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March 31, 2005
The Door Interview
(Filed under: News & Updates)John Carney interviewed us for the Wittenburg Door a few months back and the interview is now on their site as an "online extra." Check it out.
You can see some pretty pics of Brad and I, including a shot of me post-youth group passion play (youth group passion play, not Mel Gibson passion play).
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:29 AM
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March 29, 2005
Comments Away!
(Filed under: News & Updates)We've changed the comment system so TypeKey authentication is no longer required. We hope this will generate more conversation without unleashing the floodgates of spam.
Older comments will be moderated, though TypeKey authentication will let you bypass that.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:18 PM
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Blue Like Jazz: Inadvertent Lessons for Church Marketing
(Filed under: Reviews)
I read Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz this week and a few things stuck out at me. It's not a marketing book, but it does have a perspective that can teach us a few things about marketing. The most important is how we as the church should be loving people.
Miller has two examples that really spell this out:
1) What's Not Working
Miller spends a chapter talking about what he doesn't like about church and why he loves his current church.
Here are the things I didn't like about the churches I went to. First: I felt like people were trying to sell me Jesus. I was a salesman for a while, and we were taught that you are supposed to point out all the benefits of a product when you are selling it. That is how I felt about some of the preachers I heard speak. They were always pointing out the benefits of Christian faith. That rubbed me wrong. It's not that there aren't benefits, there are, but did they have to talk about spirituality like it's a vacuum cleaner. I never felt like Jesus was a product. I wanted Him to be a person. Not only that, but they were always pointing out how great the specific church was. The bulletin read like a brochure for Amway. They were always saying how life-changing some conference was going to be. Life-changing? What does that mean? It sounded very suspicious. I wish they would just tell it to me straight rather than trying to sell me on everything. I felt like I got bombarded with commercials all week and then went to church and got even more. (page 131)
He goes on to talk about churches that tow a political party line and the ever-present war metaphor that lets us forget about loving people. The important thing here is that the Christian message is about love. If people aren't getting that in our churches, if they're distracted by our language or our politics, then something's not working.
Continue reading "Blue Like Jazz: Inadvertent Lessons for Church Marketing"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:26 PM
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What's Working For You?
(Filed under: News & Updates)Terry Storch asked us to write an entry for the 'What's Working For You' series on his blog (which features lots of folks smarter than us sharing practical wisdom). Our entry, about what's working in the world of church marketing, posted today.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:14 AM
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March 28, 2005
Diversity in the Pews
(Filed under: The Christian Walk)The Church of Saint Joseph in Spring Valley, N.Y. has something few other churches have: diversity. Weekly attendance is at nearly 4,000, spread over services in four languages: English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole and Polish.
As the New York Times (registration required) described the scene:
She pointed to a bulletin board where flags from more than a dozen countries surrounded a quotation from the Book of Psalms: "O Lord, let all nations praise you."The same phrase is repeated on the church's bumper sticker, and its meaning was evident in the church pews during the 9 a.m. English Mass. Skin tones and clothing representing many nationalities could be seen in nearly every row, the physical differences only highlighted as people knelt to pray in unison.
The article doesn't describe how Saint Joseph's became so diverse (this post links to a few potential resources), but overcoming institutional racism and embracing diversity is something the church must do. The blogosphere has been dealing with this charge lately, when will the church?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:50 AM
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He Is Risen, Now What?
(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)With the Easter weekend behind us, many pastors will be taking today off (some for the whole week) as a well-deserved break from the intensity of all things Easter. In my own church, the pastor decided to involuntarily take off before the weekend ever began as a result of his voice going out—poor guy. (I felt even more sorry for the assistant pastor who finds out he's doing all four services for one of the church's best attended events of the year!)
The one thought I kept repeating over and over in my mind the whole time I was in service yesterday was why can't we do church this way every weekend?
- Why can't the praise/worship (and choir) be this lively every weekend?
- Why can't kid's church always have this much to do?
- Why can't we always have this many greeters to smile at me when I walk in?
- Why can't the video supplements always be this relevant and engaging?
- Why can't food always be a part of your church community?
