« July 2004 | Main | September 2004 »

August 31, 2004

Comic Sans is NOT Okay

(Filed under: Graphic Design)

Trust me on this one. Neither is using any other crazy font to spice up your flyers, newsletter or anything you print. Typography is an art, and if you're no artist you better tread lightly. Thanks to the computer, fonts have spread like chicken pox in kindergarten. Every computer comes preloaded with more fonts than you'll ever use, and a cheap CD can offer a different font for every member of your church. But that doesn't mean it's okay to use them all.

A little font restraint can add a healthy dose of class and style to whatever you're producing.

Continue reading "Comic Sans is NOT Okay"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:54 AM
| Comments (17) | TrackBack

August 30, 2004

Church Web Site Suck? Try a Blog!

(Filed under: Technology)

Church web sites can be a cemetery for outdated information and worse – spinning barrels and other animated graphics that shouldn't be. Perhaps a blog can be the cure for what ails church web sites.

The technology makes web publishing easy and affordable and lets your church web site be more than a glorified brochure. A blog can foster and encourage online as well as offline community, and make your site a regular destination for church members.

Continue reading "Church Web Site Suck? Try a Blog!"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:35 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Punctuation Makes All the Difference

(Filed under: Writing & Editing)

While editing announcements for my youth group's newsletter I came across this line in a blurb about fall Sunday school classes:

Parents’ sex will be discussed with the junior high Sunday school, if there are any concerns or questions please feel free to talk to the Youth Coordinator.

A colon instead of an apostrophe can make all the difference:

Parents: sex will be discussed with the junior high Sunday school, if there are any concerns or questions please feel free to talk to the Youth Coordinator.

Editing and proofreading is a vital part of any marketing project, especially if you want to avoid an awkward junior high Sunday school class. But it's not always easy. Speed and laziness conspire against us. Last week I posted some updates to this site and was quickly e-mailed about mistakes I should have caught.

All you have to do is be patient and diligent. That means grabbing a dictionary for the word you're unsure about (like I just did with "diligent"). Sometimes it helps to read your copy outloud. You'll be forced to read it slower and will be more likely to catch mistakes. It also helps to have another set of eyes proofread your copy. But whatever you do, don't trust a computer's spell or grammar check. Grammatically, there's nothing wrong with either of the above sentences.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:01 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 26, 2004

The Farmers Market: Is Your Church There?

(Filed under: Promotion)

I've been to a handful of local "farmers markets" around the U.S. and all of them are the same. Blocked-off streets in the heart of a small town, local merchants with chintzy tables selling everything from fresh vegetables and grilled meat to jewelry only found in flea markets. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a 2002 report, the number of farmers markets around the country has increased 79 percent since 1994.

I was with my wife tonight in San Luis Obispo, Calif. (for a little 4-day getaway a few hours from home). Once we figured out we were in SLO the same night as their weekly farmers market, we understood why parking was nowhere to be found and making a left turn was going to be impossible thanks to barricaded streets.

After a nice dinner together, we strolled the crowded town finding our way through sights, sounds, smells, and people of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The political climate was particularly intense as presidential backers and bashers were on every corner. Toward the end of the street, camouflaged with the rest of the merchants and across from the 500-foot grill cooking every part of a cow you could imagine, was something I have not seen at a farmers market before.

Continue reading "The Farmers Market: Is Your Church There?"

Posted by Brad Abare at 9:39 PM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

August 19, 2004

Church: Why Bother?

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Philip Yancey asks the question we're all wondering in his booklet Church: Why Bother? My Personal Pilgrimage. The first chapter starts with this quote from J.F. Powers' Wheat That Springeth Green that summarizes the whole conundrum of the church:

"This is a big old ship, Bill. She creaks, she rocks, she rolls, and at times she makes you want to throw up. But she gets where she's going. Always has, always will, until the end of time. With or without you."

Having grown up in a racist, fundamentalist church in the Deep South, Yancey has every reason to abandon the church. But he's found that the Christian faith can only be lived in community. "Perhaps for this reason, I have never given up on church. At a deep level I sense that church contains something I desperately need." (23)

Continue reading "Church: Why Bother?"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:58 PM
| Comments (8) | TrackBack

August 18, 2004

After these Messages... from God

(Filed under: Mass Media)

Mainstream denominations are turning to TV commercials to bring people back to church. The United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, Presbyterians and Episcopalians are all exploring TV advertising, often partnering with local congregations.

