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February 27, 2006
How Churches Use Technology
(Filed under: Technology)Last week I spoke with Jesse Noyes from the Boston Herald about how churches use technology for his article, "Lord Works in High Tech Ways," which basically explores how churches are using emerging technology like blogs and podcasts.
Church Marketing Sucks and our parent Center for Church Communication get a mention, though I didn't say anything smart enough to get quoted. I thought my comment about podcasting enabling pastors to take sermons beyond Sunday was pretty good, though I guess it wasn't incredibly inspired.
Someone definitely smarter than me made a good point about how Christians have always taken advantage of technology:
But since the advent of radio, conservative evangelicals have been the first to embrace the marketing clout technology provides, said Nancy Ammerman, a sociology of religion professor at Boston University. "There is something about the impulse to convert... that has long made evangelicals use whatever tools are available to them,"
I'm no historian, but I think even long before radio you'll find Christians using the latest technology, whether it's the printing press or improved navigation methods to reach people. Web sites are the new visitor packets. Blogs are the new newsletters. Podcasts are the new radio.
Continue reading "How Churches Use Technology"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:21 AM
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Multiple Church Services Poll
(Filed under: Poll Results)
Last week our poll covered multiple church services. 70% of churches offer multiple services, employing either multiple times, days or locations. Not quite half (45%) stick with multiple services on Sunday, and 30% are offering just one service.
I'm not sure what I was expecting from this poll, but I do think it's cool to see so many churches offering extra services.
This week we ask about worship technology: hymnals, bulletins, fancy slides--what does your church use?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:14 AM
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February 25, 2006
Naked Conversations
(Filed under: Reviews)
When Robert Scoble and Shel Israel sat down to write a book on blogging, they started with a blog. They posted chapters of the book online as they wrote them in order to get feedback and refine their work. They had a continuing conversation with the blogosphere about the blogosphere, and the results are a pretty well rounded book on blogging, Naked Conversations: How blogs are Changing the way Businesses Talk with Customers.
'Well rounded' meaning they cover lots of different perspectives on blogging and have lots of real world examples. They're basically in love with blogging. It's not until page 133 when they say something negative about blogging, and then it's three pages of talking about how mobsters, FBI agents and Enron executives probably shouldn't blog. You think?
But their basic premise that in today's Web 2.0, content-by-the-people world, marketing has to be an authentic conversation and blogs are the best way to do that is right on. And this is where the church needs to pay attention. A spiritual journey is all about conversations, so what better marketing tool could the church turn to then one that promotes conversation?
Continue reading "Naked Conversations"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:25 AM
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February 24, 2006
Monster Truck Church Ad
(Filed under: Examples)"This Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! It's a sacramental showdown at St. Andrew's Episcopal..."
So begins a 60-second ad that's making the rounds among Episcopalians. It advertises St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Ala. But it's not an official radio spot for the church.
Mike McKenzie created the ad for fun. 41-year-old McKenzie is the creative services director for Cox Radio of Birmingham and a St. Andrew's parishioner.
"It wasn't with the intention of making a commercial--I was just goofying around," says McKenzie. "The idea hit me right after 10:30 mass--it's high mass, very formal liturgy. What would happen if you took formal liturgy and combined it with a monster truck rally?"
Continue reading "Monster Truck Church Ad"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:26 AM
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February 23, 2006
Church Sells Out to DaVinci
(Filed under: Building Design)In other DaVinci Code news, there's the story of the Winchester Cathedral selling out. First the cathedral opened its doors to the film-makers for almost $35,000 after Westminster Abbey refused. Now Winchester Cathedral is considering charging tourists almost $7 each to tour the cathedral.
While it's easy to accuse the cathedral of selling out, the building does date back to 1079 and will need almost $7 million in repairs in the next decade, while facing a potential $1.75 million deficit in the next five years if they don't act.
It all gets rather complicated when a church building becomes more than a church building. Historic buildings become tourist attractions, and the church has to balance potential outreach to tourists and maintaining a piece of church history with a modern congregation. Do they leave the building behind and let a secular company run it as a tourist spot, or do they hang on and try to preserve the history and spiritual connection?
