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Want your church announcements to go from boring & bland to memorable & effective? We’ve got some tips to teach you how saying less will give you fewer questions and greater attention to your events. Apply these tips to your verbal announcements and watch how your congregation stays engaged with what you say.
From Too Much To Just Enough
We Often Say Too Much
Have you ever shopped in a store, and there were too many announcements on the speakers? “Hello shoppers, we have a special on ____.” “Store shoppers, today we have a coupon … ” “Sign up for our store card today and receive 35% off your purchase.” “Would the owner of the Blue car … ” “Kevin, your party is waiting for you at Door #1.” After a while, we just tune them out. Maybe some of those announcements would’ve saved us money, but there were just too many. We tuned them out.
This same thing happens in our church services. We are getting too much information that often doesn’t apply to us. As a result, we tune out our announcements and don’t read the bulletins. This keeps us from getting the important information we really need and want to know!
Effective Announcements Say Just Enough
In making announcements at your church, the key is to layer your information about your event. Many people have short attention spans. You want to give them the information they need for the moment before they stop listening.
Four Weeks Before
Four weeks before the event, say “just enough” to get their attention and have them wanting more. Four weeks out, they don’t need every little detail. They just need a few basics to put the event on their radar and generate interest. So give these three details and grab their attention at the onset.
- Start out with, “Hey men – this event is for you!”
- Event title
- “You won’t want to miss this!”
Three Weeks Before
Three weeks before the event, you will give them a little more information.
- Repeat your event title and audience.
- Add sign-up information.
- Let them know of any costs or fees.
- “Mark your calendars for date & time!”
- Friends are welcome – be sure to sign them up.
Two Weeks Before
Two weeks before your event is when you want to really get them excited!
- Give two thoughts on why this event will be great.
- Remind them of the sign-up information.
- Do a quick reminder of the date, time, and let them know the location.
One Week Before
One week before your event, start off your announcement with something like, “This announcement is for all the men!” It grabs their attention, and they will be sure to pay attention.
Give your information in bullet-point style.
- Event name
- Date, time, place
- What to bring
- Sign up today
If you have a big event planned, such as the annual Men’s Fishing Trip, the Women’s Retreat, or the Family Mission Trip, you will definitely want to start your announcements months earlier. Again, the key is “just enough”! Start 6 months ahead of the date with a simple save-the-date announcement. Then wait until the next month to give the save-the-date again, and the planning meeting info.
The key is “just enough”. Don’t overload with information not needed at the time. The second key: consistency. Once the date is closer, within the month, you want to make some type of announcement each week to keep the event at the forefront of people’s minds.
Focus On Them & Present The Benefits
How do you ask for help when the church needs to get a task done, such as a church workday or a service project? So often, when churches present a service project, the announcements are basically a plea for help: We need you to do this. You have to help us. Honestly, those types of announcements can bring about a little negativity for the listener.
Try something new! Focus on them. Let them know why or how this will benefit them. Everyone loves a gift. People love to know their efforts are worth it. Everyone loves a little reward.
Department stores have caught on to this and offer Bonus Bucks every time you spend $50. They offer instant rewards. (Think about this: These deals are so successful because they promote to the buyer how their spending benefits them! You never see these stores advertising spend more of your money on our products because we need to meet our sales goals, lol.)
Here are some great examples of how to word announcements for greater success.
- Do you need an excuse to get outside and get some exercise? Join us at the church next Saturday as we clean up the gardens and do some work outside!
- Is life just too noisy lately? Join us for some downtime as we help bag food for the food pantry.
- Don’t spend another evening at home just watching tv! Add a little excitement to your life! Join us next Friday for some fun as we …
Add Variety To Your Announcements With These 7 Creative Twists
Changing and varying how announcements are made is key to keeping your announcements feeling fresh, new, and exciting.
1. Have Multiple People Share Announcements
If you have several announcements, try having a different person give each announcement. You want to keep things moving, though. You only want about 3 seconds of “dead air time” between the end of the first announcement and the start of the next one. Another option is to pre-record your announcements earlier in the week and play the video during your allotted time for announcements.
2. Have Two People Do Questions And Answers For Your Information
“Hey Sue, what’s going on at the end of the month?”
“It’s a Canvas Paint Party for all the women!”
“Fantastic! When is it??”
“Saturday, June 21st.”
“Great – I’m putting that event on my calendar!”
3. Use Signs
Be sure the writing is clear and bold so even the last row can read them. As you are making your announcement, have a friend hold up signs that show the information you are giving.
4. Use Comedy
Create a skit for your announcement. Be sure to not overload with details. Keep it short, no more than 2 minutes at the most!
5. Group Participation
Next time you have a youth event, try some group participation for your announcement.
You: “Hey teens, bring your towel to our Splash Day on Saturday!”
You: “Brandon – what are you going to bring to Splash Day on Saturday?”
Brandon hopefully says, “A towel.”
You: “Girls – what’s happening next Saturday for the youth?”
The girls hopefully say, “Splash Day!”
6. Try Giving Your Announcements Speaking In A Different Accent
This can be lots of fun. And – people often remember things that are presented in a funny way 🙂
7. Share A Testimony
If you are having a yearly event, share someone’s favorite thing about the last annual event. If you have a women’s book club coming up, have someone share their story about how the women’s group has strengthened their walk with the Lord. Keep it fairly short, although when people are engaged and listening to a story, their attention will last a little longer than with an average announcement.
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So many good ideas!! I love this! Thank you!