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August 31, 2006

Reality Sets In

(Filed under: News & Updates)

We've been doing a 'heart and soul' series over at the Center for Church Communication blog (in case you haven't caught on yet), and today Brad Abare talks about some of the practical realities of running a non-profit.

We've got big dreams. That's no secret. And so far this community--with the grace of God--has accomplished a lot. It's amazing. But to keep it going, we do need help.

Brad covers some of the basic ways you can help--time, treasure and talent. He also mentions one method we're going to explore for bringing in some cash: advertising (gulp). It takes a certain amount of time, effort and money to keep this thing going. That's the reality. We hope you'll check out Brad's thoughts and help in any way you can.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:36 AM
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Hiring a Sex Offender

(Filed under: Public Relations)

Here's a public relations nightmare in the works: A church hires a registered sex offender to do janitorial work. The local paper covers the story with some bias. A quote from a church staff member that says the hire is a "non-event" is followed up by the observation, "The church is in close proximity to the town's new swimming pool which will soon be filled with youngsters. And the church has many young parishioners of its own." Then comes the news that this is the second sex offender working at the church.

Ouch.

You can debate the merits of those staffing decisions all you want. Extend grace to the marginalized or protect the children? It's a debate we've had before.

But here's the twist: How should the church respond when it feels it's been misrepresented in the local news? The Monday Morning Insight is collecting advice on the best way to respond.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:48 AM
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August 30, 2006

Good to Great

(Filed under: Reviews)

Can a good company become a great company? And if so, how? That's the premise of Jim Collins' Good to Great, and he answers that question with five years worth of research. He looked at companies that were doing good for a while (at least 15 years) and then something changed and they did great for a while (at least 15 more years). He rigorously studied those companies and distilled a few common lessons that can be applied to any organization.

And if it all sounds a little too business oriented, then you should check out the mini-sequel, Good to Great and the Social Sectors. The lesson there is that all the same lessons apply to non-profits (including churches) because they are lessons in how to be great, not lessons in how to do business.

Continue reading "Good to Great"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:05 PM
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August 28, 2006

Whoring Pastors, Church Name Changes & More

(Filed under: Link Round Up)

• This Guys is Angry at Pastors - Eugene Peterson says pastors have "gone whoring after other gods." It's the epitome of church marketing that sucks: "The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of success that will get the attention of journalists." Ouch. (It comes from the introduction to Working the Angles--published in 1987)
• Church 2.0: Does the Congregation Know More Than the Pastor? - How churches are using web 2.0, and more importantly, shifting to a web 2.0, power to the people mindset. Sounds a lot like a little something from Tim Bednar. And reminds me of a little series someone did. (link via Jonathan Blundell)
• The Selling of Evangelical Christianity - Yet another feature on A. Larry Ross, Christian wunder pr man. Though the funny part is his involvement with the Left Behind video game: "I would assume, if there is violence, it's the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, not gratuitous violence." Yet an analyst describes the violence, "I will say some of the dialogue is pretty lame -- people saying, 'Praise the Lord' after they blow away the bad guys."
• Is Religion Making Us Fat? - "A gathering congregation has to gather around something, and it's often around food," Daniel Sack says.
• Church Drops the Name Church from their Title - "Church implies a single group of people," Senior Pastor Ted Roberts. "And that [multiple services/locations] is the future of East Hill--to go beyond these walls eventually and not be limited geographically. We will become a family."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:37 PM
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DJ Chuang on CMS

(Filed under: News & Updates)

The 'heart and soul' series marches on. This week we have special guest blogger DJ Chuang, stepping in to offer his perspective on Church Marketing Sucks: Communicating Any and Every Which Way Possible.

Thanks DJ!

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:26 AM
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The Importance of Church Bulletins

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we asked about the importance of the old standby in church communication, the bulletin. Half said the bulletin is helpful, but it's not everything. 28% said it was very important and 14% said it was a waste of paper.

