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April 28, 2006

Church Marketing Lab Round Up #5

(Filed under: Peer Review)

It's been a busy month at the Church Marketing Lab. We've got over 200 images added from over 150 members. Rather than just talking about it, we're actually helping improve church marketing. And when I say 'we,' that includes all of you. I'm no expert, but many of you are, and it's your feedback that makes a difference. So step up to the Church Marketing Lab and share your feedback (see our guidelines for instructions).

Doubters Anonymous - graphic for a video intro to a sermon series. See the related sermon slides. And give a look to the superheroes postcard front and back.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab Round Up #5"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:30 AM
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April 27, 2006

Technology Forum at the Foursquare Convention

(Filed under: Events)

If you haven't seen our own Brad Abare blogging much around here lately, this is why--in addition to speaking at next week's Buzz Conference, Brad will also be at a technology forum at the upcoming Foursquare Convention, also in Washington, D.C., from May 29-June 1.

The tech forum, "Harnessing Technology for Ministry," will cover both existing and emerging technologies for use in the church today and tomorrow. Potential ministry applications for blogs, social-networking, wikis, instant-messaging, podcasting, video streaming, digitial libraries and more will be covered.

And we should confirm the rumors that, yes, Brad will also be appearing at this year's MinistryCOM conference in Phoenix this September. But more on that later.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:26 AM
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4 Questions About Church Web Sites

(Filed under: Technology)

by Greg Nilsen, Guest Blogger

I was having a conversation with a fellow church webmaster the other day, and he was discussing placing private church materials (budgets, etc.) on a "roped off" section of a message board for their church. My first reaction was that it wasn't a very good idea because of security reasons, but since then I've found myself continually asking the age-old question: Why?

With all the technology available to us today, it is often easy to lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish with a church web site. In order to regain perspective, I believe that we all need to sit down from time to time and ask ourselves the following four questions:

1. What is the purpose of your church web site?
A church web site should strive towards two goals:

1. Build up the members of its existing congregation.
2. Reach out to seekers.

If your web site isn't working towards either of those two goals, it may be time to step back and seriously rethink your approach.

Continue reading "4 Questions About Church Web Sites"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 6:07 AM
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April 25, 2006

How Your Church Can Ditch Expensive Software

(Filed under: Technology)

Part 6 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

One of the best things about the whole web 2.0 revolution is how it all works. Asynchronous Javascript and XML, better known as AJAX, powers these new web 2.0 applications enabling them to behave more like desktop applications than web pages. This leads to web based applications, which are hefty little programs that can do some of the same heavy lifting as legacy desktop software like Microsoft Word, but don't pack any of same hit to your wallet or harddrive.

The benefits should be obvious for thrifty churches.

Continue reading "How Your Church Can Ditch Expensive Software"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:31 AM
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April 24, 2006

Ditching Sermons for Drama

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

A Pennsylvania church plant hopes to spread the word by ditching sermons in favor of dramas. Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh, Penn. is an emergent congregation that targets the unchurched.

"Instead of coming to our church and listening to a sermon, you can be part of the sermon," says co-pastor Jim Walker. Their dramatically different approach is drawing lots of media attention, including the Wall Street Journal and the Today Show.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:55 PM
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Get In Here Ministries

(Filed under: Off the Wall)

As part of their latest DVD pack of videos for church use, Igniter Media has created a great example of the wrong way to do ministry: Johnny Lang & Chachi Laruso of Get In Here Ministries. Yes, Igniter Media did create a fake web site for these cornball ministers. And it's pretty funny.

Check out the News World Today interview on the homepage for their secrets to ministry, including the "Altered Famous Saying" technique and the "Sarcastic Manipulative Comment" technique.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:18 PM
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Church Buzz Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we asked about church buzz and 74% seem to have no problem with churches trying to generate buzz. 20% are a little less sure and question the authenticity of church buzz.

