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September 30, 2004

I Can't Afford Marketing That Doesn't Suck

(Filed under: Church Business)

Working with hundreds of churches over the years, I get so frustrated with the "we don't have any money" excuse so prevalent with today's pastors and church councils. I understand tight budgets, small tithe and offering collections, and options too numerous to count for what to do with the limited money churches do have. From building funds to paper for the copier, better toys in the nursery to paying the electric bill, church ain't cheap. Add in all of the ministry options like youth group trips to Mexico, holiday productions, and new curriculum for Sunday school, and you've got bona fide benevolence bliss.

Continue reading "I Can't Afford Marketing That Doesn't Suck"

Posted by Brad Abare at 7:11 AM
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September 27, 2004

Jamming Cell Phones in Church

(Filed under: Off the Wall)

Churches in Mexico are using high-tech jammers to keep cell phones from ringing in the midst of services. It's illegal, but no one seems to care.

As interesting as that story is, all I can think of is cornball lines to promote these cell phone-free churches:

No signal from the tower? Try a higher power!
We jam for the Lamb.
Can you hear ME now?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:30 AM
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Subway in the House of God

(Filed under: Promotion)

Speaking of business ventures as church advertising, how about opening a Subway in the house of God?

Seems a bit more commercial than many of us prefer, though it also sounds just like the stories you hear of a church opening a Starbucks in the foyer (is that just urban legend, or has it actually happened?).

Continue reading "Subway in the House of God"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:05 AM
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September 24, 2004

They Should Lash Us To Our Pews

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Some thoughts on the ridiculousness of our efforts in church from the Annie Dillard essay "An Expedition to the Pole," which can be found in the book Teaching a Stone to Talk.

She's not talking about church marketing, but she could be.

Continue reading "They Should Lash Us To Our Pews"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:45 PM
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Sunday Morning Dress Code

(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)

The Ann Arbor News has a balanced article about the casual trend in church attire. The piece includes both the pragmatic and anti-legalism pro that God cares more about the heart, as well as the traditional con that dressing up shows respect for God and is a carry-over from more formal days gone by.

What you wear to church seems like a pretty silly issues, but it's caused many Sunday morning fights as families struggle to get out the door.

Continue reading "Sunday Morning Dress Code"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:35 AM
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If You Don't Build It, They Will Come

(Filed under: Church Business)

Isaiah Church has no building, but that's okay. Rev. Troy Benton plans to build his church by forming a congregation first, and worrying about a building later. It's a common practice for new church plants to forgo a building project and focus on people.

What if the local church was known for its people and not simply its location on the corner?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:28 AM
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Money Grubbing

(Filed under: Church Business)

Stewardship has to be one of the touchiest subjects in the church. Until churches start charging a cover and collecting it at the door, offerings and pledge drives are a reality. But there are good ways and bad ways to ask for money.

The Dallas Morning News covers the plate passing, and gives some helpful collection advice, and some scary stats (between 30-50 percent of church goers don't give at all).

And for the lighter side of stewardship, they also offer a collection of offering jokes.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:14 AM
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September 23, 2004

It's the End of the Church As We Know It

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

A couple interesting tidbits from Will Samson, who just spent two days hanging out with George Barna and Leonard Sweet talking about the future of the church:

• "Currently only 65% of self-professed Christian in America experience their faith through the local church, and that is diminishing every year. He [Barna] predicts that by 2025 only about one-third of Americans will experience their faith through what we would define today as a local church."

• "According to Barna, the people who sit in our pews on Sunday morning are statistically unrecognizable from everyone else in the culture in terms of their actions and attitudes."

He goes on to talk about spiritual mini-movements and the importance of children's ministry. (link via Knightopia)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:44 PM
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Making Sense of Church

(Filed under: Reviews)

Spencer Burke, creator of the TheOoze.com, wrote Making Sense of Church, a book that dives into a lot of the post-modern/emergent conversations about the church.

While the book is more of a conversation about God, community and culture, there's a few things we can learn that are applicable to the church marketing conversation.

Continue reading "Making Sense of Church"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:36 PM
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September 22, 2004

Church Shopping

(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)

Fall is back to school time, but it's also back to church time, according to an article in The Christian Science Monitor, as more people tend to return to church or start shopping around. Apparently more and more churches are accepting the idea of church shopping, deciding they'd rather see members find a church they can stick with than fall away.

But church shopping does have a downside. 1 in 4 church attendees started coming to their current congregation in the last five years. Of those newbies, only 7 percent are entirely new to church. That means a whole lot of folks are church hopping.