It's a unique problem--you just don't see many businesses trying to operate in a 1,000-year-old structure. It's also a problem fairly unique to Europe and its ancient cathedrals.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:26 AM
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DaVinci Code Marketing
(Filed under: Think Ahead)The DaVinci Code hits theaters May 19 and the movie marketing machine is rolling full steam ahead. Including an effort to rope in Christians and keep them from crashing the box office hopes. The DaVinci Dialogue is Sony's attempt to give voice to Christians who may see the movie as complete fiction, but would rather take the opportunity to engage in dialogue and educate people than just sit on the sidelines. Those Christians include George Barna, Chuck Colson, Craig Detweiler and others.
While many are still on the fence about whether or not churches should do marketing, it's pretty clear where Hollywood stands on marketing to churches. It's time for churches to wake up and take an active part in the conversation with society.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:14 AM
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February 22, 2006
I'm Ready to Something Remarkable With You
(Filed under: Writing & Editing)
It looks like that New Year's resolution to proofread everyting twice isn't going so well. Here's more proof.
Earlier today marketing guru Seth Godin pointed to a young graduate looking for a job who gave up boring resumes and built a web site. The kid's got moxy.
But he doesn't proofread. The short and snappy text on the homepage included the highlighted line: "I'm ready to something remarkable with you."
Notice something missing? It's like "All your base are belong to us," only there's not a funny story about mistranslation.
Continue reading "I'm Ready to Something Remarkable With You"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:39 AM
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February 21, 2006
Stripper Outreach
(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)You've probably heard of the porn ministry XXXChurch, but have you heard of the stripper ministry JC's Girls Girls Girls? Started by a former stripper and supported by Sandals Church in Riverside, Calif., the ministry attends porn conventions and reaches out to workers in the adult entertainment industry, much like XXXChurch, but these girls have been there before.
The news media is starting to pay attention (they just love a good church sex story, don't they?), though some of the coverage is a little more incendiary than it needs to be, like the title of the AP story: Minister Buys Lap Dances To Tell Strippers About God.
Continue reading "Stripper Outreach"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:03 AM
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Church Press Release Basics
(Filed under: Public Relations)The basic rule in getting media attention is to do something newsworthy. Those crazy MyLameSexLife.com guys at Granger Community Church know a thing or two about that. And I promise to stop talking about that.
But doing something that deserves attention doesn't always mean you're going to get it. And that's when press releases can be very helpful. Dan Benson has a helpful rundown of how to do church press releases. It's pretty basic stuff, but it can help raise the profile of your church and bring more people in.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:39 AM
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Church Surveys
(Filed under: Church Business)A church survey is a great way to get input from your congregation and find out what's working and what's not. Tony Morgan from Granger Community Church (yes, they're the MyLameSexLife.com folks) shares an all-church survey Granger put together. Sometimes it helps to see what others are asking and how they're wording questions.
Surveys can't answer everything, but they can give some insight. I'd also recommend Survey Monkey for online surveys. While an online survey might not work for a church-wide survey since your sample will be heavily high-tech, at least the tallying and nifty graphs are automatic.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:23 AM
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February 20, 2006
Church Signs Poll
(Filed under: Poll Results)
Last week we asked for your opinion on those church signs with the "clever" slogans, and I think it's fair to say this crowd isn't down with the church sign. More than two-thirds were stifling laughter, 17% were unenthused and only 15% came out pro-church sign.
It was also the most response we've ever received on a poll, just edging out an early poll asking whether or not sucks is a swear word. It could be thanks to the bitter debates raging over church sign usage, but I think it was really due to increased traffic thanks to Satan's tagline.
This week we're asking a much less controversial question (for some people)--how many services does your church have?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:32 AM
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February 17, 2006
Technology and Trends Changing Your Church
(Filed under: Technology)Tim Bednar over at e-Church (yes, he's the same guy who brought us Mega-Church: The Game) is blogging about the 20 memes changing your congregation from the year 2005. Don't be scared by the techie word 'memes,' it's just Internet speak for an idea that's being passed on and spreading through culture. At least that's how I define it.
