SoutheASt Christian Church Elizabethtown Campus ... · PDF filesoutheast christian church...
Transcript of SoutheASt Christian Church Elizabethtown Campus ... · PDF filesoutheast christian church...
SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH ELIZABETHTOWN CAMPUS COMMUNICATION PLAN
Michelle McGuffin
DECEMBER 10, 2016 REGENT UNIVERITY
Communication Plan Southeast Christian Church Elizabethtown Campus
Incorporate Southeast Mission Statement Connecting People to Jesus
and One Another through the plan of Love Where You Are tailored to
the Elizabethtown Hardin County region’s culture.
Timeline
April 2016 Campus announced to the church and community
September 11, 2016-Press Release to announce Campus Pastor
September 14, 2016 -Media interviews with Campus Pastors
December 2015 Christmas advertising inviting Elizabethtown Residents to one of 4
existing campuses (prior to local campus opening)
Raising of the cross on the building (TBD)- Press release
Campus opening press release (TBD)
Campus opening advertisements in local Elizabethtown/Hardin County Media (TBD)
Tentative soft launch date- August 2017
Southeast’s Multi-Campus Strategy
Southeast Christian Church announced under the leadership of Senior Pastor Dave Stone
the plan to expand the ministry of the church into adjoining regions to reach the unchurched in
the greater community.
Multisite History
The first campus to launch outside of the Blankenbaker Campus was the Indiana Campus
in 2007. Following this campus the Oldham Campus was opened. (Now referred to as the
Crestwood Campus). These two campuses were joined in 2014 by the Southwest (Louisville)
Campus. At present the LaGrange campus is under construction with a soft opening date of
December 2016 and the Elizabethtown Campus location has been purchased with construction to
be complete in 2017.
Each of these six campus locations were selected to reach a population of unchurched in
that area. As the campuses have launched each has grown into its own with a core group of
members from the Blankenbaker Campus and additional new members added from that
community. The Elizabethtown Campus will be the greatest distance from the Blankenbaker
Campus. The 45 mile distance will create unique communication challenges for this campus.
Elizabethtown has the same broadcast TV news stations as the other campuses, but because of
the distance the community relies more heavily on the local daily newspaper and 2 local radio
stations for local news.
In addition to the media, Elizabethtown is also different from the other campuses as it is
not a suburb of Louisville as the other five campuses. Some from Elizabethtown drive to
Louisville to work, for specialized medical care or entertainment venues not offered in
Elizabethtown, but many do not and find all they need in Elizabethtown. Known at one time as
“Hub City” Elizabethtown is in itself a crossroads destination for the cities and counties
surrounding it.
Questions asked in putting together the communication strategy:
What will be the communication challenges?
1. Distance from other campuses
2. Differing local culture
3. Keeping on good terms with other churches
4. Getting the whole Southeast family (staff and members) to embrace and support the
newest furthest campus
5. Maintaining the Southeast culture and branding while granting some autonomy to be a
“local campus”
How can this be overcome:
1. Keeping communication lines open among all the campuses
2. Understanding the community, their needs and fears
3. Building communication bridges between existing churches and Southeast
4. Encouraging participation in cross campus events (Rotating staff members on occasion,
encouraging visits during work and for weekend worship))
5. Utilizing the strong DNA of long time staff member and now Campus Pastor Michael
Kast, spend time in the community and find the hybrid of the two
6. Giving profiles of campus locations to staff members either through a video, written
presentation or staff class
To effectively reach the Elizabethtown community a strategy of direct and indirect
communication is recommended. Direct Communication (Craddock 2002)
Traditional and digital communication channels will reach the external markets
Externally
1. Relationship with local media- Press releases and advertisements
a. The News Enterprise
b. WQXE (98.3)
c. WULF (94)
d. WAKY (103.5)
e. WIEL (105.5)
2. Utilizing Social media such as an Elizabethtown Campus page to share information and
the heart of the church (Who is Southeast campaign)
3. In person meetings with local current church members and potential ones
Internally (within church body)
Social media
Pulpit announcements
Southeast Outlook (church newspaper)
Next Magazine
Bulletin
Internally (within church staff)
Staff e-mail (updates and invitations to special events such as cross raising and staff day
of worship) followed by a campus visit
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2016
Michelle McGuffin│ Media Relations [email protected]/270-763-2962
