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THE DOWNTOWN VINEYARD CHURCH COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES

Helping People Take Their Next Steps with Clear, Purposeful Messaging

At The Downtown Vineyard Church, our goal is simple: help people grow in their faith and stay connected. Our communication strategy is built to support that by keeping things clear, focused, and intentional.

• We promote events and programs that:
• Help people grow spiritually
  Build meaningful community
• Align with our mission and values

Success = Clarity + Consistency + Community Feedback

We measure success by how clearly we communicate, how consistent we are, and what kind of feedback we hear from our people.

Promotion Guidelines

When promoting an event, always direct people to dtvchurch.org or the Lobby Info Desk for more information or to get connected.

• 50% Guideline: Events that are designed to engage at least 50% of our church family qualify for full-church promotion. This helps us stay aligned and focused on opportunities that invite broad participation and connection.
• 1-in-5 Guideline: For every 1 promotional post or announcement, we aim to share at least 4 that focus on ministry, encouragement, stories, or spiritual growth. This helps us keep the heart of the church front and center. Our goal is to post twice a day.

Promotion Tools: Where We Share Info

• Service Host Spots
• Mail Chimp (Email)
• Lobby Table
• Social Ad Campaigns (Paid ads on social media platforms)
• Social Media
• Push Notifications (DTV App)
• Website

Promotion Levels: What Gets Shared (Where and How Often)

We use a four-tiered approach to promotion, helping us match each event with the communication tools that best support its goals and audience.

LEVEL 1: MAJOR PROMOTIONS

Description: Events that significantly impact church culture, attendance, or schedule. (EX: Service time changes, major holidays, and events like Football Sunday or the last Sunday of the year)

• Run Time: 5 Weeks (If a promotion submission is required ex: Football Sunday, submission deadline is 7 weeks prior to the event)
• Service Host: 5 mentions over 5 weeks
• Bulletin: Events added to the bulletin are listed in order of occurrence and are limited to 5 events each weekend
• Social Media: Warrants 1 – 2 posts per week for 5 weeks
• MailChimp (Email): DTV Weekly: Included in the “list” and highlighted in 4 midweek dedicated emails or “DTV Weekly” Spotlight sections
• Push Notifications: Day-of reminders as needed
• Other: Eligible for outside promotions (as available), lobby tables, event board in lobby and ad campaigns (pending budget)

LEVEL 2: GROWTH & COMMUNITY EVENTS

Description: These help people grow or get connected. Great for large groups but not the whole church. (EX: Classes, Life groups, retreats, conferences, SOKM)

• Run Time: 5 Weeks (If a promotion submission is required ex: Football Sunday, submission deadline is 7 weeks prior to the event)
• Service Host: 4 mentions over 5 weeks
• Bulletin: Events added to the bulletin are listed in order of occurrence and are limited to 5 events each weeken
• Social Media: Warrants 1 posts per week for 4 weeks
• MailChimp (Email): DTV Weekly: Included in the “list” and highlighted in 3 midweek dedicated emails or Monday Highlight
• Push Notifications: Day-of reminders as needed (Ex: Kick-Off for Lineups)
• Other: Eligible for outside promotions (as available), lobby tables, event board in lobby and ad campaigns (pending budget)

LEVEL 3: MINISTRY SPECIFIC EVENTS

Description: Smaller events just for certain groups or ministries. (EX: Women’s Bingo, Pheasant Hunt, etc)

• Run Time: 3 Weeks
• Service Host: Warrants 1 – 2 “sprinkle” * announcements (quick shoutouts)
• Bulletin: Events added to the bulletin are listed in order of occurrence and are limited to 5 events each weekend
• Social Media: Warrants 1 posts per week for 2 weeks
• MailChimp (Email): DTV Weekly: Included in the “list”
• Push Notifications: NA
• Other: Eligible for lobby table promotion with ministry leader-provided display and event board in lobby,

LEVEL 4: OUTSIDE OR NICHE EVENTS

Description: Events not hosted or organized by DTV, or that don’t align directly with our mission. (EX: Classes led by individuals whose initiatives are independent of church oversight, events hosted by other organizations or churches, and personal promotions (e.g., books, blogs, or podcasts)

• Run Time: Determined on a case by case basis
• Service Host: NA
• Social Media: Determined on a case by case basis but not to exceed 1 – 2 posts
• MailChimp (Email): Determined on a case by case basis
• Push Notifications: NA
• Other: NA

*Promotion Styles: Sprint & Sprinkle

Sprint Promotion:

• Like a short burst of energy. Used for big church-wide events (Level 1) where we want to build excitement and drive engagement quickly.
• Runs for 1 – 2 weeks (sometimes longer) on all available channels
• Creates urgency and visibility. These happen 1 – 2 times a year (at discretion of senior pastor) and require all promotion energy.

Sprinkle Promotion:

• A light, casual mention. Used for smaller ministry events (Level 3). Just enough visibility without overwhelming people.

Disclaimer: Exceptions to this guideline may be made at the discretion of the Senior Pastor.

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• Logo and Branding
• Master Calendar
• Event Registrations