Continue reading "Church Shopping"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:27 AM
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September 20, 2004

Business Ventures as Church Advertising

(Filed under: Advertising)

Starting businesses, providing jobs, and generating an economic turn around for a depressed area of Portland: It's advertising without advertising.

"People have lost faith in the church because the church isn't showing them anything," says Elbert Mondaine, the idea man behind Celebration Tabernacle's economic empowerment plan that has ten Portland businesses in the works or up and running. "If the 12 churches in the one-and-a-half-mile radius of this place each started two or three businesses, we'd have it goin' on."

"The church is supposed to be the core of the community and responsible for at least a portion of social and economic development," says Mondaine. "The church needs to be a place of empowerment."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:05 AM
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E-mail and the Youth Pastor

(Filed under: Technology)

Youth Specialties offers some advice for how youth workers can make the most of e-mail. The basic lesson is e-mail won't replace mailings or phone calls as the communication vehicle of choice (why not? of the e-mails the author collected, less than half actually read and responded to e-mails when tested). But for those who have embraced e-mail, it can be effective. Know the difference and take advantage of it.

(and we'll forgive the author for continually referring to e-mail as "eMail")

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:51 AM
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September 16, 2004

Old and Boring with a Big Future

(Filed under: Philosophy)

I just spent the last hour on a conference call with a development team I am a part of for a ministry organization that has been around over 125 years. For the last several years, they have been trying to find, focus, and forecast a future that is contextualized within a past that is perhaps bigger than any other movement among young people I am aware of.

How does an organization so old, with a history so rich, position itself to last another 125 years? What can a terrific past teach us that would not otherwise be learned as we grow our churches?

The past smells while the future is odorless. Looking back helps as you look ahead but looking ahead while looking back can be costly.

After being around for so long, the tendency to think that marketing will work itself out is natural. After all, the longer you exist, the more people that know you, the more people will "buy" into you, right?

Unfortunately, that doesn't work. Anybody remember Montgomery Ward? If your church has been on the same corner for the last 50 years, don't assume everybody in the neighborhood is aware of your church, not to mention what you're all about.

What would it look like if older churches promoted/marketed themselves as vibrant, thriving, healthy churches with a passion for God and a zest for seeking and connecting community? What if the history of the church came through in the rich stories of the people that make up the church and not etched in nameplates, smelly pews, and fall-asleep preaching?

Maybe history was meant to be discovered. Not treasured.

Posted by Brad Abare at 7:58 AM
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September 15, 2004

One Church – One Commercial

(Filed under: Advertising)

Texas blogger Rob Stewart writes:

"The McDonald's at 50th St. and Quaker Ave. doesn't have its own commercial separate from commercials for the McDonald's at 19th and University. There's an ad for McDonald's, period. What if we advertised the Church that way? Not ads for Monterey Church of Christ or Second Baptist Church or Holy Parish Church, but ads for God's Church."

Right on. While it’s not exactly the same idea, some denominations are using national campaigns on a local scale, making better quality commercials that are easy on the small budgets of local congregations.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:19 AM
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Unmarketing the Church

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Texas blogger Rob Stewart mentioned us in a recent post, noting that we take issue with marketing the church.

While I love the post, I did want to point out that we don’t have an issue with marketing itself. Marketing happens. We have an issue with crappy marketing.

Both Stewart and commenter Chris Green suggested better approaches for helping the church connect with people:

Stewart: "What if people in need came to know the Church not by its place (the four walls on a street corner) but by Christians' effectual presence in their lives?"

Green: "I wonder what it would be like if we took our marketing money and made it mission money. Like putting cash into an after school day care program for single parent families that can’t afford day care. Or putting our creativity to work on solving housing issues, or recovery for addicts, or helping teen moms."

While those approaches aren’t traditionally what we think of as marketing, they’re still marketing. These are the kind of ideas that are gaining steam in the business world as traditional media advertising becomes less and less effective. This is marketing that no longer sucks.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:56 AM
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Apathy in the Pew

(Filed under: The Christian Walk)

Doug Tappan doesn’t like church anymore, and said as much in his recent editorial:

"I’ve come to expect the church to forge my spiritual development. Instead of working on my own prayer and devotional life, I want the church to do it for me. ...

"I’d like to blame all this on our American culture of selfishness. I’d like to say that I am this way because I’ve been socially conditioned by all the advertising and marketing that I’m encountered with day after day; advertising that says things like ‘Have it Your Way.’ Well, I do want it my way. Don’t we all? Isn’t it true that if we don’t like how things are done at one church we can just go across town (or across the street, for some of us) and find a church that suits our felt needs better? Is that what Jesus intended for His church? Did He want us to forsake our churches just to seek ‘greener pastures’ somewhere else? It’s true that the Church is flawed. No church is exempt from this. But instead of giving up (or becoming total cynics of every last detail) we should be working to change that which is wrong in our churches, but more than that—to change that which is wrong in ourselves.”

