A topic that has come up for me several times in the last few weeks has been what attracts and retains members. While great website and engaging newsletters are useful communication tools and while good programming gives people stuff to do at church, they're not the end of the story. The comment that made the most sense to me is that the most appealing congregations are excited about something.

Another concept I've been exploring lately has been making sure an organization's image and written mission statement match up. If there is dissonance in the actual and formal descriptions of a congregation, that creates confusion. The formal description may attract a member expecting one thing and turn them off when they find another (or they may like the actual identity but feel uncomfortable with the formal written statements).

Putting these two together leads me to today's advice - study your congregation, find what it is excited about, and reflect that in your communication. Be creative with that excitement, don't just end every sentence with an exclamation point! That can get really old, really quickly. Use adjectives (but sparingly, that makes them more meaningful), make sure what's important to the congregation is actually getting talked about, and share good news when it happens rather than just listing upcoming events like items on a grocery list.

If you have any examples from your congregation or elsewhere, please feel free to share them in the comments section.