This week we ask for your take on web 2.0 as a part of our continuing series on what web 2.0 means for your church.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:20 AM
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April 21, 2006

Church Marketing Lab Round Up #4

(Filed under: Peer Review)

It's another Friday and another chance to help church marketing not suck. Head over to our Church Marketing Lab and share your wisdom (see our guidelines for instructions).

I Am Not - fall retreat poster (also see their Canada 2003 logo/book cover, Can You Hear Me Now fall retreat poster, and Graddy awards).

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab Round Up #4"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:19 PM
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April 20, 2006

Larry Ross: Billy Graham's PR Man

(Filed under: Public Relations)

We've talked about Billy Graham's publicity man before, but the New York Times spend seven pages on Larry Ross, so maybe he's worth another look.

"Moses stood there on top of a cliff, and as long as he held up his arms, the children of Israel won. Well, after a while he got tired, so there were two men that came and held up Moses' arms so they could win the battle. That's my job--to hold up the arms of the man of God, like Billy Graham or Rick Warren, in the media." -Larry Ross

The article covers the ins and outs of Christian public relations, but it's another good reminder about the importance of managing p.r. for churches.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:12 AM
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April 19, 2006

Easter Brings Churches Together

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

My wife and I were invited by some friends to attend an Easter service this past weekend. A handful of churches were coming together for a "county-wide celebration of Christ" at one of the famous outdoor amphitheaters here in Southern California. Thousands of people gathered for a surprisingly low-key service--not a a big show or production--with worship, a simple yet profound drama, and a cut-to-the-chase invitation for salvation. I was so moved by the people who responded to the invitation. What a thrill to see so many lost people found!

I was particularly glad to see churches coming together in partnership for reaching their communities. Although the host church, Rock Harbor, was the main organizer, there was not a single plug for them. Instead, they actually passed out cards with addresses to a dozen or so churches in the area for people to check out. I love it!

I also received word from Tim Schraeder of Riverside Community Church in Peoria, Ill. of something similar. They hooked up with St. Paul Baptist Church for a joint service. Not only are these churches of different denominations, they are of different cultures, too. I love it! You can read more about this and the media coverage they have generated on their blog.

Posted by Brad Abare at 8:45 AM
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Easter Marketing Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we asked about Easter marketing. Extra services or special programs, word of mouth and advertising were the most popular methods (23%, 22% and 21% respectively).

The results are fairly similar to Christmas marketing. Extra services or special programs seems to be the popular way to approach holidays (23% for Easter, 24% for Christmas), though for Easter word of mouth and advertising were used almost as much (22% and 21%), but the percentage of both dropped for Christmas (15% for both). Though it's probably not very accurate to directly compare the Christmas and Easter polls.

This week we ask about buzz marketing.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:40 AM
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April 14, 2006

Church Marketing Lab Round Up #3

(Filed under: Peer Review)

It's Friday and we know you're looking for an afternoon distraction (at least for those who didn't get the day off for Good Friday), so why not help churches communicate better? Not that we endorse goofing off. Check out the recent additions to the Church Marketing Lab and offer your suggestions (see our guidelines for instructions).

The Office - a series slide.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab Round Up #3"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:04 AM
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April 13, 2006

Save $40 on the Buzz Conference

(Filed under: News & Updates)

They say you can't have buzz without repetition. So here we go.

The Buzz Conference is coming to Washington, D.C., in less than a month, featuring the controversial Mark Batterson (OK, so he wasn't controversial until our interview with him racked up 20 comments in five days) and our own Brad Abare.

And we've got a deal for you. The regular registration is $139, but CMS readers can get in for only $99. E-mail Buzz Coordinator Juliet Main for the discount.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:38 AM
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How Your Church Can Use Squidoo

(Filed under: Technology)

Part 5 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

So what's Squidoo? It's another player in the exploding world of web 2.0 sites, though it has marketing guru Seth Godin as CEO. Check out recent features from the New York Times and CNN.