I think Doug nails it. Church marketing may suck, but sometimes the blame lies with the people in the pews. Not that blame is the important thing, but it brings us back to the constant refrain that we are a broken people. Recognizing that is important.

It’s also interesting to note that Doug points a finger at the self-centeredness of current marketing. Does church marketing fall in that boat as well?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:20 AM
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September 13, 2004

Bono: No Respectability for the Church

(Filed under: The Christian Walk)

Bono, the lead singer of U2 and the patron saint of culturally aware Christians, has made his views on AIDS and the church clear. He hates the idea of the church being uninvolved in something he sees as right in line with the church's mission:

"Christ's example is being demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy, which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here. If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't, it will be irrelevant."

He goes on to attack the status quo in the church:

"To some people the church is their ticket to respectability, a certain bourgeois point of view, a safety net for when they go to bed. My idea of Christianity is no safety net, a scathing attack on bourgeois values, and a risk to respectability."

Continue reading "Bono: No Respectability for the Church"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:20 PM
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Mike Atkinson: Poor Church Web Sites Can Be Costly

(Filed under: Technology)

Mike Atkinson, former web guru for Youth Specialties, talks about church web sites in an interview with Good News, etc., a San Diego Christian newspaper (which could use some web design advice itself).

"It has been proven over-and-over that sites with poor navigation lose money for companies. That principle can hold true for a church as well."

That principle can also extend to the more important issue of a poor web site losing potential visitors, as I'm sure Mike would agree. Watch for Mike's upcoming monthly column on church web sites in Good News, etc.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:52 AM
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E-mail 101

(Filed under: Technology)

I wish it weren't so, but churches (and the general population) are rookies when it comes to e-mail. Goofy forwards, typing in all caps, and the biggest e-mail sin of all -- sending a mass e-mail using the CC field.

If you have no idea what's so horrible about that last sentence, then you need to read these nine simple things everyone should know about e-mail (free 10-page PDF).

Once you can avoiding the rookie mistakes then maybe it's time to consider putting e-mail to work for your church.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:18 AM
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September 10, 2004

Is Marketing a Dirty Word?

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Marketing gets a bad rap. With telemarketers, pushy sales people, and lousy marketing tactics it’s no wonder people bristle at the word. But the concept itself isn’t the problem. Marketing happens whether you plan it or not.

It gets especially tricky when you start talking about the church and marketing. People tend to get up in the arms at the idea of a pastor as salesman. Perhaps it’s a bit too close to home.

Maybe you think the church shouldn’t market itself. And if by that you mean the church shouldn’t use deceptive tactics, shouldn’t use dishonest methods, shouldn’t misrepresent itself to get people in the door, then you really mean the church shouldn’t use poor marketing efforts.

Continue reading "Is Marketing a Dirty Word?"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:55 PM
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Heal Your Church Web Site

(Filed under: Technology)

A blog covering church web sites, just one more reason why there's no excuse for having a sucky site. (link via Knightopia)

Though they happen, don't they? One reason may be because it's easy to get a site up and running, it's managing the site, filling it with content, and keeping it going that's the tricky part.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:06 AM
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Church Marketing Needs Authenticity

(Filed under: Philosophy)

There's a new approach: church buildings that match church people – broken. Hurricane Frances tore the steeple off the First Baptist Church in Cocoa Beach, Fla, only to impale it in the roof of the church.

Why do churches continually project the image of smiling, happy, joyful people? Perfection will not be found in the roster of a church. It's okay to be hurting, it's okay to be healing, it's okay to be broken because that's what we all are.

"What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! ... As it is written, 'There is no one righteous, not even one.'" (Romans 3:9-10 NIV)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:01 AM
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September 9, 2004

Wings, Short Shorts & God

(Filed under: Off the Wall)

Pamela Anderson teaching Sunday school is one thing, but a Bible study in Hooters? Organized by Christian Focus Atlanta, the Christian singles group meets every Wednesday night to discuss the Bible over chicken wings.

A meal with God-talk in the house of 'sinners' – where have we seen this before? While I can certainly think of arguments against the idea, it sounds strikingly familiar to what Jesus did.

