Mark Crosby - So Everyone Can Hear: Communicating Church in a Digital Culture

I have been waiting for this book all my ministry. Every church pastor and leadership team should read it. Mark Crosby is a remarkable man and here his gifts are given away. This is a must for every leader. I have known Mark for a number of years and he is the best communications director I have ever met; he also loves Jesus and the Church, and is passionate to see the kingdom grow. This is not a book on church media; it is a manual for church mission.

Simon Ponsonby , Pastor of Theology, St Aldates Church, Oxford

Mark Crosby is the real deal a man with a passion for Jesus Christ and a gift for helping churches communicate it.

Mark Elsdon-Dew , Director of Communications, Holy Trinity Brompton, London, and Alpha International

This book is so helpful, practical and accessible from a master of the craft. It is for all those who would love tips on how we can communicate better to both the Church and the world around us. Over the years, I have watched Mark do this brilliantly with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of grace.

Mike Pilavachi , co-founder and leader, Soul Survivor

As the Communications Director for Vineyard Churches (UK & Ireland), Mark has been hugely effective in shaping communication both within and beyond our movement across multiple platforms. His passion for Jesus and the Church, his strategic mind, and his diligent study of current and emerging means of communication combine to make what he has to say well worth listening to. In this book Mark demonstrates his flair for making the complex simple, providing practical tips that have the potential to transform the Churchs ability to connect with those within and far beyond it.

John and Debby Wright , National Directors, Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland

The work of community formation is progressed through reliable communication. My friend Mark Crosby excels in leading churches to communicate in healthy ways that help rewrite the story of their cities. So Everyone Can Hear will be an invaluable tool for all churches seeking to grow in strength as they gather and scatter for the sake of their communities.

Alan Scott , Anaheim Vineyard, USA

A clarion call for churches to use all the communication tools the twenty-first century has to offer in service of reaching the world with the gospel. Compellingly written, beautifully designed and grounded in Mark Crosbys extensive experience, So Everyone Can Hear is a gift to all Christian communicators.

Jo Swinney , Director of Church Communications, Christian Publishing & Outreach

Church communications is one of the vital ingredients that we need to learn how to master as church leaders. Mark is one of the leading thinkers and practitioners in this field; I have known him for a number of years and its a delight to now have his experience neatly packaged in a book. So Everyone Can Hear is a vital addition to the toolkit of every church leader.

Jay Pathak , Senior Pastor, Mile High Vineyard, USA

Mark is one of those great disciples who quietly make things happen and dont mind who gets the credit. He has been such an encouragement in helping his church and many others communicate to students and young adults; he joins up conversations and people all the time. From my experience in working with churches looking to reach students, I know it is mission-critical to communicate clearly and relationally, and to follow up with consistency and kindness. Mark does this in his own life and so I pray this book helps many others do the same in the hidden and public spaces of following Jesus and being his Church.

Miriam Swaffield , Fusion

Mark Crosby is the Director of Communications for Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland and serves at Vineyard Church, Cardiff. He also trains church members in Europe and the USA about how to communicate in healthy ways.

Over the past two decades, I have made copious notes on talks Ive heard, books Ive read, items on the radio, tweets, conversations, podcasts and films. The notes are rarely verbatim and have been reworked after personal reflection and refined for training notes; theyve been rewritten again for this book and then edited in subsequent drafts. When I can remember specific people who have inspired me, I have credited them, and I believe I have done so in every instance. If I have failed to do so, I apologise; it was not my intention to miss anyone out. If we have ever sat together and talked, and you saw me scribbling notes, it is likely that you inspired me and that your words have percolated in me and been used to create something in this book. Im grateful to everyone who has spoken truth over my life; it has helped to bring this book into being.

If you were to ask us about church communications, we would quickly point you to Mark Crosby. Whether being trained on how to use social media, communicating digitally with a movement of church leaders, or (heaven forbid!) even updating a website, we have sometimes found ourselves out of our depth in the murky world of communications and have needed this very talented man to save us from ourselves!

What Mark so excellently demonstrates in So Everyone Can Hear , and what he has often demonstrated to us, is that all leaders have a role to play in communicating church within our current culture.

Mark shows how church communications help to lay the foundations for the health and growth of the local church, starting with vision, values and prayerful planning. Technology has provided opportunities to build on such communications, approaching them slowly and sustainably, not frantically in fits and starts.

Whether you are a church leader, a small-group leader or are launching a new ministry, this book is for you. It will guide you to a greater understanding of how you can make use of the myriads of tools available to you in order to reach not just your church but also your surrounding area. So Everyone Can Hear is a practical, inspiring and helpful guide for every leader in the Church, no matter his or her age, stage or experience.

We have always believed hugely in Mark and all that he does to serve and equip the local church. This book is an invaluable resource, which we are delighted to endorse; we are confident that it will be a great blessing to you.

At the end of the day, what is the Church a community of Jesus lovers without communication at its heart? And what is our mandate in the world? To share the gospel in such a way that everyone can hear.

Vineyard Churches Global Coordination

I dedicate this book to all the unseen heroes who
faithfully serve behind the scenes.

How Churches Should Be Communicating in the 21st Century : if youve ever written a dissertation, youll know just how many times you say your title over and over. This was mine. And now, more than 15 years since I finished my Marketing and Public Relations degree, it continues to be my passion. How can I help churches make the most of the tools at our disposal to reach our towns and cities with the love of Jesus?

These past years have seen a seismic shift from traditional media and printing presses to a digital culture in which information is instant and connection is a finger swipe away.

The Internet is a canvas on which we can paint a picture of Gods love. Its a printing press to issue invitations. Its a library for us to tell better stories. Its a noticeboard to keep people updated. Its a gateway into our communities. Its a spoon to stir the pot, keeping everyone included.

Jesus will build his Church and he invites us to join him. As those he calls friends, we journey with Jesus, we cooperate with what the Father is already doing, and we walk in step with the Spirit.