The results are already promising: The United Methodist Church is reporting a 7 percent increase in attendance in its five test markets.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:02 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Have a Nice Day" at a Church Near You

(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)

Churches should adopt the 'meet and greet' style hospitality of the commercial world to welcome new visitors, according to Rev. Alison Gilchrist, a Church of England priest and her book Creating a Culture of Welcome.

But not everyone agrees. For some the thought of a plastic welcome is all too similar to a high pressure sales pitch. But the underlying idea rings true:

"Protestant or Catholic, traditionalist or trendy, the harsh truth is that the survival of a congregation hinges less on the doctrines it espouses than the professionalism with which it spreads its good news."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:47 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Free Valet Parking Doesn't Suck

(Filed under: Examples)

When construction made parking a headache at Abundant Life Church in Grapevine, Texas, church members started a free valet parking service. It began with the eldery and disabled, but now is offered to anyone. How's that for service?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:35 PM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

August 17, 2004

10 Technologies to Watch in 2004

(Filed under: Think Ahead)

In November of 2003, Business 2.0 released their hot list of "10 Technologies to Watch in 2004." Here we are in August, nearly two-thirds of the way through the year and maybe half of them are somewhat mainstream ideas. Most are still not realities.

I understand why magazines run stories like this. They need to sell magazines, readers like to be in the loop on the cool stuff ahead, and top ten lists have been getting audiences for years and years.

One of the things I do like about guesswork features like these is the forward thinking it causes me to do in my own life. What are top 10 things to watch for in my family, ministry, and job in the coming year?

Continue reading "10 Technologies to Watch in 2004"

Posted by Brad Abare at 8:09 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 16, 2004

Creating Church Evangelists

(Filed under: Promotion)

A big buzz in the world of business and marketing right now is the concept of word of mouth. The idea is that advertising is dying, and rather than wasting marketing budgets on expensive commercials that aren't delivering, why not invest in your customers? Let them do the advertising for you.

If customers love your business or organization, they'll tell others. It's free advertising. It's also called customer evangelism. A blatantly religious idea is the biggest buzz among savvy marketers. It's time churches took back the great commission.

Continue reading "Creating Church Evangelists"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:13 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hot or Not?

(Filed under: Technology)

In the vein of such, well vain, sites as AmIHotOrNot.com comes Hot or Not Church Sites, a site that lets you view and rate church web sites. Give each site a rating between 1 (not) and 10 (hot) and then see how the site faired with other visitors.

The site also offers several resources to improve your church web site, including tips, a professional evaluation and a free "webinar". (link via e-vangelism.com via eQuip)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:03 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

E-mail and Your Church

(Filed under: Technology)

Do you maintain a list of e-mail addresses for everyone in your church? If not, consider some ways you could benefit from this fast, effective, and inexpensive form of communication:

• Save money and time over snail mail
• Notify/remind volunteers of their upcoming times to serve
• Communiqué from the pastor (biblical insights, sermon notes, etc.)
• Alert congregation to the sermon topic and invite someone who could use it
• Send a regular newsletter
• Notify congregation of service cancellations (i.e., snow storm)
• Thank new visitors for coming and give contact info if they have questions

There are countless ways you can tap into the effectiveness of keeping a database of e-mail addresses for the people in your church, and there are several free and paid services available for maintaining it.

Continue reading "E-mail and Your Church"

Posted by Brad Abare at 6:48 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 12, 2004

I go to church.

(Filed under: Promotion)

Planned Parenthood is offering a T-shirt for upcoming pro-choice rallies with the simple statement, "I had an abortion." The move is sparking plenty of debate and drawing fire from Christian bloggers (Brian Baute, Tim Bednar, Dannah Gresh, etc.). In addition to the shirts, Planned Parenthood is also planning a documentary for release next year.

I'd like to see a different T-shirt promoting pride in church attendance: "I go to church."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:41 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 11, 2004

No Need to Impress

(Filed under: Philosophy)

"That's why it's so wonderful to have a home church. We get to mess up in front of them. Have fun with them. Experiment with them. Try things that work, and others that don't. It's nice to have a community of people where you don't really need to impress anybody. They become your 'soundboard' and a little bit of a testing ground where you can explore things together." -Eric Owyoung, vocalist for the worship band Something Like Silas, which despite releasing a national album is sticking with its San Diego church home (Source: Christian Music Today).

Church is supposed to be a place of acceptance and love where there's no need to impress. Perfection should be checked at the door. Which makes clamoring for excellence in church marketing a sticky proposition.

