Youth Ministry Communication

One of the most difficult things about being a leader in any form or fashion is trying to make sure everyone has all necessary information. On the surface this seems like it should be an easy thing to do; however, anyone who has been in leadership for any period of time understands that communication is always a constant difficulty. In the end, I have found that some people will never be happy about the way you communicate and will always be out of the loop because they refuse to try to stay in the loop. With that being said, there are some very effective ways to get in touch with both youth and parents and communicate well with everyone. Here are my thoughts on a few common communication avenues:

1. Email

Email is a great tool for contacting parents and keeping them in the know. While students seldom have an email that they check on a regular basis, most parents are in the habit of checking email at least every couple days. 

2. Phone

Phone calls are great when time is short or inflection in voice is necessary. The downside to the phone is that it always seems to take up a large chunk of time. Maybe its just me, but I have trouble having short phone conversations. With that in mind, I only use the phone when I think its important that someone hear my voice. 

3. Text

This is my preferred communication avenue for contacting students. Most students have a smart phone with unlimited texting. This is their favorite avenue for communication, which makes it the best way to get in touch with many of them.

4. Social Media

Regular updates to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are always helping in keeping everyone in the know. I tend to use Facebook the most since it is where most of my students are. In addition, many of their parents are also on Facebook so it helps keep them in the know as well.  Using pictures, video, or other media with posts significantly increases the chances someone will read it.

There are a ton of other forms of communication out there to use. What are some forms of communication you have had success with?