The bottom line is that it is an important component in how a church communicates. It's likely the one thing visitors and members will take home with them. While it doesn't tell the whole story, it does speak volumes. For more on church bulletins, check out some of our recent polls as well as the discussions in the Church Marketing Lab.

This week we want to know if you're keeping up with the 'heart and soul' series. When you're baring your soul it helps to know if people are listening.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:02 AM
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August 24, 2006

The Power of the Blog

(Filed under: Technology)

by Joe Suh, Guest Blogger

Everyone reading this blog knows the benefits of church blogging. Sometimes the soft touch of a personal story convicts us of its power.

We've heard the same old talking points about blogging within your church community. From guys who pastor, to guys who know more than our pastors, to guys who think church marketing sucks. We know blogs engage the congregation. We know they are culturally relevant for outreach. We even know they increase your church's Google page rank. We know already!

Like Jesus' disciple Thomas, many must see to believe. I saw. Actually I heard. It was from a presentation by Rick Klau, a vice president at Feedburner, addressing an audience of Lutherans at the ELCA Conference.

Continue reading "The Power of the Blog"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 6:35 AM
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August 22, 2006

Dreaming Big Dreams

(Filed under: News & Updates)

The 'heart and soul' series continues this week over at the Center for Church Communication blog with Brad Abare sharing our dreams and big ideas for the future of CFCC.

I don't know about you, but this is where it gets really fun for me. I love thinking big, I love dreaming big, and even better--I love it when those ideas have a shot at becoming reality. I'd be tempted to think this is all just talk, but after seeing the reality of past dreams--like this blog still going strong after two years or the incredible activity in the Church Marketing Lab--you can call me a dreamer.

So let's go dream the big dreams together.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:03 AM
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August 21, 2006

What's Broken Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we asked what's broken in your church. The responses varied, though the poor church web site got the most votes with 21%. The lack of outreach came in a close second with 19%. Then came the congregation (16%), the staff (12%), the lingo (11%) and the worship service (10%).

While the church web site is always the easy target, it does show once again that churches are continually behind the times. The lack of outreach being number comes as no surprise. Even though it's supposed to be our purpose, it also seems to be what churches always struggle with. And I do think it's encouraging that most people blamed the congregation before they blamed the staff. And apparently 7 churches need to pony up some cash and replace a few windows.

For the first time ever in a CMS poll we offered a write-in option last week. Some of the responses included Sunday School, fellowship, vision, priorities, the logo, the building--and my favorite--bread (get it?). That was kind of fun, so we'll see if we can do it again sometime.

This week we ask about the importance of the ubiquitous church bulletin.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:26 AM
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August 16, 2006

My Church is in the Newspaper

(Filed under: Public Relations)

You know what's weird? Seeing your own church mentioned in the newspaper. My church landed in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Monday, and I stumbled across it today thanks to Christianity Today's Weblog.

Our church has been in the midst of the turmoil created by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2003. This year our congregation has finally come to terms with it and started to take some action. The article basically covers the fact that our church has joined the Anglican Communion Network and has no plans to leave the Episcopal Church.

For those of you not familiar with all the goings on in the Episcopal Church (and I count myself in that group), it comes down to the messy politics that you can't avoid when you try to unite a group of believers. It's very emotional and divisive, and has the potential to be ugly.

But what I love is that the article quotes our rector, senior warden, a member who disagreed with the outcome, and the rector from another church--and it doesn't read like a soap opera. It's not full of hate and anger. It's not full of finger pointing. You can tell there is some tension (fears of becoming an "uptight church"?), but I think you can tell that this messy ordeal has been handled with grace and love, which is exactly the perspective I have from the pew. And for that to come across in a newspaper article is rather commendable.

This should also be a warning to any church that your internal politics could end up in the newspaper.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:16 PM
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Churches use Technology!