The basic idea is that computer-generated search isn't good enough. Squidoo gives self-proclaimed experts (which Squidoo calls lensmasters) the chance to build a single web page (which Squidoo calls lenses) telling people whatever it is they need to know. So you've got the personal knowledge of experts instead of the shotgun approach of Google.

Continue reading "How Your Church Can Use Squidoo"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:47 AM
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April 12, 2006

100 Members in the Church Marketing Lab

(Filed under: News & Updates)

We just added our 100th member to the Church Marketing Lab. Congratulations Bob Erdman of Capistrano Valley Church (which has its own [fledgling] Flickr group--looks like someone's been listening). As the 100th member of the Church Marketing Lab you win... our congratulations. Go Bob!

Thanks to everyone who has taken part in the Church Marketing Lab and shared their work, and especially to those who have shared their feedback. It doesn't work without feedback, so thanks for digging in and helping make church marketing that doesn't suck.

That's why we do what we do, so thanks for your support.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:07 PM
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How to Generate Grassroots Buzz

(Filed under: Promotion)

by Tim Bednar, Guest Blogger

A few months ago, you may have found yourself pondering the veracity of a PC game called "Mega Church" for sale on Amazon. It was a parody; I created it to satirize how we often think of church as a game. Putting the merits of this campaign aside, we all have occasions when we want to grab attention. Some say the, "currency of the New Economy won't be money, but attention". This is the story of how I got the attention of thousands of people and the lessons I learned.

Continue reading "How to Generate Grassroots Buzz"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 12:15 PM
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April 11, 2006

Be the First to Know: CMS E-mail Newsletters

(Filed under: News & Updates)

If you want to be in the know, sign up for our e-mail newsletters. That's where you can hear things first:

• Last week we told our e-mail subscribers about our plans to accept donations the day before we announced it on the site.
• Our new guest blogger policy went to our e-mail newsletter days before we talked about it on the blog.
• We told our e-mail newsletter subscribers about the new Church Marketing Lab a full three weeks before we made it public on the blog.
• We even mentioned some of these coming changes way back in our February e-mail newsletter.

So the bottom line? If you want to be in on what's happening with Church Marketing Sucks and our non-profit parent the Center for Church Communciation, sign up for our e-mail newsletters.

Continue reading "Be the First to Know: CMS E-mail Newsletters"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:11 AM
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April 9, 2006

Podcast Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we checked on the popularity among churches of the most popular tech trend in 2005, the podcast. 36% of churches are currently podcasting and another 20% are planning to start one soon, which means just over half of churches are hip to the latest trend. Not too shabby. Of those churches podcasting, 8% did report that no one's listening, so it's not the killer application for everybody.

As holy week starts the countdown to Easter we ask what your church is doing to draw people in for one of the biggest days of the year. It should be interesting to compare Easter plans with the other big holiday, Christmas.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:47 PM
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April 7, 2006

Church Marketing Lab Round Up #2

(Filed under: Peer Review)

We always talk about helping churches communicate better, so it's time to make it happen. Below are the recent additions to the Church Marketing Lab. Check 'em out and offer your suggestions (see our guidelines for instructions).

visitcalvary.com - web site for Calvary Church.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab Round Up #2"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:33 PM
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Mark Batterson and Church Buzz

(Filed under: Interviews)

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington D.C.'s National Community Church, a unique church that meets in two movie theaters in the nation's capital. Batterson is also behind the Buzz Conference, a church conference being held in Washington, D.C., May 4-5 that also features our very own Brad Abare.

Batterson has generously offered a Buzz Conference discount to Church Marketing Sucks readers. The regular registration is $139, but CMS readers can get in for only $99. E-mail Buzz Coordinator Juliet Main for the discount.

We talked with Batterson over e-mail to get his thoughts on Buzz.

So I'm a busy person—why should I come to the Buzz Conference?

