Review of “Less Clutter. Less Noise”

The subtitle for this book is, “Beyond Bulletins, Brochures, and Bake Sales.”  It is authored by Kem Meyer, self styled as one who “used to think church was for out-of-touch people who just needed to “get a life.”  Now, after having left the business world, Kem is the Communications Director at Granger Community Church. 

The main focus of this book is about how churches can be more effective in communicating to our members as well as to the world around us.  You would think we would already be good at this, after all, as preachers it is our job to communicate!  Realistically, we know that we fall short in this area and because of that our ministries suffer.

Ms. Meyer is a huge believer keeping things simple.  At first I thought that her straightforward and practical style of communication was an effort at “dumbing down,” actually, it is just the opposite.  People are smart, people are also bombarded with tons of information on a daily basis, what about your message demands my attention?  Here is a small sampling of Kem’s minimalistic approach:

• The more elements you put on a page, the less important each element becomes.
• The more announcements you have from a platform, the less people hear. (I have always said the only announcement people hear is the one you didn’t make.  Think about it. Mitchell)
• The more brochures you add to the pile, the harder it is for people to find what they’re looking for.
• Which communication vehicles in my church or organization are most effective and why?  Which tools would not be missed if they were gone?  Can I identify communication pieces that exist purely to serve the internal politics of the organization?

The ideas in this book will help you reevaluate how you and your church communicate in every facet of every ministry.  Announcements, PowerPoint slides, bulletins, your website, email blasts, facebook, twitter, it all deserves your attention because realistically, it is probably not getting the attention it deserves.

If you are a minister, church secretary, elder, deacon, active church member, anyone who needs to communicate effectively in ministry then this book is a must read.  It is also a very easy read, written in everyday language with tons of insightful illustrations that really drive home the message.