(Filed under: Technology)

Yet another story appeared this week on how churches are utilizing technology. "'Godcasts' Spread the Gospel" appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Sunday. I'm amazed that this continues to be news. Are churches that far out of touch that no one expects us to use technology? Thus churches tapping into new innovations warrants news? Weird.

As cool as technology is (and I admit to being a tech booster), we always need to remember that balance is in order. I love the comment from Rabbi James Rudin, senior inter-religious adviser for the American Jewish Committee:

"Human touch can never be replaced," Rudin said. "The congregation will always be the sum of its people."

Oh, and the article quoted some guy named Brad Abare.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:07 PM
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August 14, 2006

How Far We've Come

(Filed under: News & Updates)

We're in the midst of our 'heart and soul' series over at the Center for Church Communication, exploring our vision and dreams for how we can help the church matter.

This week we take a look at how we've helped so far, exploring the accomplishments of CFCC and Church Marketing Sucks. It's time to brag just a little.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:43 AM
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How Often Poll Results

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we asked how often you visit Church Marketing Sucks. The most common response was 'whenever I think of it' with 28%. Those first timers came in next at 26% (a slightly lower showing for first timers this week; last week they had 33%). 19% of our visitors stop in daily and 15% come in weekly.

And coming in last are the 12% who use the RSS feed. Which either means that our audience isn't as tech savvy as we like to think, or the number is low because those RSS folks don't bother to visit the site and therefore don't bother to vote in our polls. (And if you're not familiar with RSS, Tony Morgan does a good job describing how it can make your life easier.)

This week we're asking what's broken in your church. This week's question will be especially fun because for the first time ever we have a spot in the poll where you can write in your own answer. No longer will you be bound by the choices we dictate (at least for this week). The software only displays the total "Other" votes in the results, so you'll have to wait until next week's results to see what choices people decided to write in.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:56 AM
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August 9, 2006

What's Broken in Church?

(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)

Watch Seth Godin riff on what's broken (watching a Seth Godin riff is as good as reading one!). It all comes from the site This is Broken, which has loads more great examples. Seth offers up a few reasons why things may be broken:

1. Not my job - It wasn't someone's job to fix it, so they didn't.
2. I didn't know - Someone didn't know it was even broken, which is probably the scariest (do you use your own stuff?).
3. I'm not a fish - The person who designed it never uses it.
4. Broken on purpose - This is kind of the odd category for something that's supposed to be broken.

So what's broken in church?

Continue reading "What's Broken in Church?"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:16 PM
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August 8, 2006

Church Attrition

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

Earlier this year we did a series on church growth which hinted (or at least the comments did) at an idea Bob Franquiz of Calvary Fellowship in Florida elaborates on: attrition.

Every church experiences attrition to one degree or another. People die, people backslide, people get upset, and people move. It's the natural reality of ministry. ...

The national average for attrition runs at about 15%. In a big city, that number could be as high as 25% to 30%.

I'm not sure where Franquiz gets the numbers, but if you're losing 15% per year, that means you need to gain 15% per year just to stay where you're at. It adds a tricky little dynamic to the church growth question.

Franquiz chooses to look on the bright side: "We are probably reaching a lot more people than any of us realize!"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:27 AM
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August 7, 2006

Mark Batterson on CMS

(Filed under: News & Updates)

Our 'heart and soul' series continues this week on the Center for Church Communication blog with a special guest entry by Mark Batterson: A Tribute to Church Marketing Sucks.

It's almost enough to make you teary eyed. Thanks Mark!

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:53 AM
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More Lessons in Church Planting

(Filed under: Examples)

Last week we pointed to Gary Lamb's 21 Lessons from Two Years of Church Planting, and now Russell Knight from Stonebridge Church in Morgantown, W.V. has followed suit with his own reprinted the 21 Lessons Learned from Church Planting.

Update: Thanks to those eagle-eyed readers who noticed the lists where the same. We can't sneak anything past you, can we?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:38 AM
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How Long Have You Checked Out CMS?

