How We Developed a Communication Plan to Clarify Our Congregation’s Mission
11 min 57s
Creating a clear, simple statement of mission or purpose for a congregation is no easy feat, and the envy of every pastor I know is that their parishioners embrace it so well that they can share it by heart in their own words in a variety of situations.
In this episode titled, “How We Developed a Communication Plan to Clarify Our Congregation’s Mission,” small church pastor Rev. Tom Hathaway shares how they discovered three deeply resonant traits of the congregation and used them to guide ministry messaging both externally and internally in compelling and efficient ways.
How an external observer helped us see 3 fundamental traits of our congregational culture that we didn’t see ourselves;
How we use these 3 deeply resonant missional traits to guide where and how we repurpose ideas in sermons and messaging; If an idea really resonates, use it again and again to embed it.
Rev. Tom Hathaway is a progressive Christian pastor, designer, and creative technologist who believes that good design – whether in code or in church – can open doors to deeper connection and purpose. As co-founder of Small Steeple Web Builders, he helps small churches punch above their weight online, using modern design and creative tools like AI to tell compelling stories and strengthen community.
At Hillside Community Church, where he serves as pastor, Tom brings that same spirit to ministry, blending ancient texts with present-day questions, and always looking for ways to make faith feel real, relevant, and rooted in love. His Transforming Love blog has a readership in the thousands.
For Tom, both ministry and design are acts of translation, helping people find meaning, beauty, and belonging in a noisy and uncertain world.
- Recorded in June 2025
- Listen to more from Rev. Tom Hathaway
