Make Announcements Great Again

I’ve seen a few articles recently about the place of the announcements or notices in the church service.  My friend, Steve Kneale’s contribution here is well worth a look.  Here’s my contribution to the conversation. I agree with Steve that this isn’t something to be embarrassed about but has a vital part to play in our corporate worship.  Here are some tips on what can make it helpful.

  1. Don’t apologise for them or rush through them.  Basically, don’t do anything which suggests they are to be endured. Be positive, let people know that this is important.
  2. Don’t call them notices. I remember someone insisting that notices are pinned to notice boards.  Find a name that helps to describe what they are and why they are worth listening to.  For example, I tend to refer to them as “Family news” or “updates on what is happening in the life of the church.”
  3. Don’t have too many.  Better to give attention to two or three (at most) key things you want people to take away.
  4. Watch out for liturgical patterns, If you say the same thing every week, or a variation on a theme, don’t be surprised if people switch off.
  5. Consider spreading them through the meeting.  For example, talk about small groups and prayer meetings as further opportunities at the point when you’ve had prayer and intercessions, advertise a midweek youth club when the children go to their groups, tell people what is happening next Sunday and why they should come back at the end of the meeting.
  6. Link things into what is happening in the meeting, not just in terms of content but capture the mood too.  See what God is doing and consider how these announcements support things.  For example, if someone shares testimony or prophecy that points to God’s sovereignty, talk about how such and such a matter (e.g. finance buildings etc) is an opportunity to show trust in that sovereignty.
  7. Use other media, videos, power point etc to help communicate.
  8. Don’t expect the notices to carry all the weight of communication.  People often need to hear things multiple times before the penny drops. Use whatsApp, Facebook, emails etc too.
  9. Pray the notices, use it as an opportunity for intercession but also take time to pray for these elements in your gathering just as you do for the singing and the preaching.
  10. Take responsibility.  This doesn’t mean that you cannot involve others, in fact sometimes having different voices helps. However, elders need to take spiritual responsibility for what is said, when it is said and how it is said.