But no Hooters girls on the flyers, okay?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:49 PM
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Poaching from Another Flock

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

A Charlotte Observer columnist wonders why churches get excited about church growth based on recruiting members from other churches instead of attracting people who've never gone to church. (free registration required; link via CT's Weblog)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:31 PM
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Video Killed the Preacher Man

(Filed under: Multimedia)

The Washington Post reports on churches that are switching from a real live preacher man to a canned video sermon. The approach allows churches to expand to multiple locations without hiring an additional pastor. Young people like it for the familiarity it shares with all the other screens in their lives, and older people appreciate being able to see the pastor better.

But some people aren't so happy, arguing that video preachers enhance the celebrity image of pastors and discourage interaction in the church (though I don't understand how interaction happens during a sermon, at least not the sermons I grew up with).

From a marketing standpoint it's an interesting approach.

Continue reading "Video Killed the Preacher Man"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:58 PM
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September 8, 2004

Taking Sermons Beyond Sunday

(Filed under: Multimedia)

With the spread of iPods and MP3 players listening to audio is no longer restricted to a music collection. Sermons, speeches and books are actually becoming popular in audio format. Both the Democratic and Republican National Convention speeches are available for free on iTunes (George W. Bush, John Kerry and many more). Telltale Weekly offers free and dirt cheap audio downloads, including John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address for free and the Epistles of John from the Bible for 75 cents.

Churches can join the technological revolution by making sermons or other teachings available for download (not just streaming audio). It's not only a ministry to members who can take those sermons beyond Sunday morning, but it's an ad for your church. Many churches already do this and are a step ahead in the quest not to suck.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:50 AM
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Church Promo Videos That Don't Suck

(Filed under: Examples)

The homemade promotional video is a time-honored marketing tool of the church, especially among youth groups with tech savvy teens. But with digital video cameras and cheap editing software, those homemade videos aren't too shabby anymore.

Vintage 21, an emergent church in Raleigh, N.C., has made a number of videos to promote different church functions, including their small group ministry, mid-size group activities, a Super Bowl event, and a four-week series on Jesus. The videos are funny and smart, and in the case of the Jesus series, effective at generating discussion (if not border-line sacrilegious).

Best of all, this style of promotional video can be done on the cheap. The Jesus series videos even took a page from Mystery Science Theater 3000 and didn't require any extensive filming. (link via Nick Ciske)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:44 AM
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September 5, 2004

Newsflash: Church is for Sinners; Pamela Anderson Teaches Sunday School

(Filed under: Philosophy)

Christianity Today's weblog is linking to an interesting item about former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson teaching Sunday school. A potentially risky Google search reveals that it's old news, a story that appeared as early as December 2002, resurfaced in November 2003, and has come up again this past week.

Apparently it's hard to believe that someone who appeared on the cover of Playboy a record 12 times would be teaching Sunday school. You can just hear the zingers coming. There's so many things that could be said about church marketing and a former Playboy model teaching Sunday school. But let's not go there. Church marketing isn't so bad that we need to take a cue from the Hooters' book of marketing.

What's most intriguing about this story is that despite a past that would cause a few raised eyebrows in the pew, this mother of two is not letting her past hinder what God can do today. Celebrity spirituality can come and go like the popularity of boy bands (or be as clear as mud -- a 2003 story claims her latest project is an animated series with Stan Lee called "Striperella"), but the Bible is pretty clear that past sins and a lifetime of mistakes will not hinder God. Church marketing should reflect as much, never giving the impression that pews are reserved for the polished and perfect.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:15 PM
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September 3, 2004

AKMA: Why Churches Should Have Web Sites / Nielsen: Simplicity

(Filed under: Technology)

Ordained priest and blogger AKMA offers four reasons churches should have web sites, which includes a healthy discussion in the comments section. (link via e-vangelism.com)

Andrew over at e-vangelism.com also offers some wise web advice from the web design guru Jakob Nielsen: simplicity.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:24 PM
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September 2, 2004

Getting Your Church Council On Board

(Filed under: Church Business)

I had a conversation with a pastor friend of mine a few weeks back. He is a big believer in church marketing that doesn't suck. He doesn't have a big budget. His church is less than 50 families and the staff numbers a whopping two and a half people. His church council hammers him on nearly every expense, especially when it comes to marketing. Despite the need for several of these members of the council to have effective marketing in their own businesses, translating those principles to reaching people for Christ doesn't always come through very clear.

My pastor friend manages to pull-off a few direct mail pieces a year (10,000 homes) in addition to some nice branding with weekly bulletins, a logo, 1-page Web site, and a few banners. Nothing big and spectacular, but a very good start for a church of this size.

Working with church councils can be quite a pain when it comes to finding funds for marketing.

Continue reading "Getting Your Church Council On Board"

Posted by Brad Abare at 7:14 AM
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