Podcast Summary: unSeminary Podcast – "Stop the Noise: Building Clear Communication in a Growing Church with Luke Cornwell"

Date: October 23, 2025
Host: Rich Birch
Guest: Luke Cornwell, Communications Pastor at Real Life Church, Indiana

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the real-world challenges and practical strategies of church communications within one of the fastest-growing churches in America. Rich Birch talks with Luke Cornwell of Real Life Church about navigating internal and external communications amid rapid growth, minimizing organizational "noise," and building systems that reinforce both clarity and church culture. The conversation is full of actionable insights for church staff and communications leaders striving to align their teams, deepen relationships, and cut through the clutter in both their congregation and broader community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real Life Church’s Growth Story and Luke’s Role

• Background (03:05):
  • Real Life Church started in 2007, with slow initial growth. Things shifted around 2018 when attendance broke the 500–700 mark.
  • Two campuses: New Palestine (primary) and Greenfield (launched Feb 2025, already reaching 500+ attendees).
  • Wide community impact, not only through services but educational initiatives (e.g., Real Life STEM Academy).
• Luke’s Role: Oversees all internal and external communications, ensuring alignment with the lead pastor’s vision and integrating across events, social media, print, and web.

Quote

"Numbers aren't everything, but it wasn't until about 2018 where they started to cross over the 5 to 700 mark, which is a really good sized church ... since then, it has just catapulted in both number and impact in the community."
— Luke Cornwell (03:05)

2. Communication Complexity in a Growing Church

• Staff Growth Challenges (05:26):
  • Expanding from 15 to 30+ staff created new communication hurdles; what used to be solved in one room now requires structured communication systems.
  • Importance of "keep[ing] our relationships strong through all of that noise": relationships must underpin any system or process.

Quote

"As we grew in staff numbers and weekend numbers, we realized that we had to be on the same page even more."
— Luke Cornwell (05:26)

3. Systems & Tools for Internal Communication

• Meeting Rhythms (07:27, 09:26):
  • Multiple regular touchpoints to ensure information cascades effectively:
    • Tuesday morning chapel (worship + devotion).
    • One Church meeting led by Executive Pastor (updates from both campuses).
    • Team breakouts for more detailed, context-specific discussion.
    • Executive leadership meets Mondays to set weekly direction.
• Technology:
  • Slack is primary for internal comms, replacing most internal emails and texts (08:54).
    • Email used mainly for non-urgent matters ("You're on vacation; I want you to see this").
    • Slack: for immediacy and multiple channel capabilities.

Quote

"We don't text each other, we Slack each other ... 95% of our communication is all in Slack."
— Luke Cornwell (08:54)

Key Segment

• Meeting Cadence Structure (09:26–10:46)

4. The Core of Communication: Relationships & Alignment

• Relational Leadership (12:00):
  • Luke's approach: constant, direct communication with ministry leaders, positioning the comms team as "facilitators" not gatekeepers.
• Avoiding the "Communications Police" Trap (13:37):
  • Approach difficult conversations with humility and alignment, getting "buy-in" at every level, especially on visible or sensitive changes.
• Proactive Transparency (15:30):
  • Keep lead pastors informed, not to micromanage but to avoid ambiguity and foster trust.

Quote

"The church is a communication platform. Everything is communications."
— Luke Cornwell (16:28)

5. Managing the Tension: Urgency vs. Culture

• Balanced Excellence (17:14):
  • Strive for excellence while recognizing you can’t do everything (“Excellence is doing what you can with what you have.”).
  • Continually ask: "What is enough?" and seek direction from God.
• Cultural Reinforcement: Use every communication to push the church closer to its vision and values.

6. Cutting Through the Noise in a Distracted Culture

• Communication Strategy (19:15):
  • Have a plan: Know your purpose and channels.
  • Value-driven comms: Don't just remind—add value.
  • Defined "lanes":
    • Text: Only for personal, high-importance contacts.
    • Email: Responses and reminders (never more than one per day, 20:40).
    • Weekly midweek update sets a predictable rhythm.

Quote

"We will not text people just because that's what they answer ... and we don't over send communication."
— Luke Cornwell (20:29)

7. Saying "No" with Grace

• Communicate the "Do", Not Just the "Don't" (21:46):
  • When you can't accommodate a request, explain what will be done and why.
  • Collaborate across leadership so that plans are understood and shared, avoiding surprises and unnecessary conflict.

