Church Marketing Sucks

Our nonprofit parent, the Center for Church Communication (CFCC), is thrilled to announce our new executive director, Mark MacDonald.

Mark has served on the CFCC board since 2013 and oversaw our Intensive events (formerly known as Certification Lab). Mark is an author, speaker, and strategic communication catalyst with the Florida Baptist Convention. He’s also the author of Be Known for Something.

We talked with Mark to get his take on the current state of church communication and what’s in store for the future.

Future of Church Communication

Church Marketing Sucks has been around since 2004. What changes have you seen in those 14 years? What’s the next communication challenge for churches?

I started working with church communication a few years before Church Marketing Sucks—it was a different world then! Many wouldn’t talk about marketing in the light of ministry. Most only splurged on a Yellow Pages ad, a simple newspaper listing, and a bulletin. Church Marketing Sucks and CFCC have been so pivotal in starting and progressing the necessary conversation!

Now the role of church communicator has matured and almost every church is in the discussion. Church leadership realize that “go and tell” actually means good marketing! And because of websites, emails, texting, social media (along with the regular print materials), it’s almost impossible for a church to use these tools effectively without the attention of a dedicated person. I’m so thankful that CFCC has tackled what it means to be a Courageous Storyteller and communicator. It’s exciting to see churches understand that taking our product to market through “story” is truly sharing the love of Christ to our community.

Does church marketing still suck? We certainly have improved over the years with so many being good stewards of our talents and using mass marketing tools to their fullest. But understanding how many churches aren’t yet fully effective or the communicators who’ve run into roadblocks, I’m excited to dream about the future! I’ve dedicated my life to encouraging and motivating those in the field.

What Does CFCC Bring?

There are a lot of church communication voices out there—what do you think CFCC adds to the mix?

There certainly are many voices! That’s a good thing, but there needs to be an organization that listens to all the noise and breathes clarity into the most important things. CFCC is committed to the health and wellbeing of those working and struggling in the trenches. It’s rarely a simple tool tip that’s needed. I want CFCC to be known for guidance, protection, and vision for the national church communication work. A voice that rises above the noise.

What’s Next?

As the new executive director, what’s next for CFCC? 

I’ve been serving on the CFCC board for years and each meeting we pray and seek God’s guidance to assist the church comm world. Our ultimate goal is to figure out from a 10,000-foot view what church communicators really need.

My dream is to talk with church leaders and educate them about church communication. Sure, I also want CFCC to keep interjecting into the practical church comm world and make sure we’re honing our craft to it’s fullest. But I realize many of us aren’t given the support or direction we need from the pastors who are guiding the ministries. Let’s solve this divide and create a win/win for our churches so that we can effectively thrive while communicating.

Watch for some exciting changes and additions in the months to come as we examine the solutions.

Inspiring Churches

What do you see churches doing today that inspires you?

I started in this field as a designer, art director, and then creative director. Knowing what God achieved creatively throughout all time, I often wondered why the church world couldn’t be known for creativity.

Today, many of the leading churches are trying to push the envelope and are doing some unique things that stand out even in the secular world. I love seeing God’s work setting the standard! I especially love how churches are solving problems and tackling the challenge of relevancy in our communities. Plus, they’re using new tools, new ideas, and new channels to tell the old, old story—in a new way. What a time to be alive!

Needs Work

What do you see churches doing today that still needs work?

Many of those creatively leading churches, as well as many other churches who want to be creative, are falling for the copycat trap. That’s creating a world of sameness-stratification. Communicators end up doing similar work for similar sermon series. It doesn’t take long following social media posts to realize many have given up on creativity when we’re constantly asking others to use what they’ve already done—often in the guise of “give me some inspiration”.

We can do better! There are some things (paradigms and processes) that should be copied, but when it comes to creativity, let’s hone the skill of reaching our distinctive audiences uniquely!