community Perspective

How they think:

  • "Is this for someone like me?"

  • "Will I feel comfortable?"

  • "What actually happens there?"

What they need:

  • Clarity without church jargon

  • Emotional safety

  • A clear picture of what to expect

Common barriers:

  • Confusing language

  • Assumptions of prior knowledge

  • Feeling like an outsider

Exercises

Take out your notebook and work through these before moving on. This is where the lesson actually sinks in.

Exercise 1: Pick a real announcement

Grab an announcement, bulletin insert, or email your church sent out in the last month. Write it down word for word.

Exercise 2: Run it through all three perspectives

Now answer these for that same announcement:

  • Pastoral: What were we actually trying to say? What was the "why" behind it?

  • Parishioner: If you were a regular attender, would you know what to do after reading this? What questions would you still have?

  • Community: If you'd never set foot in your church before, would this make sense to you? Is there any jargon, insider language, or assumed knowledge that would confuse you?

Exercise 3: Spot your insider language

List 5–10 words or phrases your church uses regularly that an outsider probably wouldn't understand (things like "fellowship hall," "small groups," "altar call," "covering," etc.). For each one, write a plain-language alternative you could use instead.

Exercise 4: Rewrite it
Take the announcement from Exercise 1 and rewrite it so it works for all three perspectives at once—still spiritually meaningful, still practically clear, and still welcoming to someone brand new. Aim for it to answer: why this matters, what to do next, and who it's for.

Exercise 5: Reflect

Answer honestly in your notebook:

  • Which of the three perspectives does your church naturally communicate from most often?

  • Which perspective do you tend to forget?

  • What's one change you could make this week to communicate with a perspective you've been missing?