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Erwin McManus Touches (Lightly) on Church Marketing

March 13, 2008 by

Erwin McManus has his thoughts about why churches are in decline. And it’s not bad design, bad web sites or poor use of technology.

“My primary assessment would be because American Christians tend to be incredibly self-indulgent so they see the church as a place there for them to meet their needs and to express faith in a way that is meaningful for them … I think the bottom line really is our own spiritual narcissism. There are methods and you can talk about style, structure and music, but in the end it really comes down to your heart and what you care about.”

You don’t market country clubs. You don’t market your secret society. And you can’t market your church if the attitude within is one of self-indulgence and only caring about what works best for your members. Simply put, you can’t market your church if your church isn’t ready to sacrifice. (link via MMI)

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Joshua Cody

Josh Cody served as our associate editor for several years before moving on to bigger things. Like Texas. These days he lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, and you can find him online or on Twitter when he's not wrestling code.
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6 Responses to “Erwin McManus Touches (Lightly) on Church Marketing”

  • Ben Birdsong
    March 13, 2008

    I totally agree with Erwin. When church is all about me and what I can get, others will be pushed to the sideline if not totally ignored. This makes a self-absorbed church that reaches no one with the gospel and fails to fulfill the mission which Jesus Christ has given His bride.


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  • Ben Birdsong
    March 13, 2008

    I totally agree with Erwin. When church is all about me and what I can get, others will be pushed to the sideline if not totally ignored. This makes a self-absorbed church that reaches no one with the gospel and fails to fulfill the mission which Jesus Christ has given His bride.


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  • Jim McGee
    March 13, 2008

    I think the sentiment can be taken a step further: In the U.S. over the next decade, those churches that are marked by visible acts of sacrifice for others are those that will be most successful in attracting outsiders.


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  • geoffreybrown
    March 13, 2008

    SERVING. That is what we all need to do. Not judging, not indulging. Serving.
    This is one of the best articles I have seen on CMS and one of the most important.
    SERVING.


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  • Jay
    March 14, 2008

    I really wish I could disagree with Erwin’s assessment of many American Christians, but…


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  • Nathan
    March 14, 2008

    Great post and comments. How do we help transition our congregations from attitudes of narcissism to sacrifice?


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