In our fast-paced world of social media, families and neighbors, church committees and school events, it’s easy to assume that everyone knows what’s going on.

It’s just the opposite.

We tend to live in silos, where we congregate with people who share the same interests, experiences and places in life. After a while, we probably do know a lot of what’s going on – within our own silo.

But there’s a big, beautiful world out there, and when it comes to stewardship, we lean into Matthew 5:14-16: Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

How does that boil down to the weekly life of the church and communicating? As someone who’s been in the communications field for 40-plus years, I see it as sharing stories.

Next time you sit in church, look around. If you have young children, my bet is you know lots of other families in similar situations. It’s a hectic world filled with parent-teacher conferences, school sports and clubs, field trips, finding trusted babysitters and so on.

But look around and you’ll probably see an older couple with grown children, or the young people without families yet. They aren’t part of your silo – they don’t know the school gossip, or how the soccer game went, or why the fundraiser is important to the school. At the same time, the “family silo” isn’t connected to the “retiree silo” where the kids are grown and on their own (hopefully), where talk with friends might center on upcoming travel or home renovations.

The point is, we all benefit from stepping outside our circle and learning what else is going on in the life of the church.

How do we do that? Some ideas:

• Church leaders can share what’s going on each week via Sunday bulletins, the website, emails and social media. This includes what the church committees are doing (budget, landscaping, capital campaign) but also what’s up with the Middle/High School Youth, when the Children’s Choir will next perform, and any special learning opportunities ahead in the next few months (special Sunday School lessons, mission trips, or summer camps, etc.).
• Take pictures! Pictures do tell an easy story. So when Vacation Bible School runs, take pictures and save them, or ask someone who is volunteering with VBS to do so. The same goes for the youth traveling together to a week-long retreat such as Montreat, Ghost Ranch, Mo-Ranch, or Johnsonburg. Really, any time a group is gathering and doing something special together, whether that’s in the church or away, take photos or get someone to take photos for you. They’ll be of great use throughout the year when you share stories about how giving to the church makes a difference.
• Use friendly numbers! For Vacation Bible School, tell us how many children participated, how many volunteers helped coordinate it, and how that compared to past years. The same user-friendly information is good for youth groups traveling to summer camps.
• Then, tell the congregation on Sunday from the pulpit, share it in the newsletter and emails, add it to the website with photos, and where appropriate, add it to your social media.
• Be curious! Ask people outside your circle “what’s been going on in your life?”

The idea is that by sharing information across silos, we all learn more about the life of the church. We gain a deeper understanding of others’ lives and challenges.

And, when it comes time to appreciate why stewardship matters, we may remember these stories and more closely embrace our church family.