Continue reading "No Need to Impress"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:52 AM
| Comments (10) | TrackBack

Sunday Morning Segregation

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

"Eleven o'clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America," civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. declared many times, quoting evangelist Billy Graham. While that statement is more than 50 years old, it remains solidly true today, despite the continual claims of the Bible that we are all one (1 Cor. 12:13, Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11).

But there is reason for hope.

Continue reading "Sunday Morning Segregation"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:03 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 10, 2004

Don't Tell the Truth, Realize It

(Filed under: Philosophy)

"Truth we are told is truth we may not accept; the truth we have realized is the only truth we own." - Roy H. Williams

In his book The Wizard of Ads, ad man Roy H. Williams writes about truth in advertising in a one-page chapter titled "When the Truth Is Not Persuasive." His profound simplicity on the subject is worth a second look as it applies to the context of how a church can promote itself and the Truth it represents.

Continue reading "Don't Tell the Truth, Realize It"

Posted by Brad Abare at 7:03 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 9, 2004

Churchy the Church Mouse

(Filed under: Advertising)

Advertising Icons are making news: Smokey the Bear, one of the most famous ad icons in history turns 60 today, and Advertising Week in New York City launched a promotional campaign featuring icons like Tony the Tiger and Mr. Clean in a run up to their September event that includes online voting for the favorite icon. Too bad they're don't have a least favorite icon poll -- I'd like to nominate Arby's oven mitt.

But with all this talk of advertising icons, perhaps the church should have its own icon?

Continue reading "Churchy the Church Mouse"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:07 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Not Everything Has to Suck

(Filed under: Technology)

A desire to improve church web design and unemployment prompted the growth of Great Church Websites, a web site founded by David Gillaspey. The site features screen shots of church web sites Gillaspey has deemed "great." So far he's reviewed about 5,000 sites and added 318 to his gallery. His site also includes basic web do's and don'ts.

"The pastor or church staff has to have a vision for the use of a website to reach unchurched people," Gillaspey said in a recent interview. "They need to view having a church website as an important ministry tool for reaching the lost."

"I'd be happy if I accomplished nothing more with Great Church Websites than to wake church webmasters up to the fact that their website is out of date, but could easily be made acceptable by their simply eliminating the use of dated web design techniques," said Gillaspey.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:37 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Virtual Church

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

Now you can attend church in your underwear, thanks to Church of Fools, what is quite possibly the world's first web-based, 3D church. You can pray, kneel, chat and worship in the three-dimensional church environment as a character of your own choosing, somewhat like the video game The Sims. The virtual church was set up as a three-month experiment that ended on Sunday, though creators hope it will continue.

"On Religion" columnist Terry Mattingly covered Tony Campolo's guest sermon at Church of Fools, and plans to tackle the question of whether or not an online church is a real church in his next column.

Continue reading "Virtual Church"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:03 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 6, 2004

Get Consistent, Starbucks

(Filed under: Promotion)

Every once in a while, my wife gets a hankering for finding and using coupons. This past week was no exception when she came upon quite the prize: Starbucks coupons! And more than just one, there were several winners. "Free beverage with the purchase of another." "Free drink (any kind, any size) with purchase of a pastry." "Free drink of your choice." We thought the end of the world had to be close because Starbucks has coupons!

Not so fast.

Continue reading "Get Consistent, Starbucks"

Posted by Brad Abare at 6:18 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 5, 2004

False Advertising

(Filed under: The Christian Walk)

"The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus. ... That's one reason why the statistics on Christians generally don't differ from the statistics on non-Christians. We're not living a different life." -Dallas Willard (RelevantMagazine.com)

Christians are walking billboards for the church, and too often it's a case of false advertising. Church marketing sucks, but so do we. We're a sinful and broken people, but half the time we can't admit it. We put on an air of perfection, forgetting that in our brokenness we are complete. The church is for the broken, not the perfect.

Yet rather than accept our imperfection and live lives transformed by grace, we pretend to be perfect and wallow in our sin.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:05 PM
| Comments (7) | TrackBack

Billy Graham's Marketing Man

(Filed under: Advertising)

Rick Marshall, crusade director for Billy Graham's 2001 Lousiville Crusade, talks about the organization's marketing efforts, which included spending $200,000 (not including donated or discounted ad space) on 65 billboards, 60 bus ads, 318 TV spots, 43 newspaper ads, 7,500 posters and 844 radio spots.

"Popular culture views Christianity today as self-righteous, critical, judgmental," Marshall said. "If people think they are going to be preached at, they are not going to come."