Mark Batterson: The busier you are the more you need to come! I have a formula I came up with a few years ago: Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective. A good conference helps fuel new ideas. A two-day investment can generate a year of creative ideas. Plus all of us need a few days out of our milieu. It keeps us from becoming a closed-system.

Continue reading "Mark Batterson and Church Buzz"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:15 AM
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How Your Church Can Use Video

(Filed under: Multimedia)

Part 4 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

Online video is the latest tech fad. There are TV shows for sale from Apple, you can buy downloadable movies, you can watch old school TV reruns (PC only). Thanks to broadband, video is exploding online. It's also becoming incredibly viral, like the recent Lazy Sunday and Microsoft's iPod packaging clips.

But video meets web 2.0 when users submit the content. Sites like You Tube, Google Video and Vimeo are essentially Flickr for videos. Sometimes they're short and shaky clips and sometimes professionally cut and soundtracked mini-movies. Web videos are even making a splash on real TV, like VH1's Web Junk 20, Bravo's Outrageous and Contagious: Viral Videos and The Net with Carson Daly in development by NBC and USA.

Video and the Church
So here's that question again: What does all this have to do with the church?

Continue reading "How Your Church Can Use Video"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:49 AM
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April 6, 2006

Rejected Church Slogans

(Filed under: Off the Wall)

by Mike Atkinson, Guest Blogger

Dean Lusk, worship leader at Wall Highway Baptist Church in Madison, Ala., was recently working on a new slogan for the church when inspiration struck: "I originally thought of this as a 'Top 10 Rejected Church Slogans' project, but I only got to seven of them before life happened and I got back to work."

He came up with some pretty funny slogans. I bet the bright readers of CMS could come up with a few more... eh? (link via Wittenburg Door)

Posted by Guest Blogger at 10:06 AM
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Episcopal Church Online Visitor's Center

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

The Episcopal Church has an online visitor's center that serves as a first step for anyone considering checking out an Episcopal church. It's another way denominations can help drive people to the local church, especially since denominations usually have more resources at their disposal than local churches do. It's the franchise approach.

Is it working? The Episcopal Church is running a survey to get input on the visitor's center, so you can offer your input. The survey is available until April 7. (Yes, that's tomorrow. We're a little behind on our e-mail)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:08 AM
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How Your Church Can Use MySpace

(Filed under: Technology)

Part 3 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

Let's just open that can of worms called MySpace. If you haven't heard about MySpace, you've surely heard about the MySpace backlash. MySpace is one of many of social networking sites like Facebook, Friendster, Orkut and dozens of others, though MySpace has the distinction of being bought by Rupert Murdoch for $580 million, attracting over 50 million people (many of whom are teens), and being the target of an ugly media backlash over concerns about safety. The safety concerns are justified (just do a Google News search on MySpace), but they're also overblown and uninformed.

What's It All About?
The draw of MySpace is that it's a virtual hangout, complete with easy networking, content creation and interaction. You can blog, post photos, play music, start discussions, post events, chat, add friends to your network and then comment on just about everything. While it has loads of web 2.0 attributes, it's also not design savvy and it's borderline bloated. But that doesn't seem to matter.

What About the Church?
For the church MySpace represents yet another danger or an opportunity, depending on your outlook.

Continue reading "How Your Church Can Use MySpace"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:55 AM
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April 5, 2006

Support Church Marketing Sucks

(Filed under: News & Updates)

Ever since we started we've been trying to help the church communicate the gospel. It's no easy task. We need your help.

There are three big ways you can help us out:

1. Get involved.
2. Donate.
3. Pray.

The first and the last aren't anything new. We've been asking you to get involved since the very beginning. And prayer goes without saying. Except that we're saying it.

But that middle one—that's new. It's also a delicate subject for us. It's easy for people to get nervous when money comes up, especially when the church is involved. So we're going to shoot straight and just lay it out.

The Center for Church Communication, the non-profit parent of CMS, is now accepting online donations. We hope you'll consider a donation to help churches communicate better.

