The Seneca Creek Mailers

March 21, 2005 by

Seneca Creek Community Church parenting mailerThis weekend Todd Rhoades sent us an e-mail pointing out a series of mailers sent out by Seneca Creek Community Church in Germantown, Md. It’s not clear from the images if these are just postcards or full blown fliers, but they all seem to be advertising a specific sermon series and targeting a very specific audience. That’s a very smart way to go.


I like some of the imagery, especially the parenting mailer (pictured here). It’s simple, clean and captivating. Some of the others are a bit too busy to be effective, especially when they come with a pile of junk mail.

The Q&A format is also a bit forced, especially since it assumes an answer. Better copywriting would have helped. It’s also important to avoid churchy lingo. The parenting mailer is a series called “Raising Up Great Kids” with titles like “Raising Up Positive Kids,” “Raising Up Pure Kids,” “Raising Up…” –you get the idea. The phrase “raising up” is typical christianese. “Raising Positive Kids” is something a non-churched parent can relate to. “Raising Up Positive Kids” just sounds weird.

The back of the dreaming mailer features “what some of your neighbors are saying” and has quotes and pictures of actual people attending the church. What a cool feature. Notice that it’s real. No stock photography here. I’d love to see more church marketing take this approach.

Post By:

Kevin D. Hendricks


When Kevin isn't busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.
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2 Responses to “The Seneca Creek Mailers”

  • Chad Ballantyne
    April 19, 2005

    Hello CMS and others,
    I’m the graphic designer of the Seneca Creek Mailers. Thanks Kevin for the lift. I do agree with your critique about the Q and A. (Hey Pastor Bruce, ya know I still love ya!).
    For anyone interested – We launched a new ministry called Paradox – It’s core is serving and empowering artists – part of our mission is to help the local church do better at this stuff too. Let us know how we can help.
    Chad
    http://www.the-paradox.org


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  • Ben
    September 7, 2005

    The great part about these jumbo, folded postcards are that they feature real people from the church. This father and son actually attend Seneca. (I was part of a mentoring group that former pastor Bruce Johnson led)


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