At any rate, Bednar is looking at the technologies and trends of 2005 and looking at how they'll change the church. So far he's covered three of them:
It's heady stuff, but definitely full of some cool ideas for churches.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:57 AM
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Is Your Church Buzz Worthy?
(Filed under: Events)
Our very own Brad Abare will be speaking at the upcoming Buzz Conference, an event where church leaders can share ideas and best practices. It's being hosted by the National Community Church (the Theater Church) in Washington, D.C., May 4-5.
The conference is centered around three core convictions:
- The church ought to be the most creative place on the planet.
- The greatest message deserves the greatest marketing.
- The church is called to compete in the middle of the marketplace.
In addition to Brad, you can also hear from Fellowship Church Senior Pastor Ed Young and NCC Lead Pastor Mark Batterson. Register by March 15 to save $40, or if you're a church planter or come from a small church you can get a church planter discount.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:19 AM
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February 16, 2006
Experience Church, Stripped Down
(Filed under: Philosophy)I am often asked by pastors how far is too far. From big screens and big hair to modern worship and candlelight services, there are so many ways to do, have, and present "church." From the mini to the mega, from the old-fashioned steeples to the churches who lease space in night clubs, the experiences are virtually endless. Quiet and sincere. Loud and glorious. Seeker sensitive. Evangelistic. Dancin' in the aisles. Liturgy. Laughter. Multi-media. Cup holders. You name it and there is a good chance it is available or been tried.
Yet the questions remain: How much should I do? What should I avoid? What is cool? What works?
Here's a simple approach I've learned...
Continue reading "Experience Church, Stripped Down"
Posted by Brad Abare at 5:59 AM
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Arizona Church Borrows Xbox Logo
(Filed under: Examples)
We've received a few e-mails from folks pointing us to a postcard advertising a Phoenix-area church that's raising some eyebrows in the gaming world, thanks to the design that's, well, straight from Xbox.
The comments have been mostly negative from the gaming world, as you could expect with a design like this. We've talked about Christian imitations before and I think this is yet another example of why it's better to come up with something original. There are still ways to play off what's culturally relevant without completely ripping it off.
[We e-mailed the church for a comment on Tuesday evening and so far haven't heard anything.]
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:42 AM
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February 15, 2006
My Lame Sex Life Campaign
(Filed under: Examples)
This entry isn't an apology, but it is all about sex. That famous simply strategic church in South Bend, Ind., Granger Community Church, has launched a new campaign to promote a sermon series: MyLameSexLife.com. People are being pushed to the web site through four area billboards and cinema advertising (and you've just got to love the location of the billboard pictured above).
Granger Communications Director Kem Meyer is talking about the campaign, including how the campaign was produced and the differences between two promotional pages, one for people coming from the advertising, another for people coming from within the church. Fellow GCCer Tony Morgan is also talking about the campaign, though you'll have to wait for the Simply Strategic podcast on Friday for anything more than an admission that those aren't his feet in the billboard picture.
We've looked at a similar campaign in Austin, Texas with a MyLameMarriage.com slogan, but other churches have also done iHateMyMarriage.com and MyBadMarriage.com (the site is down, but it's mentioned in a blurb down the page).
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:47 AM
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Comment Filtering Issues
(Filed under: News & Updates)To the 64 people with co.uk addresses who have tried to post comments since January 7 and been turned away, we apologize. You should be able to comment now.
Spam filtering is a far from perfect science. Sometimes spam gets through and sometimes good comments are blocked, despite our best efforts. That's what happened here: a string was added to our blacklist that inadvertently blocked all co.uk urls.
I can assure you that hackers were not involved.