- Why can't the Gospel message be this clear and direct every weekend?
I wonder if the reason we can't hold on to some of the spike in Easter weekend attendance is due to this very fact. We make a decent first impression but follow it up with a more sustainable pattern in the weeks and months after Easter (of course until we ramp up again for Christmas).
While I certainly understand the uniqueness of the big three services each year (Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas), and I do realize that out-of-the-ordinary services result in out-of-the-ordinary attendance, there still seems to be a disconnect.
What did you do this weekend—that worked—that you could continue doing every weekend?
What did you do this weekend—that didn't work—that you should discontinue doing every weekend?
Posted by Brad Abare at 6:46 AM
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March 26, 2005
Seth Godin on Church Marketing
(Filed under: Examples)According to the New York Times (registration required), Radiant Church in Surprise, Ariz. spends $16,000 per year on Krispy Kreme donuts. And I thought Baptists liked to eat.
Quoth marketing guru Seth Godin:
The health risks aside, this is smart marketing. (And is there anything wrong with a church doing marketing? Churches have always done marketing.)Marketing doesn't mean advertising.
The NYT story covers the church in exceptional detail, mentioning a lot of their marketing efforts, including xBoxes, billboards, fliers, postcards and more. 147 people showed up for the first service in 1997. Now weekly attendance averages 5,000. Last year 1,055 people checked the box on the pew cards to commit their lives to Christ.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:21 AM
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March 24, 2005
Finding a Church
(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)You can bet finding a church is no easy task, as the Indianapolis Star points out. And you better believe marketing has a lot to do with whether or not people find your church. The article is packed with examples of marketing at work in the world of first impressions, including web sites, greeters, and yes, even the doctrine a church holds.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:13 PM
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March 23, 2005
Blog by Hugh Hewitt
(Filed under: Reviews)
Conservative author, radio show host and one of the top 20 bloggers, Hugh Hewitt, talks about the information shaping power of the blogosphere in his new book, Blog. It tries to give the definitive overview of blogs, charting their history, influence, and revolutionary nature. It’s insightful and interesting enough for the veteran blogger, but also approachable enough for a newbie.
So what does it have to do with church marketing? If you’re not up on blogging, you should be. Hewitt spends a chapter comparing the Protestant Reformation and the invention of movable type to the advent of blogs. These things are big.
It’s a quick, 155-page must read for pastors (don’t bother with the 70 pages of appendices).
Continue reading "Blog by Hugh Hewitt"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:50 AM
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March 22, 2005
Lenten Blogging
(Filed under: Technology)The Miami Herald covers Lenten blogging:
"The idea is that church is not a Sunday thing anymore; it's going to be something that permeates your life," said Jeff Sharlet, editor of the Revealer, the blog of the Center for Religion and Media at New York University. "These blogs help you to suffuse your day with spirituality."
Nearly two-thirds of online Americans use the Internet for religious purposes. If your church isn't doing active ministry online, you're missing the boat. Perhaps you should consider celebrating Internet Evangelism Day.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:34 AM
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Chicago Churches Lure Latinos with Marketing
(Filed under: Demographics/Research)Newsweek has an article this week covering churches in the Chicago area and how they're catering to Latinos.
On the upside, several churches are finding success using marketing methods like direct mail and gearing programs for niche audiences.
On the downside, the infighting is pretty blatant:
From her perch at the tiny Iglesia de Dios Peniel, Pastor America Garcia eyes Rebano [Companerismo Cristiano—a Pentecostal church in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago—] down the street—where female congregants might sport tight pants and belly rings—with suspicion. The place is rife with "libertinism," she says. "When people leave, they go to orgies, to movies, to dances!"Rebano's Lynette Santiago has heard all this before. Back when her parents led the congregation and replaced old-school coritos, or spiritual songs, with a salsa band, a disapproving pastor labeled her mother "the Devil."
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:01 AM
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How Does Your Church Rank?
(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)As many as 100 incognito church reviewers will descend on London churches on April 24. It's part of the "Mystery Worshipper" series by online magazine ShipofFools.com.
Where would your church stand if judged by an anonymous visitor's first impression?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:48 AM
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Liquor in Church? Not in Maryland.