Continue reading "Support Church Marketing Sucks"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:48 AM
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How Your Church Can Use Flickr

(Filed under: Technology)

Part 2 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

Let's start with the photo-sharing site Flickr. It's the media darling that began as an online game until the creators realized they had made a cool—and profitable—photo site. Fast forward and Yahoo! snatches them up for an undisclosed sum (i.e., millions).

We'll focus on Flickr since they're the most well known, but the idea applies to any photo-sharing site. The basics are pretty simple. You post photos. You share them with your friends. Add comments and tags and notes and all sorts of fun tools to categorize, view and enjoy your photos. Suddenly you have the family photo album digitized and put online so anyone can add a new page. Pair that with the proliferation of digital cameras and you've got yourself a winner.

Continue reading "How Your Church Can Use Flickr"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:23 AM
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April 4, 2006

More Downloadable Church Resources

(Filed under: Resources)

LifeChurch.tv isn't the only church giving away their sermon series resources--The Vine, the young adult service of Southeast Christian church in Louisville, Ky., has also made their sermon series resources available for free download. You can get videos, backgrounds and graphic files.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:49 PM
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What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church

(Filed under: Technology)

Web 2.0 is the latest rage. It's on the cover of Newsweek and everyone is speculating if it's the revenge of the dot com boom.

This is the beginning of an multi-part series on web. 2.0 and what it could mean for the church.

What is Web 2.0?
It depends on who you talk to, if it's a doe-eyed techie or a jaded marketer or a way-too-early adopter. For my purposes, web 2.0 refers to the kinds of sites that build on community or offer a service. Rather than simply offering static information, web 2.0 sites offer interaction.

Continue reading "What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:20 AM
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LifeChurch.tv Downloadable Resources

(Filed under: Resources)

LifeChurch.tv, a multi-location church with sites in Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona, is making their sermon series resources available to other churches for free. You can download video, layered graphics files and sermon outlines. Check out their blog for continuing updates.

For more on LifeChurch.tv, check out the recent video podcast from Blogging Church.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:33 AM
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April 3, 2006

No One Reads Your Church Brochure

(Filed under: Promotion)

Marketing guru Seth Godin recently talked about brochures and said the one thing no marketer wants to hear: Nobody reads brochures.

I didn't say it wasn't important. I just said it wasn't going to get read.

People will consider its heft. They might glance at the photos. They will certainly notice the layout. And, if you're lucky, they'll read a few captions or testimonials.

At its best, a brochure is begging for someone to judge you.

Continue reading "No One Reads Your Church Brochure"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:01 PM
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Church Advertising is a Waste of Time

(Filed under: Philosophy)

by Ryan Stauffer, Guest Blogger

Here's a confession: I'm not a fan of big churches, and by "big churches" I mean weekly attendance over 20. I think that churches should meet in homes and that "ministry" means helping a guy replace his broken water heater. Also, I think church advertising is a waste of time.

I recognize this is narrow and even a little hypocritical since I currently do communications full-time for a church of 700. I'm always butting my head against my own lack of enthusiasm for big events and organized ministries. But every few weeks I hear about something that gets me really pumped (usually a bunch of guys fixing cars for widows and single moms) and reminds me of a concept I consider to be at the root of church marketing:

The most powerful apologetic for Christianity is a local church body living the way it should.

Continue reading "Church Advertising is a Waste of Time"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 9:38 AM
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Public Relations Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week's poll asked about church press releases and offers some interesting numbers. Half of churches haven't even tried press releases, but 31% have tried them and scored some free publicity. Only 13% tried them but haven't had much success.

Press releases may be a strategy worth trying. For more on press releases, check out the basics and what not to do. And don't forget the words of Larry Ross, Billy Graham's publicity man: "Jesus always asked, 'How can I help you?' Dealing with the mainstream media is all about knowing what they want and figuring out how you can help them get it, which works to your advantage."

This week we ask about the most popular word of 2005: podcasting.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:07 AM
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