Communicating Shabbat Shalom

As we continue our discussion of engaging communities more fully in the richness and relevance of Shabbat, one of the most important things to examine is how we communicate with members. We need to successfully convey the purpose of attending services, to take attendance out of the realm of the “should” and into the realm of meaning.

For example, we can be more specific in how we share the benefits of an upcoming Shabbat service. Imagine the impact of communicating differently in your weekly bulletin by telling your members what to expect besides the service itself:  

• participate with the community in honoring the educator of the year, or
• learn about the current Israeli peace efforts, or
• discuss what this week’s Torah portion teaches us about loving relationships, or
• find the quiet inside ourselves after a hectic week.
  
  

Successful communication means that you are touching congregants multiple times with the same message. Research has shown that it takes 17 repetitions of the same message before people pay attention. Let’s assume that we have greater connectedness with our members to start with, so we’ll shoot instead for 3-5 points of connection, all conveying a similar message.

Connection Point 1:

• Your website: Make sure that your home page leads with upcoming events and links to a page which provides the details and the benefits of said events. This section of your website should be rich in information and content and filled with links for further information and study.

  Connection Point 2:

• The Rabbi’s blog: It is important that the current post relates somehow to the coming week’s service. The blog should also link to the website page featuring the service.

  Connection Point 3:

• The Rabbi’s Thursday tweet: Be sure to link both the Rabbi’s blog and your website on the Thursday preceding the service.

  Connection Point 4:

• Weekly enews or snail news: These should lead with the upcoming services (including Shabbat) and provide the overriding reasons (benefits) for participating.

  Connection Point 5:

• Your religious school: Every week you are providing information to parents and working to make connections between parents, their children and school. Broaden that communication to include the upcoming Shabbat and think about what you are sending home as educational material for parents.
  
  

Most importantly, don’t forget to sing and wish everybody Shabbat Shalom!