(Filed under: The Christian Walk)A Maryland church caused a ruckus after applying for a liquor license for their new banquet hall, and then quickly withdrew the application after a state lawmaker raised concerns.
"Many communities are concerned about the real intent of the church when people who are very devoted to the Christian principles apply for a liquor license," said lawmaker Joanne C. Benson.
I'm not much of a drinker myself—communion wine is all I ever imbibe, and I don't even like the taste of that—but I don't see why the church has to be so incredibly anti-alcohol. I would think being devoted to Christian principles would require a responsible approach to alcohol, not an abdication. Certainly the church shouldn't be encouraging drunkenness, but why can't a church-owned banquet hall be a safe place to drink alcohol?
What would it say to the community if the church stepped up and brought responsibility to alcohol? What if the church's banquet hall was a place where you could have a wedding or other party, serve alcohol, and not be worried about drunken guests? What if the church led the way in helping recovering alcoholics, in stopping underage drinking, in ending drunk driving, and in providing a setting where responsible drinking could happen?
Instead of facing tough issues and trying to be a voice of societal change, we get backpedaling: "We choose not to present this type of image to our church and local community," wrote the church's senior pastor Bishop Don Meares. Too bad Jesus set a different precedent when he changed water in to wine.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:30 AM
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March 21, 2005
The Seneca Creek Mailers
(Filed under: Examples)
This 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.
Continue reading "The Seneca Creek Mailers"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:16 AM
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March 19, 2005
A Few Good Pastors
(Filed under: Interviews)Earlier this year, I got an email from Pastor Robin Bailey, a Church Marketing Sucks participator and big fan of churches that get communication and marketing right. (You may remember Robin from an earlier entry.) The email I received was an invitation to dinner as he and a handful of other pastors from Canada were coming to Los Angeles (where I live) on assignment.
Because it is hard for me to turn down a free meal--I agreed--and met up with them last night in downtown LA.
I was blown away by the authenticity of these pastors, and their insights and inspiration were equally encouraging. I really love hanging with pastors that understand what it means to live out their vocation on the other side of a pulpit. These guys get it.
Say hello to Albert Chu (the Asian thinker who within two weeks of attending his church, you'll be invited to his house for dinner with him and his wife), Robin Bailey (the church plant in progress who has his purpose set on one of the fastest growing communities in their region), John Van Sloten (the resident funny man who has the ugliest web site--says it's being re-designed--and reports that he did a mailer of 5,000 to his community which resulted in 120 people showing up to their opening service seven years ago), and Phil Reinders (the quieter conservative you know has ten times more in his head than he's letting you in on). These four were part of a group of seven, here in Los Angeles on a grant from the Lily Foundation.
Continue reading "A Few Good Pastors"
Posted by Brad Abare at 1:22 PM
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March 16, 2005
Go to Church, Live Longer
(Filed under: Demographics/Research)A 12-year study tracking people 65 and over found that those who attend church at least once a week lived longer. They were also healthier. Over the course of the study, those who didn't attend church had a 52% risk of death, while those who did go to church had a 17% risk of death.
"There's something involved in the act of religious attendance, whether it's the group interaction, the worldview or just the exercise to get out of the house. There's something that seems to be beneficial," said University of Iowa psychology professor Susan Lutgendorf, who carried out the study.
It worked for Flanders, why not you?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:34 AM
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March 15, 2005
brandchannel on Branding Churches
(Filed under: Brand & Identity)The well-known marketing site brandchannel.com covers church branding in yesterday's article "Churches Put Their Faith in Branding." The story includes quotes from Richard Reising of the marketing company Artistry Marketing and Simon Jenkins of the web magazine Ship of Fools.
"There's not a church in the world that doesn't market itself," says Richard Reising. "Some do it well, some do it badly. But when you don't do it consistently and effectively, then you say clearly to the community that you don't know who you are; you're not professional, and you don't take time to think about what you are about."
Reising dismisses concerns that branding is strictly commercial and insists it's about being strategic. He also emphasizes that branding helps insiders just as much as outsiders, citing results of people being more willing to invite friends after a church implemented changes: "People are not ashamed of Christ, but they are ashamed of their church."
