Why Parish Employees Shouldn't Work on Communications Projects

Controversial statement: Parish staff are not equipped to take on large-scale communications projects.

Let me explain.

I have been working at a parish for about a year now doing all of their communications - bulletin, email newsletter, social media, website, etc. - plus their larger marketing work for their anniversary and website redesign.

If you've been following us for a while, you know that the thing I'm most passionate about in terms of church communications is having a really solid welcome campaign in place, essentially the "evangelization plan," if you will.

Guess what I haven't gotten to yet in the year that I've been working there?

Yep. The welcome campaign.

Despite Father asking me to work on it, despite having a billion ideas for how incredible it could be...each week, it falls to the end of my list as bulletin deadlines, emails, and "oh can you just post this quick"'s take precedence in the hours I'm allotted weekly.

Think of that project you've been "working on" for the past year...or two or ten. The church's desperately outdated website. The bulletin that you're still making in Microsoft Word. The ministry brochure that was last updated pre-Vatican II.

"But I'll get to it someday," you protest as you get copied on another email chain between two ministries fighting about who gets the church hall next Tuesday night.

You absolutely could. Whether or not that will happen before the Second Coming is another story.

Listen, I get it. I have 8+ years of church work experience under my belt, and I know that you all wear 9,573 hats. Prioritizing your evangelization efforts is the last thing on your mind when you're drowning in Mass intentions and in