Elizabethtown, KY - Southeast Christian Church Introduces Elizabethtown Campus Pastor As Southeast Christian Church works toward the opening of its E-town Campus, another step forward has been made with the introduction this weekend of Michael Kast as the Campus Pastor. Kast began his career at Southeast in 1988, right out of college as the Jr High minister and has since been a leader in several ministry areas including the overarching role of Minister to Families he will leave to begin as the E-town Campus Pastor. Michael Kast and his wife Jill had been praying for God to lead them to more directly work with people and minister to them when the opportunity to lead the E-town Campus became available. Michael and Jill have three children, Monica, Morgan and Jacob who will be moving to Hardin County to join the community. “We want to live where our church is and do life with the community, shopping at the same stores, spending time at the ballpark and doing life together.” Kast said of moving from Louisville. The heart of the campus will focus on working together with churches already in Hardin County and Fort Knox to reach our neighbors in the area who are not already a part of a church. The E-town Campus and other campuses are part of the vision Senior Pastor Dave Stone described as the vision set forth more than 10 years ago. “God has blessed Southeast Christian Church’s
direction to expand beyond the initial Blankenbaker Campus to reach different communities with the church’s mission of connecting people to Jesus and one another.” Southeast Christian Church currently has four campus locations, one on Blankenbaker Parkway in Louisville, one in Oldham County on Crestwood Station Road, one in Southern Indiana on Charlestown New Albany Road and Southwest Campus at 8301 St Andrews Church Road in Louisville. Two new campuses one in LaGrange and the one in E-town are scheduled to open in months to come. Information about Southeast Christian Church can be found at www.southeastchristian.org
Media Interviews will be scheduled later in the week.
Media Tour with Elizabethtown Campus Pastor Michael Kast on September 15, 2016
Radio Interviews
Newspaper Coverage after Press Release
Elizabethtown Newspaper- The News-Enterprise
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/southeast-christian-names-pastor-
e%E2%80%99town-campus
Louisville newspaper- The Courier Journal
http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEV7xbOSxYSWwAGNMPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBydDI5cX
VuBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--
/RV=2/RE=1479322075/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.courier-
journal.com%2fstory%2fnews%2freligion%2f2016%2f02%2f08%2fsoutheast-christian-plans-
new-e-town-campus%2f79998802%2f/RK=0/RS=AkQ66IenV0nQEoEaFmd0ZOvDWPQ-
Newspaper Interview
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/pastor-ready-elevate-spiritual-climate
Strategy to Guage Interest and Build Relationships
Prior to deciding on a new campus location, the church elders look at growing populations in the
region and places where pockets of unchurched familes exist. Once a location is decided for a
new multisite campus location the lead tea of the church meet with local leaders in that area and
then purchase property and begin building relationships with existing churches, organizations
and rallying local Southeast members in that area.
Using social media to engage the community
In February 2015, a volunteer started
a Facebook page to begin engaging
the community of Elizabethtown with Southeast Christian Church.
Southeast Christian Church invited the Elizabethtown Community to connect and gauge interest
on March 2, 2015 at a local reception held at The Historic State Theater.
Over 100 People attended this informational event.
Many church leaders and staff members were there.
The beliefs of the church were outlined.
Elizabethtown residents showed a lot of interest.
Social media and local meetings are the strategy Southeast uses to gauge interest and then begin
building relationships in the community prior to a campus opening
Southeast will continue to build relationships in the Elizabethtown Community through:
-One to one meetings with local pastors (7 churches have been met with so far)
Meetings with community agencies to assess the needs of the community and partner
resources
Informal gatherings such as potluck socials with existing members bringing friends
Closer to the campus opening monthly worship and prayer services will take place to
draw interest from the community
Southeast will advertise for volunteers and will then trained them to serve
Southeast will advertise for Campus staff through the church website and newspaper
Once the construction site is secure, those in the community who are interested will be
invited to write Bible verses on stud walls and sub flooring
Home groups called Love Where You Are gatherings are formed with six week Bible
Studies conducted as opportunities to invite friends and neighbors into the houses of
existing Southeast members to build relationships
Since the church anticipates a large attendance in the first weeks, soft openings will occur to let
the community become acquainted with the services.
Local Social Media and Website
Closer to the Elizabethtown Campus opening, The “Friends of Elizabethtown Campus”
Facebook page
will be replaced
with an official
Southeast
Elizabethtown
Campus
Facebook Page.
This page will
serve as a tool to connect current Southeast members and those in the community who are
interested to the events and beliefs of Southeast Christian Church.
The Elizabethtown Campus will be added to what will then be the 5 other campuses on the Southeast
website location page.
In addition a webpage linked to SoutheastChristian.org will be created with specific information
for that campus such as the one in the example here for the Southwest Campus already in place.
Soli Deo gloria