This kind of thing has happened before and I'm sure it will happen again (oh the joys of fighting spam yet allowing open dialogue), so please drop us a line if you're unable to post a comment and we can sort it out.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:29 AM
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February 14, 2006
Getting Wrapped Up in a Story
(Filed under: Off the Wall)Whew. This whole Satan tagline and hackers story is pretty crazy. Turns out the tagline was a legitimate mistake. The hackers thing--not true. We've received comments from the church's webmaster and I just called the church to confirm. No hackers.
What is wild about this story is the way a ton of people (myself included) have jumped on board. One thing we bloggers are good at is jumping on a story. While some bloggers love to espouse the fact-checking virtue of bloggers, many of us just don't do it. I trusted another blogger and went with the hacker story, and that was just dumb on my part.
But beyond the whole hacker sidestory, the pastor of St. James UCC pointed out to me that this all could have been avoided if the original blogger who noticed the wrong quote had just let them know instead of broadcasting to the world. He compared it to seeing pie on a friend's face and telling the whole room before you tell your friend. Sometimes we'd rather point and laugh than actually help somebody fix something.
And we're all guilty of that. So my apologies to St. James UCC. Church marketing often sucks, but that doesn't mean we should just stand around and laugh.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:49 PM
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Satan Tagline Church Not The Victim of Hackers
(Filed under: Technology)And this is why it's a good idea to be a little skeptical and not jump on every bandwagon that rolls by. The Limerick, Penn. church that appeared to have a tagline from the lips of Satan now seems to be the victim of hackers poor proofing.
At least that's the early word from the Bene Diction blog, and helps explain why the tagline has been replaced with the church's phone number. Rumor is that the church will be posting a statement later today.
Update: The church currently has this statement on their home page: "For those of you who were kind enough to inform us about our previously inaccurate quote...we thank you!" I'm not sure what to make of that.
Update: And now they've added this statement:
We were recently made aware that the former quote we had posted in the header on our site was actually not based on the word of Jesus but was a quote posed to him during his temptation. As soon as we were made aware of this we removed the quote from our site. We removed it...not hackers as some ill-informed bloggers would have you believe. This unfortunate lesson is a demonstration why when using tools online to identify quotes that you think deliver the honest and sincere message you intended you should always view the quotes in their whole context.
You'll also notice our first comment comes from the church's webmaster correcting us. I guess that's what you get for listening to other bloggers and not checking up on it yourself. My bad. Guess I should have taken my own advice and not jumped on the hacker bandwagon.
Continue reading "Satan Tagline Church Not The Victim of Hackers"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:45 AM
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February 13, 2006
A Successful Church Name Change
(Filed under: Brand & Identity)ChristianityToday.com has the story of how a pastor at Manhasset Baptist Church successfully changed the church's name to Shelter Rock Church. It's a good example of the right reasons to change a church name and a process worth following.
Lessons learned:
- First decide on the concept of changing the name. Don't let potential names muck up the process. Decide whether or not your church is willing to change names, then work on finding a new name.
- Having a clear mission statement helped big time. It was an easy step from the church's mission ("To lead as many people as possible into a joyful and growing relationship with Jesus Christ,") to the question "Is our name inhibiting our calling to reach our community?"
- Get the help of former pastors. Every pastor since 1975 had wanted to change the name and their support proved helpful.
- Theological questions will come up. Address them honestly and fairly.
In the end the church lost one person who considered the change a slide toward liberalism, but they also gained an influx of new visitors.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:40 PM
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Blind User Sues Target Over Web Accessibility
(Filed under: Technology)Bruce Sexton Jr. is a 24-year-old student at UC Berkeley. He's also blind. And now he's suing Target because their web site is completely inaccessible for blind users.
"What I hope is that Target and other online merchants will realize how important it is to reach 1.3 million people in this nation and the growing baby-boomer population who will also be losing vision," said Sexton.
Target is basically the scapegoat because they're big, popular and have one of the least accessible sites out there. But the class-action lawsuit is really a warning to all inaccessible web sites.
Who knows where this will lead, but when it comes to web site design your church can either make your site accessible or hope you don't get sued. Either choice sends a pretty clear message.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:38 AM
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Church Giveaways Poll
(Filed under: Poll Results)
Last week we had a fun poll about church giveaways, asking how to up the ante beyond houses, Harleys and Hummers to some really cool giveaways.
