Seekers are seeking – your Communications Officer can invite them to Christ

Most people who first encounter Community of Christ these days don’t do it by walking into a church building, but by finding one of our online ministries. Programs like Beyond the Walls, Latter Day Seekers, Project Zion (now called Faith Unfiltered), or the Centre Place Lecture Series, among others, are constantly reaching new audiences, prompting many folks to find out more about our church. We informally use the term “seekers” to refer to them.

Seekers represent a wide spectrum of age, gender, and ethnic diversities, and they come from places around the world, including Canada. Some are seeking purpose and healing. Some are seeking refuge after experiencing rejection in other religious groups. Some have existential questions. Some are interested in activism for a good cause. And some are simply looking for a faith community. What can your congregation or group offer to them?

It is crucial for our church to ensure seekers can easily find a ministry that speaks to their current needs. When they are ready to look up a local ministry on Google, the first result they will get is our institutional website www.communityofchrist.ca. Each one of our Canadian congregations has a page on this website, where we hope seekers will learn about what is happening in their area. Even if you have a website or Facebook page, if your congregation’s listing at communityofchrist.ca is out of date or incomplete, seekers are unlikely to look further. Being welcoming starts with telling seekers what to expect, and your congregational page on our Canadian website is the best place to do this!

What can your congregation do?
We strongly suggest you appoint a Communications Officer.

What does this role entail?
Simply keep the Communications Team up to date about what is happening in your congregation. You don’t need to be tech-savvy. We just need to ensure that seekers looking at your page on our website will find information that encourages them to contact you or join one of your events. Think of the questions you might consider if you were looking for a church community:

• What are their regular Sunday worship hours?
• What can I expect, will I be welcomed?
• What events do they offer during the week?
• Will they be open during the upcoming holiday weekend? 
• Are they planning any special events this month? 
• What missional activities are they involved in, and can I participate?
• Do they have programs for children and youth? 
• How can I get involved or help?

Will there be opportunities for development?
Absolutely. We are creating resources and planning workshops to develop Communications Officers because we believe this role is essential to our mission in the 21st century. Many of our congregations have programs that offer opportunities to experience congregational life in mission by promoting peace and justice or helping alleviate poverty. In this way, we are embodying three of our mission initiatives. But almost without exception, we struggle to embody the other two mission initiatives: invite people to Christ and develop disciples to serve. We can address this problem by developing individuals of all ages to learn tips and skills to invite new people to engage in mission and build community at the local level.

Where to start?
Simply send us an email to [email protected]. Let us know if your congregation already has a Communications Officer or if you or someone you know might be ready to respond to this call.

We are looking forward to hearing from you,
Leandro Palacios
Director of Communications
Community of Christ in Canada