Kevin Peterson has been a Communications Strategist at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY for five years. He spends his days developing marketing plans, directing designers, videographers and web designers, and magically changing the random thoughts and passions of ministry folks into compelling messages. MinistryCOM interviewed Kevin to get his perspective on the church communications world.
MinistryCOM: What do you enjoy the most about church communications?
KEVIN PETERSON: I work with a team of disgustingly talented people. (Yes, disgustingly. It’s not fair for them to hoard all that talent.) We are blessed with a rather large communications team at Southeast and most days we have a pretty good time taking the most important message of all-time and figuring out how to present it in a relevant and engaging way.
MC: What’s most challenging about church communications?
KP: Cutting through all the noise. We want our congregation and community to connect to Jesus and one another, but we don’t want to bombard them with messages like they are by every other organization on the planet day in and day out. It puts the pressure on us to be creative yet conscientious.
MC: How does Southeast tap into social networking tools?
KP: Social networking has been embraced by some of our membership and our student and elementary ministries. As a communications team we have used Facebook to promote our Easter play, but I’ve found lately that before we can put something our there a member has beaten us to the punch, which is perfectly fine with us. I love that we have a congregation that is passionate about sharing what Southeast is doing, and ultimately what Jesus is all about, through every avenue they can. Our Student Serve Team is on top of it with updates on Facebook informing kids of upcoming serving opportunities. They’re like teenage minutemen, ready to help whenever called.
MC: What is the best Facebook (or Twitter if you do) status you’ve ever read?
KP: [Facebook user] voted today! (I love our country!)
My personal favorite: Kevin Peterson longs to hear “Previously on LOST” Updated Wednesday. (LOST fans, you know what I’m talking about.)
Terrell Sanders is the president of Main Street Enterprises, a web development and consulting firm based in Oklahoma City. He has helped churches and non-profits with technology and marketing for over 20 years.He "accidentally" founded MinistryCOM in 2005. 