Jenkins spoke about the need for a local church brand to avoid any connection to a homogeneous globalization form of branding. He also encouraged consistency, noting that it comes down to the people living up to the brand. (link via Matt Constantine)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:56 AM
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March 14, 2005
The Neon Flier
(Filed under: Examples)This 8.5"x11" neon yellow flier (I know the color didn’t scan that well—I’m a writer, not a Photoshop expert) advertises Jehovah Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minn.
Continue reading "The Neon Flier"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:05 PM
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The “Hey, look—a church!” Postcard
(Filed under: Examples)This postcard came in the mail today advertising the Holy Week services at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minn.
Continue reading "The “Hey, look—a church!” Postcard"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:40 PM
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Prophecy Code Flier
(Filed under: Examples)Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of real world examples of church marketing and I want to share some of them. Feel free to comment on what works and what doesn’t—though let’s try to be civil. I'm hoping to have some constructive criticism that we can all learn from—not just slam the examples. I would hope if the people involved with these examples came across these comments they would find them helpful.
This flier came in the mail a few weeks ago and I couldn't bring myself to immediately recycle it. It’s just too good. And I mean “good” in the very worst sense of the word. It’s a flier for a Bible prophecy seminar being broadcast to locations nationwide, including one at a church in my city. You can see the complete PDF flier online, including the inside pages (though it doesn’t have “Energy Ball Jesus” like my copy does).
Continue reading "Prophecy Code Flier"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:58 PM
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March 12, 2005
Outsourcing the Drive-Thru?
(Filed under: Church Business)Listening to the news today (I love talk radio), I learn that McDonald's is re-thinking their approach to the drive-thru. Instead of having orders radioed a few feet ahead to the minimum wage communicationally-challenged employee, MickeyDees gurus are thinking about collecting their fast-food requests in a call center located potentially thousands of miles away. The order then gets beamed electronically back to the employee at the window who presumably can read as well as the call center can listen.
After further research, I learn McDonald's says that professionals "with 'very strong communication skills' could help boost order accuracy and ultimately speed up the time it takes customers to get in and out of the drive-thrus."
What's next? Churches offer local counseling services that are powered by call centers in India?
Although I assume churches are intelligent in their approach to what to outsource and what not to outsource, this does bring up a good lesson.
Continue reading "Outsourcing the Drive-Thru?"
Posted by Brad Abare at 12:58 PM
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March 11, 2005
Easter Advertising
(Filed under: Graphic Design)
Easter is the one day out of the year when people who never go to church actually think about going. What are you doing to make sure people pick your church?
Ben Bell shared this design for an Easter card for St. Stephen’s Church in London (you may remember Ben’s Christmas card). The back reads:
jesus on trialdespised? rejected? betrayed? let down? traumatised? friendless? innocent? son of god?
(link via Knightopia)
Meanwhile Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain e-mailed us these designs for past Easter ads for Lakemount Worship Centre in Ontario, Canada.
It's nice to see something other than grassy fields and sunrises.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:22 PM
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March 8, 2005
Washington Post Covers Church Marketers
(Filed under: Demographics/Research)Church marketing received a boost from the Washington Post on Sunday with the story "The Business of Filling Pews." The story covers the church consulting company The Alban Institute, which started in 1974, and the Willow Creek Association, started in 1992 by Willow Creek Community Church. The story is packed with success stories and gives some credibility to marketing for churches.
Bravo. Do you think maybe they were inspired by our press release? (Okay, wishful thinking)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:14 PM
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It's Time To Catch Up: iPod Church Finder
(Filed under: Technology)by Andy Havens, Guest Blogger
In a well written, pithy press release, the "Irish Pubs Directory" people announced that you can now download the iPod version of their list and ratings:
"You won't always have access to the web when you're travelling, especially at the exact moment you're looking for a pub. That's why we are making it possible for you to take the directory with you.Now you can have the directory of pubs along with descriptions and ratings always to hand. Never waste time looking for that perfect Irish pub again! You can choose from two versions...our popular PDA Directory and our new iPod Guide. Both versions contain the pubs, descriptions, ratings and more. All at hand when you need them."
