Musical concerts and events are not only effective as community outreach, they are also a celebration of the goodness of Gods gifts, a validation of dedication to fine arts ministry and an energizing event not only for the community in attendance, but also for those in music ministry. Therefore, it makes great sense to strive for that Critical Mass that will energize and affirm the event.
If the bulk of the preparation is on creating the event itself and very little on promotion, then the total experience is less fulfilling than it could be. Musicians must, by virtue of the spirit of making music, share music with others in a significant way.
Establish the Purpose
First of all, it is important to know the purpose for presenting special programs and concerts. Establish a vision and mission statement that will support the overall vision and mission of the church. Know the value of events before planning them. Build a statement so concise and understandable that anyone can repeat it easily. Share the vision with everyone and help clearly communicate the value of such events in supporting the overall mission of the church.
Write specific goals for special programs. Frame the goals with the following as reference points:
Outreach ministry
Choir Growth
Artistic Expression
Entertainment
Yes, entertainment is one of the reference points. It is permissible to have fun at church! An artistically fulfilling, spiritually lifting musical event can also be fun. It is fun for a choir to present a quality program and to have others validate the high quality of the event. It is fun for congregation members to invite their friends to attend an enjoyable evening together. It is fun to celebrate together!
It is also a joy when fine arts ministries can connect with other ministries of the church. Maybe a Sunday School group, womens ministry, or youth ministry can connect with the event with a display or provide refreshments to promote an upcoming event and even raise funds for the event. There are win/win possibilities.
Know the Target Audience
The theme of Something for Everyone is ok for some events, however, when planning a musical evening, musical play or other music event, it is best to focus on the primary musical audience. Know what music is indigenous to this target audience and build the program around that profile. It is good to include variety, however, keep the focus on the major style chosen for the event.
Consider not only musical content; moreover, include other elements in the visual design of the program, publicity material and even the space where the event is to be held. Consider other fine arts disciplines such as drama, dramatic reading, dance, creative writing and visual art as the event is planned.
Plan the Event Thoroughly
This may sound like a useless comment, however, planning must be intentional. Planning must follow the vision, mission and goals suggested above. Do not plan an event centered on personal favorites. Plan an event, not just another concert or musical. Consider what will make the event stand out from others in the community. Plan an event that will get the attention of the community. Plan and event that will be the topic of conversation in the community for a long time before and after the event date.
With good Event planning, people will look forward to attending, not only the first time, but also for subsequent events in the future. They will be intentional about setting aside the date and attending. They will want to bring others with them (by the way, tell them to bring others it works!).
Energizing musical events not only reach members of the community who would not otherwise come into the church building, but an exciting event will encourage them to attend on a subsequent Sunday morning. Knowing the type of music offered will let them be comfortable in coming back for worship. The church is, after all, charged with making disciples.
Event planning is not a new venture for most church musicians, however, just as food for thought, why not make up a planning resource list with due dates and check off things as they are completed. Here are some items to start with:
1. Plan the budget
Music purchase, rental and royalties
Orchestra costs
Equipment rental or purchase
Publicity
2. Plan the resources
Facility needs
Props
Risers, staging, backdrops
Graphic design for promotional material and programs
3. Plan the timing
Music purchase and rehearsal
Support systems: sound, light, facility reservation
P/R
4. Plan the Publicity
Planning a Comprehensive Publicity Program
In order to have a Critical Mass to create energy and enthusiasm for the event, it is important to present a clear message and capitalize on the number of impressions for that message. No, an announcement in the church bulletin three weeks ahead will not do it!
Plan the promotion effort with enough time to deliver multiple impressions in as many ways available to as many people as possible. Yes, multiple impressions in multiple forms are absolutely necessary to get the attention of todays over impacted public. Do a good job to get their attention. Saturate the community with a powerful message.
Recruit and empower a publicity specific support team. Yes, let go of all the details. Keep the overall control. Choose good people, define the tasks and let them do it. They do it the leader cheers and follows up. Got it? A director cant do it all, do a good job of it all and live to tell about it not for long.
