Most of the time, there is a lot of room for improvement in the way announcements are done. Announcements are often done poorly down at the church (and in other places!). Announcements, especially at the end of an assembly or meeting, are not the time to say hello and greet people, not the time to wake people up. Announcements are not a time to be cute and call attention to one’s self. Announcements are often merely endured. Announcements are seldom visitor friendly–do not compound the problem with announcements that include “inside jokes”. Many announcements are made that do not need to be made. In some churches, the announcement maker simple reads the bulletin news items to the congregation. In other churches, the announcer may simply repeat the announcements that have already been projected on the screen. Announcements that affect only a handful of those present should be handled in other ways except in emergencies.
Let me try to provide some help if you are assigned the uneviable task of making announcements.
- What are you trying to say? Make certain you clearly understand the announcement.
- Who needs to hear it? Does anyone need to hear it?
- Make the announcement clear.
- Make it positive.
- Make it brief, with as few details as possible (only those that are absolutely essential).
Announcements well-done answer the “who, what, when, where and why” questions. Sometimes, an announcement may include the “how”, but generally the five “W” items are enough. Allow me some illustrations.
Who: Brother L. M. Nop will begin
What: a four-week training session for adult teachers
Where: in the small auditorium
When: each Sunday afternoon at 4 pm, beginning May 2
Why: to acquaint teachers with the summer adult curriculum
Who: This congregation will have
What: the summer 2010 Vacation Bible School for ages 4-10, with the theme of “SuperHeroes”
Where: at the church building
When: May 23-26, beginning Sunday evening from 4-6, and Monday through Wednesday morning from 10 to noon
Why: to teach our children and their friends and to make new contacts in the community
Note that in both of these examples, the basic information is communicated. When announcements are allowed to “slide” into admonitions for signups and involvement, the announcement has become something other than an announcement. There may be a place for such admonitions in the church or other meetings, but such are generally more effective if they are “stand alone” items and are done by the person who is responsible for organizing the effort, or by a church leader. In most churches and organizations, the most effective recruiting tool is shoulder-tapping. Those who make “expanded announcements” that encourage involvement should be especially careful to avoiding motivations such as guilt, shame, and dire need.