Summer's slower pace provides the perfect opportunity to tackle projects that seem too time-consuming during busy seasons. Auditing content calendars, standardizing templates, automating workflows, training volunteers, and analyzing data sets teams up for smoother fall execution. These strategic projects transform downtime into preparation that pays dividends when ministry life revs back up.
Summer isn't just a slower season...it's your secret window to supercharge your church marketing, refine your storytelling for churches, and perfect your volunteer communication. While the rest of the world's beaches are calling, your church communications team can tackle low-stakes projects that pay dividends once school's back in session. Ready to turn summer sunshine into a streamlined church communications workflow with the ultimate church calendar tool for ministry teams? With Communicate as your church communications software and go-to church communications calendar, planning church communications has never been easier.
1. Audit and Refresh Your Content Calendar
Ever missed a recurring announcement because it vanished in last year's spreadsheet? Spend a week in June combing through your church communications calendar:
- Mark which recurring items (bulletins, newsletters, social posts) need fresh copy or new visuals.
- Drop obsolete events and consolidate similar items under one template.
- Add placeholders for big fall dates...back-to-school weekend, stewardship campaigns, and more.
By the end of July, you'll have a lean, reliable roadmap that keeps your team on track and your messaging consistent. (Hint: Communicate's built-in calendar view makes color-coding and drag-and-drop a breeze, so you actually enjoy this step.)
2. Standardize Templates and Brand Assets
Templates are your unsung heroes...but only if they're up to date. Grab your most-used layouts and:
- Swap in this year's logo or color palette.
- Update header and footer copy with fall kickoff teasers.
- Create one-click social templates for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Pro tip: Store every template in a shared folder (Help Docs) in Communicate. When Sunday morning rolls around, your team clicks "Apply" instead of "Rebuild."
3. Build an Automated Approval Workflow
Nothing slows you down like hunting for that one person who hasn't signed off on your graphic. This summer, streamline:
- Define roles: Who writes, who designs, who approves, who publishes.
- Set deadlines: Automatic nudges when a draft sits in review past 48 hours.
- Use reminders: Integrate email or Slack notifications so nobody misses their turn.
Our team cut review time in half by letting Communicate send automated approval requests...no more chasing replies between lawn-mower roars.
4. Train and Empower Summer Volunteers
Interns and volunteers can be a game changer if they know your tools inside out. Host a half-day training:
- Walk through your church communications software.
- Assign simple tasks...scheduling social posts, drafting newsletter copy, updating event pages.
- Give them ownership of one recurring project (like weekly worship highlights).
Not only does this free up your core team, it builds next-gen leaders who know the rhythm of ministry communications.
5. Run a Mid-Summer Analytics Deep Dive
Summer metrics often dip...and that's OK. Use June and July to gather data:
- Track open rates, social engagement, volunteer sign-ups.
- Compare channels: Which email subject lines performed best? Which posts sparked conversation?
- Identify summer low points so you can adjust fall tuning (maybe sharper headlines, different imagery, or new calls to action).
Armed with fresh insights, you'll craft a fall communications strategy that resonates...and avoid repeating last year's missteps.
How this topic connects: This summer projects guide supports the church communication calendar pillar by showing how to improve calendar systems during slower seasons.
Related Articles
Explore these related guides to improve your summer church communication planning:
- Summer Slide or Summer Stride? Avoiding the Fall Communications Backlog - Summer planning strategies
- Summer Church Communications Calendar - Summer planning guide
- Fall Church Communications Calendar Reset - Fall planning strategies
- How to Plan a Year of Church Communication - Annual planning strategies
- The Ministry Season Cycle in Church Communication - Seasonal planning approach
- How to Create a Church Communications Calendar - Step-by-step creation guide
When school bells ring and backpacks reappear, you won't be scrambling...you'll be cruising. By auditing your church communications calendar, standardizing templates, automating approvals, training volunteers, and diving into analytics this summer, you set your church communications workflow on autopilot.
Want to put this into action? Start planning your church communications with Communicate ... the only church communications calendar built just for ministry teams.