I've got nothing against Irish pubs. But why is it I can now find an Irish pub (with reviews!), a Buffalo Wild Wings (with menu!), a Kinkos/FedEx (with service listings!)in 10 seconds, but I can't find a complete listing of Methodist churches in Columbus, Ohio that tells me which has traditional vs. contemporary services? Or if any has childcare? Or a choir? Or nursery school? Or Bible study? Or... Or... Or...
Wake up and smell the electrons. I don't care what your denomination is. When the "Irish Pubs Directory" is better organized and has better Internet and electronic, portable, personalized marketing than any and all of the major Christian denominations, there's some serious catching up to do.
Posted by Guest Blogger at 5:49 AM
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March 7, 2005
Improving Your Church Web Site
(Filed under: Technology)Mike Atkinson presents a series of articles on how to improve your church web site. Mike's got plenty of experience and wisdom worth gleaning.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:04 PM
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Missionary Blogging
(Filed under: Technology)I love blogs. This is why. It's the blog of a medical missionary in Kenya. It used to be that missionary updates came during furloughs or Missionary Sunday or maybe the occassional letter. But now you can keep tabs on a missionary 24/7, giving them the chance to connect with supporters back home, spread the word about current needs, and I'd imagine make the job of raising support easier. Obviously not every jungle has wifi and a missionary still needs to be sensitive about what info they give out, but what an opportunity.
How connected are you to the missionaries your church supports? How would that change if they had a blog? (link via John I. Carney)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:37 PM
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March 3, 2005
N.C. Church Marketing Seminar
(Filed under: Demographics/Research)Apparently we're not the only ones pushing church marketing. Brunswick Community College in North Carolina held a marketing seminar for area churches last week.
"It has to be a little different than any other organization's marketing. ... You're looking for people who you hope will accept Christ. You have to market your services so they know they can turn to the church. The ideal is to make sure everyone who comes in contact with the church feels something and gets what he or she is looking for." -Ray Gilbert of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church
The conversation continues...
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:49 PM
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Solidarity Doesn’t Suck
(Filed under: The Christian Walk)I love this story. Kevin Burkhart, pastor of United Methodist Church in Curtis, Neb.—known as "Rev. Kev"—shaved his head to show solidarity with two members of the congregation who are undergoing chemo treatments for breast cancer. It's a tiny gesture and part of his broader point of the way we need to support one another, especially in hard times. It's not marketing per se, but it's a sermon in action—and that rocks.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:17 PM
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March 1, 2005
Church Marketing Sucks Provides Alternative Address
(Filed under: News & Updates)
Today we sent our second press release announcing an alternate address, ChurchMarketingStinks.com. It's an effort to serve Christian publications that have a policy against printing controversial language (you can also read our more in-depth rationale for using 'sucks'). The release is going out to nearly 300 news and media contacts all around the country.
So far we've had a great response to Church Marketing Sucks and we appreciate your feedback and enthusiasm. Thanks!
Continue reading "Church Marketing Sucks Provides Alternative Address"
Posted by Brad Abare at 10:21 AM
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Why We Use ‘Sucks’
(Filed under: News & Updates)Some people take issue with our use of the word ‘sucks’, and we understand their concerns. Growing up, some on our team weren’t even allowed to use the word, and our moms still don’t like it.
Looking to the Bible, we don’t find a list of ‘naughty’ words to stay away from. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul admonishes us to watch the way we talk. This doesn’t refer to specific words, but to the character of what we say. Looking through the book of Job and the book of Psalms, there are some pretty choice words used by men of God. In Job 3:8, Job says “May those who are good at cursing curse that day” (MSG). There’s plenty of precedence when it comes to being authentic in our emotions and feelings—that includes the words we use.
Which is exactly what we’re doing with the name Church Marketing Sucks.
We’re being authentic. We’re being real. We’re doing the same thing we’re asking the church to do when it comes to communicating and marketing who they are.
Continue reading "Why We Use ‘Sucks’"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:12 AM
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