I had a rare opportunity yesterday. I was allowed to participate in a communication committee meeting held by the bishop’s office. For those who understand the distinction, it was chaired by Michael Rinehart, ELCA bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Synod. For those of us who come from a Catholic background, a bishop’s office sounds like a big thing. It’s not (sorry Mike). It’s an organization just like any other with the same issues all organizations today face. One of those issues is trying to figure out how best to get the message to its members and non-members.
I have a bad habit of saying “yes” as my family can attest. When folks find out that I can push a mouse, they get all excited and ask me to do things like web pages and newsletters. I find it hard not to use the skills God has blessed me with, so I spend a lot of time looking at organizational communication. In today’s world that consists of an incredible number of options: monthly newsletters, emails, weekly notes, bulletins, Facebook, web pages, twitter, phone call services, blogs, and forms I haven’t even thought.
One of the ideas we discussed yesterday was an eye-opener for me. It’s the concept of an “information path.” I believe that this concept may be a significant key. Up until now, church communication (and other organizations) has been piecemeal. I had never thought about the need for a cohesive plan that pulls together all of these forms of communication.
With such a plan, any organization can use time better and cover the territory more effectively. It’s too easy for details to slip through the cracks. A phone call service (such as One Call) might send a message that appears no where else. A facebook post gets lost in the ether a day or two after it is posted. A web page remains static being updated only with calendar information. Different people address different parts of the communication process and they don’t always communicate even with each other. In addition, too often bombarding organizational members with information is overkill and they quit listening.
What organizations (including churches) need is a cohesive plan. They need an information path that ensures that all the pieces come together. They also need to realize that this plan is not going to remain static. Today Facebook may be the center but next month or year some other form could easily take its place. The communication team needs to be constantly aware of the shifting focus that communication in today’s world takes.
A well-defined information path would formalize a starting place. Such a plan would also formalize the means of sharing information. It would ensure that the message is the one that the organization wants to send to the world – both those who are members and those who are not. It also means that organizational members can pick the communication vehicle they prefer knowing they won’t “miss out.”
I’m just beginning to think through this, but I believe it applies not just to organizations but to our personal information dilemma. I am bombarded by all kinds of information in all kinds of forms. I need to find a way to assign it to its own information path. Working on that.
Susan E L Lake 
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