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Last week we wanted to learn more about our audience so we asked how long everyone has been checking out Church Marketing Sucks. To my complete surprise a full third of visitors were checking out CMS for the first time ever. The next largest groups were those who have been around "for a few months" and "a while",
with both groups tying at 23%. Another 10% were newbies and another 10% were old school.

It's cool to see all the new blood two years into this. If this is your first time ever, thanks for stopping by. And if this is your thousandth time ever, thanks for stopping by.

This week we ask how often you visit Church Marketing Sucks. (Can you tell our polls have been a little self-centered lately? Must be the birthday. Or maybe that 'heart and soul' series.)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:29 AM
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August 4, 2006

Fastest Growing U.S. Churches in 2006

(Filed under: Examples)

We know how much you love lists ranking churches, so how about the top 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Churches in 2006? Outreach magazine offers the list, compiled from a Church Growth Today study.

Some interesting facts about this list:

• 52 of the 100 churches are new to the list (they didn't appear on the 2005 list).
  
• Texas is the state with the most growing churches at 19. California, Florida and Georgia are tie for second with eight. (Apparently church growth only happens in warm climates. Wimps.)
  
• The oldest church on the list is 165 years old; the youngest church is 3 years old.
  
• You can also check out the top 25 churches plotted out on a Google map.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:50 AM
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August 3, 2006

CFCC at MinistryCom

(Filed under: Events)

If you're going to MinstryCom in Phoenix Sept. 7-8, we'd like to meet you! Well, not me, because I'm probably not going (travel expenses and my duties as a dad make it a hard trip to swing, though I would still like to meet you), but Brad will be there.

We're having the first ever CFCC Get Together during lunch on Friday at MinstryCom. It's an informal affair (it's so informal it wasn't our idea, though we're happy to run with it) and a chance to meet fellow CMSers and Church Marketing Lab folks (you can thank them for the idea). Be there or be vicarious.

Get more details >>

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:06 PM
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August 2, 2006

Man Law for Churches

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

Bob Franquiz of Calvary Fellowship in Florida is proposing Man Law for Christians, including the inaugural law that men shouldn't have to hold hands with other men while praying. It's reminiscent of (and more entertaining than) the Why Do Men Hate Church discussion.

He follows up that manly post with an announcement that his wife is pregnant. [In your best Duffman voice:] Oh yeah!

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:47 AM
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Greg Boyd, Megachurch Anomaly

(Filed under: Demographics/Research)

Woodland Hills Church in Maplewood, Minn. and its pastor, Greg Boyd, are getting loads of attention from the New York Times article, "Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock" (registration required). The article covers Boyd's controversial sermon series, "The Cross and the Sword," which argued that Christians should have little to do with politics and typical Republican alliances on issues like abortion, homosexuality and war.

"I am sorry to tell you that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world," said Boyd. "The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ."

Continue reading "Greg Boyd, Megachurch Anomaly"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:20 AM
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August 1, 2006

Lessons from Seth Godin

(Filed under: Graphic Design)

Marketing guru Seth Godin recently offered up two gems for designers, I Love Typefaces and How to Live Happily with a Great Designer.

The typefaces entry features seven tips for using typefaces well. My favorite bit of advice: "A font is a tool, not an amusement park ride."

The piece on living happily with a designer is some great wisdom for how to communicate on design projects. So often that communication process is just ugly. Perhaps the best advice is the retort, "You can't tell me you'll know it when you see it." More often than not most problems with design projects could be avoided by better and more thorough communication up front.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:34 PM
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MinistryCom Awards: Deadline August 15

(Filed under: Graphic Design)

We mentioned the MinistryCom Awards a while back, and it's worth another mention. The deadline has been extended to August 15, so if you were thinking about entering and never got around to it you have a second chance.

Awards for excellence in church communication will be presented at the MinistryCom conference in September (though you don't have to be present to win).

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:18 PM
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