8. Communications as Discipleship

• Role of Comms in Spiritual Formation (23:14):
  • See every communication as a discipleship moment to draw people "closer to Jesus between Sundays."
  • Work closely with other ministry teams (e.g., small groups, volunteer teams) to ensure messages are opportunistic for spiritual growth.

9. Low-Hanging Fruit: Biggest Church Communication Mistakes

• Brand Consistency & Demographic Awareness (24:48):
  • As a church grows, expectations for unified and "on brand" visuals, messages, and experiences increase.
  • Most crucial: Truly understanding your congregation's demographics and tailoring messages accordingly.
• Tools & Processes:
  • Use management platforms (e.g., Community Church Builder, "Nurture" software) and teams of volunteer "captains" to avoid letting people fall through the cracks.

Quote

"If you know who you're talking to, you change the way you're talking."
— Luke Cornwell (25:36)

Key Segment

• Addressing Demographics & Tools (26:35–28:01)

10. Ministry through Community Initiatives: The Steam Academy

• What is it? (28:22):
  • A childcare ministry offering full-day, 5-day-a-week educational programming.
  • Service to the broader community, not just church attendees—has become a major outreach and connection point.
• Impact: Direct pipeline for families and staff into church life and, in many cases, to faith decisions.

11. Building a Communications Team

• Professionalizing as You Grow (30:02):
  • Communications gets more complex as churches scale—like accounting, you eventually need specialists.
  • Need to balance multiple communication disciplines (video, design, copywriting) and recognize your unique church’s values in hiring.

Quote

"People are our biggest asset because they have God given gifts. And yes, ChatGPT can write better than all of us, but nobody can channel the Holy Spirit like his creation."
— Luke Cornwell (34:03)

12. Final Advice for Communications Leaders

• Stay connected to Jesus and others; collaboration is crucial.
• Don’t try to be an island—inviting input and building genuine relationships is key to sustained impact.

Quote

"Collaborating with people is the best way to see God's vision and plan for your lives and for your church succeed."
— Luke Cornwell (34:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Systems and Relationships:
  "Systems are great, but it's all about the people and it's all about relationships within those systems." (06:45, Luke Cornwell)

• On Communication Channels:
  "Email is like, hey, you're on vacation. I need to send you something and I want you to see it. But it doesn't need immediate attention. Slack is like, hey, I need you to respond to this." (09:00, Luke Cornwell)

• On Avoiding 'No' as a Default:
  "The best way to communicate no is not in what you're not going to do, but in what you're going to do do." (21:59, Luke Cornwell)

Key Takeaways For Listeners

• Structure Your Communication: Regular, well-planned meetings and digital channels (like Slack) help ensure everyone is on the same page as your church grows.
• Prioritize Relationships: Systems only work if trust and real relationships are central, both within staff and in communications with your congregation.
• Have a Clear Strategy: Map out what channel is for what communication, and be proactive in setting expectations to avoid overwhelming people.
• Understand Your Audience: Invest in demographic research and use tools to know and respond to your people’s unique needs.
• Disciple Through Communication: Every message is a chance to pastor your people between Sundays.
• Grow Your Team Thoughtfully: As your church expands, intentionally supplement your team with a mix of personalities and technical skills.
• Encourage Collaboration: Involve staff and volunteers in planning and feedback to foster unity—no communications leader is an island.

Important Timestamps

• Real Life Church background: 03:05
• Growth communication challenges: 05:26
• Internal communication systems & Slack usage: 07:27–08:54
• Weekly meeting rhythm: 09:26–10:46
• Navigating relationships as a comms leader: 12:00–13:37
• Keeping lead pastor aligned: 13:37–16:28
• Managing urgent vs. cultural comms: 17:14–18:37
• Dealing with noise and communication 'lanes': 19:15–21:09
• Saying 'no' with grace: 21:46
• Communications as discipleship: 23:14–24:16
• Low-hanging fruit in communications: 24:39–26:25
• Understanding your congregation: 26:35–28:01
• The Steam Academy as outreach: 28:22–29:54
• Professionalizing the communications role: 30:02–34:03
• Final encouragement/advice: 34:16–34:57

For more resources, connect with Luke Cornwell at reallifechurch.org or follow Real Life Church on social media (handles: 'Real Life Church' with one L).