One billboard boasted the line: "If God exists, you'll be glad you came. If he doesn't, there'll be pizza."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:40 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

More People Sleeping in on Sunday

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

The number of adults who skip church has nearly doubled since 1991, rising from 39 million to 75 million. These unchurched adults, defined as adults who haven't attended church in the past six months other than holidays or special events like weddings or funerals, account for 34% of the population.

In a bizarre twist, while about half of the churched population has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior (only half!?), one in six unchurched adults (about 17%) have done so as well.

Continue reading "More People Sleeping in on Sunday"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:17 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 4, 2004

Olympic Marketing Sucks... Up the Money

(Filed under: Advertising)

Despite the unusually quiet publicity, extremely low ticket sales, and impossible preparation feats the country of Greece is going through with this year's Olympics in Athens, corporate sponsorships remain strong. Over 1 billion dollars in sponsorships - 32 percent of the total IOC revenue - will flow from heavy weights like Coca-Cola, Visa, and Kodak. NBC expects to net a record $1 billion in ad sales for its television coverage of the games, with nearly 90 percent of its commercial inventory already sold. Sponsorships have kept the games going for many years. While Olympic-size marketing opportunities are often only available to the big spenders, your church can benefit big time from the concept of sponsorship.

Continue reading "Olympic Marketing Sucks... Up the Money"

Posted by Brad Abare at 6:05 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 3, 2004

Emergent Church Marketing Sucks, Too!

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Reimagining Spiritual Formation isn't exactly a title that makes you sit up and pay attention. But the subtitle should get you: "A week in the life of an experimental church." This book explores a week at Solomon's Porch, an emergent church in Minneapolis, through the eyes of Pastor Doug Pagitt and several members of the community. While Pagitt isn’t trying to add to the church marketing discussion, there's plenty to chew on.

"We join with the many people, professional and lay, who have suggested in writings, conversations, prayers, and pleadings that the Christian Church has not lived up to its potential or calling in the post-industrialized world, but that it could." (page 23)

Continue reading "Emergent Church Marketing Sucks, Too!"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:08 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is Marketing In the Bible?

(Filed under: Philosophy)

For all of the wisdom in the book of Proverbs, the word "marketing" is not found. Furthermore, a key word search through 18 different Bible translations returns just one finding with the word "marketing." In The Message version, 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture." While I am not going to insert or extract a certain theology from this one verse (not to mention one translation), it does make for some interesting arguments, especially given its context.

The bigger picture here is the word "marketing" and how it relates to today, given its non-existence in word-form (at least how we understand it now) centuries ago.

Continue reading "Is Marketing In the Bible?"

Posted by Brad Abare at 7:10 AM
| Comments (36) | TrackBack

Church Kitchen Meth Lab

(Filed under: Off the Wall)

A meth lab was found in the kitchen of a rural North Dakota church last week. Thankfully it's not the latest youth group outreach event.

"I'd prefer that our kitchen be used for bake sales," said Pastor Dave Sobek.

"A church almost makes sense," said Rick Majerus, a Cass County, N.D., sheriff's lieutenant. "If nobody is using the church during the week, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the possibilities." If criminals see the possibilities of a church sitting empty all week, why doesn't the church?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:14 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 2, 2004

What's in a Name?

(Filed under: Brand & Identity)

Everything. The church should know that. Yet again and again you'll see churches with baffling names, either for the entire church or for programs or titles. You might think I was married in a retirement community ("Spring Lake Church"), and you'll definitely wonder what two staff members at Bethlehem Baptist do (Pastor of "Evangelism, Discipleship & Assimilation," Pastor of "Student & Young Adult Care & Assimilation").

When businesses pick a name, they spend a few million. So why can't the church spend a few minutes? The naming and branding company Igor offers a free 52-page PDF Naming Guide, which covers some basic strategy for picking product and company names. If your church is considering renaming itself or even just looking to name a new ministry, check out Igor's free advice.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:22 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

Lessons from Apple & Victoria's Secret

(Filed under: Building Design)

When you walk into a retail store everything has a purpose. Someone thought about every design element, from the racks, to the lighting, to the location of the cash register. Good interior design will evoke positive feelings for the retailer, facilitate shopping, and encourage buying. While those aren't exactly the goals of the church, we can learn a lot about interior design from the approach of two upscale retailers, Apple and Victoria's Secret (Lingerie!? Gasp!).

You can't compare computers and panties to Jesus and the Bible, but we can get some insights that might influence what the inside of your church looks like.

Continue reading "Lessons from Apple & Victoria's Secret"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:25 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack