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March 13, 2008
Erwin McManus Touches (Lightly) on Church Marketing
(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)Erwin McManus has his thoughts about why churches are in decline. And it's not bad design, bad web sites or poor use of technology.
"My primary assessment would be because American Christians tend to be incredibly self-indulgent so they see the church as a place there for them to meet their needs and to express faith in a way that is meaningful for them ... I think the bottom line really is our own spiritual narcissism. There are methods and you can talk about style, structure and music, but in the end it really comes down to your heart and what you care about."
You don't market country clubs. You don't market your secret society. And you can't market your church if the attitude within is one of self-indulgence and only caring about what works best for your members. Simply put, you can't market your church if your church isn't ready to sacrifice. (link via MMI)
Posted by Joshua Cody at March 13, 2008 1:36 PM
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Comments
I totally agree with Erwin. When church is all about me and what I can get, others will be pushed to the sideline if not totally ignored. This makes a self-absorbed church that reaches no one with the gospel and fails to fulfill the mission which Jesus Christ has given His bride.
Posted by: Ben Birdsong at March 13, 2008 3:35 PM
I totally agree with Erwin. When church is all about me and what I can get, others will be pushed to the sideline if not totally ignored. This makes a self-absorbed church that reaches no one with the gospel and fails to fulfill the mission which Jesus Christ has given His bride.
Posted by: Ben Birdsong at March 13, 2008 3:35 PM
I think the sentiment can be taken a step further: In the U.S. over the next decade, those churches that are marked by visible acts of sacrifice for others are those that will be most successful in attracting outsiders.
Posted by: Jim McGee at March 13, 2008 4:14 PM
SERVING. That is what we all need to do. Not judging, not indulging. Serving.
This is one of the best articles I have seen on CMS and one of the most important.
SERVING.
Posted by: geoffreybrown at March 13, 2008 5:24 PM
I really wish I could disagree with Erwin's assessment of many American Christians, but...
Posted by: Jay at March 14, 2008 5:40 AM
Great post and comments. How do we help transition our congregations from attitudes of narcissism to sacrifice?
Posted by: Nathan at March 14, 2008 9:41 AM
Contact Church Marketing Sucks