As with previous Star Wars movies, I found digital ministry lessons in The Last Jedi. Please know that this is a spoiler-free analysis of the movie. I reveal nothing about the Last Jedi’s plot. I want to relate a secular movie to your church communications. So enjoy the parallels and get ready to be inspired.
Plot Twists
Without giving away the story, there were many twists and turns in this movie. They ranged from comedic actions to the death of characters. Plus the movie trailers misled audiences at times. The original series had its own plot twists. Fans were ready for anything. But some reveals were quite big. It was nice to be caught off guard.
Church can get monotonous. Once a week we sing songs, listen to a sermon, and offer our tithe. Even digital ministries can fall into ruts. We prepare social media content for the next week. Ministries provide information for a weekly email newsletter. What are you doing to mix things up? Get your creative juices flowing. Seek new inspiration. Adapt and use popular marketing techniques. Work with church leadership to push boundaries. Get your audience’s attention. As long as it is tasteful, be creative with how you reach people.
Unexpected Life Events
It may be a spoiler about who dies in the movies. But real-life deaths are not. Carrie Fisher, the actress who played Princess Leia, died in 2017. This unfortunate event will make her appearance in future movies difficult. We know that computer graphics can create unbelievable movie magic. Yet, we will still miss her presence on screen.
Pick your favorite catchphrase to describe church communications. Expect the unexpected. The only constant is change. What can go wrong, will go wrong. Be ready for those real-life changes. I mentioned this in previous articles on security. Back up your files. Install security software. Document your processes. Record your passwords offline. Put a plan in place before it is too late.
Story Length
In my opinion, the movie could have been shorter. It was two hours and thirty-five minutes long. I am a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise, but this is the first time I recall being bored. There were sections of the story that seemed unnecessary.
This is a perfect time to review your website’s content. Load a page and give yourself 5 seconds to look at it. Then attempt to answer these questions. Better yet, ask someone not familiar with your site the same questions.
- What site is this?
- What is this page about?
- Where in the site am I?
- What is the big idea(s) of this page?
- What actions can I take here?
If you cannot answer these questions, change your content. Make your pages easy to scan. Visually rank page elements so this data can be quickly found.
Action Item
First, if you are even a passing fan of Star Wars, go see The Last Jedi. It was a great new direction and I am excited to see what the future holds. Then get back to work! Get creative. Prepare for the unexpected. Optimize content for quick intake. Prayerfully consider starting new projects to fix what you find.
