Parish life can be hectic. There are many events to attend: garage sales, bible studies special worship services, and dinners to name but a few. Each of these events is a chance to tell the story of your parish community and to celebrate the good work that is being done in the name of Jesus Christ.

These are the very real personal stories of communities in action that will attract newcomers and strengthen existing relationship between parishioners. These are the stories of faith, the minutia of day to day parish life. And these are the stories that can have the biggest impact on your outward communication strategies.

It is necessary then that these stories are captured to share and celebrate. To do this, a person in the community should be tasked with documenting each event. This seems obvious but is far too often overlooked. People will often take personal photos but these usually end up being communicated by that individual rather than as part of the broader communication strategy of the parish and shared on the parish’ social media channels.

Assigning this task needs to be considered when planning any event so the opportunity is not missed. Not only is the event captured for posterity, but the recordings and photos can be used to communicate the vitality and essence of your community on your social media and web channels.

In this way, visitors to your social media platforms will see the active and vibrant community that exists. Rather than a post from several months ago and pictures from a couple of years ago, they will be able to see recent engaging activities that communicate the life of the community.

We have much to share in the life of the church. Even after these events have passed and are over, their effect can live on. The images, pictures and stories can inspire new generations to come to church. They can tell the story of your community. And most importantly, they can tell the story of Jesus Christ.

So be ready at your next event, dinner or special worship service. Task an individual with snapping a few pictures and share those pictures on your parish’s social media channels. Celebrate your events and celebrate your community. And in doing so you will help make Christ known to the broader world.