And it's a tie: 15-minute sermons and dibs on the fried chicken shared the top spot with 29%. A prime parking spot was next with 23% and season tickets to the front pew was the least attractive imaginary giveaway with 19%. Apparently the front pew isn't the place to be.
This week we get [slightly] more seriously and ask about those church signs with the clever slogans. Weigh in with your vote now.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:20 AM
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February 12, 2006
Letting Satan Speak For Your Church
(Filed under: Off the Wall)I find this hard to believe. I keep thinking I'm missing the joke, like an Onion article you mistake for real news.
St. James United Church of Christ in Limerick, Penn. has the following Bible verse as a slogan on their web site:
"If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine" Luke 4:7
Sound familiar? Those would be the words of one Prince of Darkness while tempting Jesus Christ. As a church's tagline? Seriously?
Like I said, I keep thinking it's a joke. The rest of their site is pretty progressive ("what if church is like spinach?"), but that's a little too progressive. (link via Jordon Cooper via Dashhouse via Between Two Worlds)
Update: Early word is that the church was the victim of hackers. Thought I smelled something fishy. Update: Nope, it was a simple lack of proofing.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:31 PM
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February 10, 2006
10 Things You Should Know About People
(Filed under: Think Ahead)Kem Meyer, a sometimes guest blogger here and communications director at Granger Community Church in South Bend, Ind., recently shared a list of lessons she'd learned about how to better communicate. In the process she learned a lesson herself in how not to communicate such a list.
10 Things You Should Know About People If You Want Them To Hear What You're Saying...
Continue reading "10 Things You Should Know About People"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:53 PM
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Revamping Seniors Ministry
(Filed under: Demographics/Research)Changes in ministries to seniors are coming fast, especially as senior citizens aren't thinking of themselves as seniors. Last week we heard about teaching seniors how to play Xbox, but there's always more. An article in the Shreveport Times talks about the new ways seniors are being involved in congregations, often depending on whether they're healthy and active, active but having health problems, or ailing.
Continue reading "Revamping Seniors Ministry"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:29 AM
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February 9, 2006
Lessons in Shortsightedness: Cutting the Marketing Budget
(Filed under: Examples)Last week my church had the infamous church business meeting (which I credit with pushing my wife into labor). Before we got to the real issues, we took care of typical business: update on the building project, welcoming new vestry members, thanking departing members, and a presentation of the 2006 budget.
Like many Episcopal churches, we've seen a drop in offerings thanks to the ordination of a gay bishop in 2003. While church leadership continues to struggle with that enormous issue, the reality of it is reflected in the budget as line after line sees cuts from 2005.
One of the cuts I noticed was publicity.
Continue reading "Lessons in Shortsightedness: Cutting the Marketing Budget"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:57 AM
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Miscommunication in Text
(Filed under: Technology)As we've recently seen, it's easy for written text to be misunderstood, especially in blogs and e-mail. A new study from the University of Chicago confirms that fact. When reading e-mails people in the study understood the intent only 56% of the time, compared to 75% understanding when listening to a voice recording of the same message. In both cases readers and listeners thought they understood the message 90% of the time. Oops.
Bottom line: we often suck at communicating.
