Breaking the Four Walls: The Imperative of Reaching Beyond the Church

In the ever-evolving landscape of communication, the Church finds itself at a crucial crossroads. While internal communication is important to fostering community and spiritual growth among church members, the importance of reaching beyond the walls of the church cannot be overstated. The percentage of Americans who regularly attend church services is decreasing. If we hope to reverse this trend and spread the message of Jesus we have to engage with people outside the four walls of the Church.

The Missional Mandate: Going Beyond Comfort Zones

The foundational principle of Christianity lies in the Great Commission, where we are called to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). This mandate demands an outward focus that extends into communities, neighborhoods, and even the digital realm. Jesus Himself exemplified this approach by actively engaging with people from all walks of life, breaking societal barriers and religious norms to offer salvation and healing.

The Danger of Insular Communication

Despite the clear directive to reach out, many churches find themselves stuck in a cycle of insular communication, where the bulk of resources and energy are directed toward internal communication efforts rather than outward-facing initiatives. Internal communication is important for nurturing existing relationships and fostering a sense of belonging. But if we have any hope of growing the church, regularly communicating with people outside the four walls of the church has to be part of our communication strategies.

Breaking the Barriers: Embracing Outreach

To effectively break the habit of insular communication, churches must adopt a communication strategy that embraces both internal and external communication needs.

1. Understanding Communication Channels: When creating a communication strategy, we must have a thorough understanding of the communication channels involved. Let’s use Facebook as an example. Often, churches are using their Facebook page to communicate with their existing congregation. If your church has 1,000 people following your Facebook page, your post might only shown to less than 10% of those followers. How often would you send letters in the mail if there was only a 10% chance the receipt received it? Stay tuned in the following weeks. I’ll be breaking down each communication channel, what they are good at, what they’re bad at, etc.

2. Knowing Your Audience: Anytime we’re crafting communication, it’s important that we understand our audience. Your Easter sermon likely sounds a bit different when delivered to the youth group, right? Much of the social media content I see churches creating lives in this ambiguous middle ground. It’s kinda for our congregation but also kinda for new visitors. We’re able to craft much more effective content if we decide ahead of time who we are creating it for and stick to our guns throughout the publishing process.

3. Optimize for Growth: Communication strategies are absolutely critical to church growth. I want you to think about all the work that was done at your church last week. Of those hours spent, how many of those hours were dedicated to reaching people in your community who don’t go to your church? If we’re serious about growing our churches, we have to dedicate time to it. Your communication strategy has to devote time and resources to reaching people outside the walls of your church.

Breaking the Four Walls

In the quest to fulfill its mission, the Church must break the habits of insular communication and embrace an outward-focused approach to its communication strategies. By actively reaching beyond the walls of the church, we not only fulfill the Great Commission but also embody the essence of Christ's teaching.

My Name is John Mann. I started Axio Social to help churches utilize social media to grow their congregations 1 visitor at a time.