Everything Speaks
The Copywriter Column #68
I worked in ministry for 10+ years, serving in both parachurch organizations and actual church buildings.
It didn’t matter if I was behind the pulpit or scrubbing toilets (yes — I moonlighted as a janitor at one church), I learned a lot about people.
From fears to desires to the things that motivate them on the deepest levels, I picked up on how to easily recognize these things in folks.
No, not to manipulate them into giving me money so we could purchase that G5 the pastor had his eyes on.
I learned to recognize these things so I could connect, empathize, and better understand the people I had the privilege of doing life with.
But the biggest thing I learned about people?
They’re always watching.
Always looking.
Always evaluating.
For the most part, it’s a subconscious act. But the second something feels off or unsafe, they’re acutely aware of it. In many cases, they call it out.
Since I was responsible for the marketing and branding in one of the ministries I worked for, I regularly brought this to the ministry team’s attention.
“Everything speaks,” I said.
If a visitor walks into the building and sees trash spilling out of the garbage bin — that speaks.
If a parishioner witnesses a staff member talking down to a homeless person asking for a meal at the office door — that speaks.
If someone decides to attend a service but the doors are locked because they’re 10 minutes late — that speaks.
If we send a direct mailer to parents and the QR code to register their kids for camp sends them to a broken link — that speaks.
If someone who’s been around for a while is consistently referred to as “Hey, dude!” by the ministry team because they clearly forgot their name — that speaks.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about awareness.
It’s not what you say or do that matters. It’s how you make people feel that matters most.
Think of that next time you sit down to write something.
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