Who do people in your community say your church is?

In November, the Massachusetts Conference Commission on Communication gathered together some big thinkers in the area of church messaging and communication to talk about the importance of this issue. After all, if your church can't articulate who you are and what you are about, why would anyone want to come explore their faith with you?

Or, as Associate Conference Minister Wendy Vander Hart said in the opening worship that day, churches that are thriving today - in a world where mainstream churches are shrinking - have one thing in common: "they can clearly state who they are, why they are and for whom they are."

The day featured Ann Poston, Director of Publishing, Identity and Communications for the United Church of Christ; Kimberly Knight, Social Media Consultant for the Center for Progressive Renewal; Jon Geldert, at the time the Communications Chair of Old South Church UCC in Boston; and Associate Conference Minister Peter Wells, a former new church start pastor.

Audio recordings from the panel presentation and several of the workshops from that day are now available on this website, as well as a workshop Powerpoint presentation and the text of Vander Hart's sermon.

Whether or not you could be there that day, I hope you'll spend some time -  in your home, your church, your car - listening to these recordings to share in what participants that day called an inspirtational and educational experience.

Find these resources at: www.macucc.org/who.