Kimberly Tarlton is the Co-Founder & CEO of Story & Stone, a creative strategist, communications consultant, and a church girl at heart with over 28 years of experience helping ministries grow their impact—online and in-person.

Kim’s expertise spans digital, print, and live, leading church teams with a mix of creative spark and practical know-how. Her integrated marketing work has helped churches increase engagement, clarify their messaging, and confidently reach new guests.

She’s known for leading cross-functional teams with heart and humor—and always with an eye on the metrics. A certified Working Genius Facilitator, a triple-certified HubSpot pro in Social Media, Content, and Email Marketing, and a sought-after speaker for conferences and podcasts on topics like church communications, guest strategy, and ministry development.

Kimberly and Dale discuss the importance of mission clarity as the foundation of your communications efforts in today’s 95Podcast. Their conversation is filled with leadership nuggets that will help you create an effective communications environment within your ministry.

Description

Dale welcomes communications strategist Kimberly Tarlton to discuss how small and midsize churches can move from reactive, insider-focused promotion to a clear, proactive communications strategy that reaches people outside the church while aligning staff around shared priorities. They unpack the why behind communications, practical planning rhythms, internal alignment, volunteer engagement, and low-cost ways to expand digital reach.

Key Points In Brief

• Communications is ministry, not “commercials.” It aligns every ministry under mission and vision.
• Prioritize people before platforms: define the “who” for each initiative, then choose channels.
• Tier priorities: stage time for mission-critical, evangelistic moments; use email, text, and targeted channels for internal items.
• Plan before you produce: Prioritize → Plan → Produce. Most teams skip the first two.
• Shift from insider to external focus, especially for events like Easter and Trunk-or-Treat.
• Build accountability and lead times: internal planning 8–16 weeks out; community promotion ~4 weeks out.
• Websites and social media are front doors; optimize for newcomers, not regulars.
• Invite the church to “be the church.” Vision, not need, grows volunteer engagement.

Key Takeaways

• Communications clarifies why you do what you do, who it’s for, and how it moves your mission forward.
• Stage time is precious. Use it to cast vision, not run a bulletin on-air.
• Insider-only messaging starves outreach. External focus opens your doors with confidence.
• Small steps implemented weekly beat big ideas never executed.
• Digital presence matters: website, YouTube, and social are where people look first.

Notable Quotes

• “Nobody comes to church for our commercial break.”
• “Communications is not about being promotional; it’s about bringing the plan together.”
• “Prioritize people before platforms.”
• “Need is not a volunteer strategy. Vision is.”
• “Your website homepage is not for your church.”
• “Prioritize → Plan → Produce.”

Next Steps

• Define your mission in 12 words or less and align every announcement to it.
• Create a tiered comms map:
  • Tier 1: Evangelistic, whole-church priorities → stage + site + email + social.
  • Tier 2: Cross-ministry initiatives → email segments, targeted social, lobby.
  • Tier 3: Niche/internal items → direct emails, groups, ministry channels.
• Set planning cadences:
  • 8–16 weeks: internal alignment, roles, assets.
  • 4 weeks: community-facing promotion live.
• Audit website homepage for newcomers: service times, plan-a-visit, kids, location, next steps; move “Give” off first click path for guests.
• Establish weekly “one implement” habit: pick one idea and ship it before Sunday.
• Mobilize volunteers by vision: specific asks with numbers and outcomes (e.g., “We need 50 trunks”).

Link To Podcast Audio: 95Podcast 320

 

Link To Podcast YouTube:

Q & A Transcript (Selected)

• Q: “Why should churches prioritize communications?”A: It unifies ministries, reduces silos, and helps people inside and outside understand the why, not just the what.
• Q: “Who is Easter for?”A: Everyone, in different ways. Messaging focus for non-believers; equipping focus for regular attenders to invite and serve.
• Q: “Why do many churches stay internal?”A: It’s easier and driven by internal complaints; but websites and socials are for newcomers first.
• Q: “How far out should we plan?”A: Internal alignment 8–16 weeks; external promotion ~4 weeks.
• Q: “How do we grow volunteers?”A: Vision-based invitations tied to mission and concrete goals, not generic “we need help.”
• Q: “What about social media and video if we have no budget?”A: Use phones for message clips; prioritize YouTube, Instagram, Facebook; repurpose sermons; leverage free placements like Google Business Profile.