Give the team resources to do a thorough job of publicity. Here is a list of options to start:
Provide the message to communicate (let them help with this buy revising and clarifying it)
Distribute all information relating to content, theme and participants
Provide a list of all, yes all, media contacts in the area extended area as well (usually available at a local Chamber of Commerce
Supply guidelines for the process
(see
http://www.hughballou.com for downloadable forms
o News Release Model
o PSA Model
o Publicity Checklist
o Event Planning Sheet
o Other forms or guidelines
Begin 9 to 12 months ahead of the event to plan the publicity schedule
Schedule only necessary meetings for support and accountability
o Initial meeting
o Six month review (6 months prior to the event)
o 90-day final check-in (before)
Build personal relationships with media personnel (leader and/or team)
Write thank-you notes to media personnel to affirm their contribution to the community (especially the leader)
Design a program for internal promotion (see the information below)
Schedule a celebration party after the event
Schedule an evaluation to include someone from this group after the event
This Publicity Team will be an extremely valuable resource to the ministries of the church. Music programs, due to their very nature, get a lot of attention, however, these programs serve the church as a whole. Therefore, a valuable publicity will serve the whole church by helping a music event reach it potential audience.
The internal publicity is certainly the most fruitful, so do not ignore or underestimate this group so closely connected to all ministries of the church. When scheduling the music event, check the church calendar closely to insure minimal conflict with other church-wide programs and events. Connect with all church staff members to gain their support and solicit ideas of ways other ministry programs could be connected in some way to the music event.
For easy and logical methods for publicity inside the church, you have the following vehicles to develop:
Well designed, attractive flyers and posters strategically placed
Announcements in previous concert programs
Announcements in programs for other church events (you must reciprocate)
Billboards throughout the church
Newsletters for different groups (Sunday Schools, study groups, etc.)
Personal letters of invitation
Verbal announcements from the pulpit
Personal printed invitations for participants to give out or mail
Free tickets of admission (this makes it seem as though seating is limited)
The last bullet Free Tickets is a good idea if managed properly. Issue a ticket that is attractively designed which gives all the information about the concert. This will help those who receive the ticket to remember the facts. State on the ticket that entrance to the event will be restricted to ticket holders until 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Then seating is open to all. Print 50% more tickets than the facility will hold some recipients will not come. Encourage everyone in the church to take tickets to give to friends and relatives, but to only release the ticket if that person agrees to attend. Maybe means No! So only Yes counts! If the event is exciting, then this will add an element of urgency. Do not overuse this idea, it will lose its impact.
In order to have massive results, it is imperative to have massive output.
Evaluate and Celebrate
Yes, this was mentioned above. It is important enough to repeat. Hold an evaluation meeting within two weeks of the event. Invite about 10 people to join in a one-hour session to evaluate the event. Include representatives from the following groups: music ministry, publicity team, other music staff, non-music staff, congregation-at-large, and others that could provide a complete picture of the event. List comments in several categories:
First, celebrate things that were successful What Went Well?
Second, a positive way to make corrections What Needs Changing?
Third, capture new ideas New Things to Consider
Do not forget written notes of thanks for those who contributed. A short note builds great affirmation in those who worked unselfishly for the cause.
A Note to the Weary and Frantic
If these suggestions seem like too much to do in an already overloaded schedule, then consider if the program is worth doing. If it is worth doing, then decide to give every effort to providing the best program possible. The very principle of delegation will bring energy and momentum to what could be a time-consuming and daunting task if attempted alone. The ultimate fulfillment in music making is having people to share it with! Share the wealth share the success!
Hugh Ballou is an independent consultant, facilitator, executive coach and motivational speaker. He has served as director of worship ministries for 40 years in churches of up to 12,000 in membership. As an independent and external presence, he is able to assist in building strong ministry teams, minimizing conflict and mapping clear strategies for success. His book Moving Spirits, Building Lives: Church Musician as Transformational Leader can be found at Cokesbury bookstores and Cokesbury online at
http://cokesbury.com/bookstore.aspx?pid=525651 His book Workbook for Transformational Leaders will be available in May, 2006. Other information and articles on leadership are available at
http://www.synervisioninternational.com.
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