Take the time to re-read what you write and try to understand it from a different perspective. What if you read a sarcastic statement seriously, or a serious statement sarcastically? See how it can dramatically change what you intended. And if all else fails, pick up the phone. (link via Lifehacker)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:47 AM
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February 8, 2006
What's Working in Churches
(Filed under: Philosophy)Jordon Cooper has an intersting blog entry about wanting to rediscover stories. He's tired of talking about what's wrong with the church and wants to hear more stories of what's working:
Church watching and complaining is as old as Jesus' disciples wondering aloud about what Jesus was doing with those pesky kids. As I read church history, it is rarely full of the complainers and deconstructers. That is the easy part. History is full of the builders. Someone I know once told me that he felt called to change the church. How has the church been changed before? Would there be a Willow Creek Association if Bill Hybels had just sat in his class and talked about the need for a Acts 2 church and decided not to plant Willow Creek? Writing is important but until someone can prove to me that they know what they are talking about, do we ever pay attention? The reason that I want to hear from builders is not because they are necessarily successful but because they have stories to share from their journey. They might not have mighty morphin mega churches but they have stories that I can learn from.During my frustration with all of this, I started reading more and more weblogs of local communities of faith. Instead of talking about what was wrong with the church, they were quietly articulating the vision of what it could look like and not only that but they were living it out. Instead of just ideas, they were showing me what the church does look like when it is striving to be faithful.
I resonate with Jordon's call. Despite our negative name, I hope Church Marketing Sucks can be more about what's working in church. I'm much more interested in cup holders and swimming pools and Xboxes and reaching teen moms than I am in comic sans.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:13 PM
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Support CMS Through Amazon
(Filed under: News & Updates)Being a non-profit implies a certain lack of cash. Church Marketing Sucks has never been and never will be about getting rich, but we do still have bills to pay.
An easy way you can help us out without costing a dime is by clicking on our links before making purchases through Amazon.com. We get a small referral fee when you click on our links and then buy anything at Amazon.com. Marketing books, Bibles, CDs—even iPods. It's a small cut, but every little bit counts.
OK, so it may cost more than a dime. But it's money you were going to spend anyway, and it doesn't cost extra to help us out. Check out our reviews category for loads of church marketing-related books (as if you don't have any other books on your must-buy list).
Thanks for your support.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:16 PM
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Blogging Can Burn Pastors
(Filed under: Technology)We like blogging. That's fairly obvious, coming from a blog, but we definitely encourage churches and pastors to blog (and we're just waiting for that book). But you have to follow one rule: blog smart. Being less than careful with your language can land you in the New York Times (registration required). And that's not exactly the press coverage you're looking for.
Just ask Kevin T. Bauder, president of Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis, who made the following statement on his blog in reaction to the controversy over a gay man starring in the evangelical film End of the Spear:
"Granted, we must not overreact. And it would probably be an overreaction to firebomb these men's houses."
Probably? The statement caused a storm of criticism, prompting Bauder to issue an apology.
The lesson? Blogs may be a little more relaxed and casual, but that doesn't mean you can't get burned. Be careful what you say. And if you do slip up, be smart (like Bauder) and make amends.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:43 PM
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February 7, 2006
Community Swimming Pool Built By a Church
(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)Harvest Church in Billings, Mont. is planning to build a community swimming pool. And you thought cup holders were cool. The community has tried to pass three bond measures in 15 years to pay for a pool but they've always failed. The second attempt failed in 2000, mere weeks after Harvest opened, giving Pastor Vern Streeter the idea of the church stepping in.
And the plan is for it to be a community pool, operated by a non-profit separate from the church.
"It's very important people understand this is a Yellowstone County pool. This is a Montana pool," Streeter said. "It's not a church pool. You don't have to be baptized in it before you can swim in it. ..."There's been a sense by the general public that church is irrelevant," Streeter said. "We want Harvest to be a place where the most ardent critic of Christianity would be bummed if we ceased to exist."
Continue reading "Community Swimming Pool Built By a Church"
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:14 PM
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Cup Holders in Church
(Filed under: Building Design)It seems like everybody likes to rag on mega-churches, but I don't always get it. Often they're just making smart decisions. Take Eagle Brook, the largest church in Minnesota with a weekly attendance of 8,000. Their new building will feature cup holders, an amenity that will throw some into apocalyptic panic, but the rationale seems solid to me:
But church leaders figured it was difficult to stand, sit or praise the Lord with your hands in the air while worrying about dumping a hot latte onto fellow Christians. So they decided to add cup holders — anything to boost their reputation for putting people at ease.
It's all the reporter's lingo (assuming the person next to you is a Christian), but the rationale reminds me of last week's