Church Marketing Sucks: January 2009 Archives

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January 30, 2009

CMS Voted Best Ministry Blog: Thanks

We don't do what we do for recognition... but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel great to get it every now and then.

So... I was thrilled, no amazed, no blown away when I opened up the latest issue of COLLIDE to see that we were voted best ministry blog, an honor made even greater with the other incredible blogs on the list.

Thank you all for not just the votes, but more importantly make Church Marketing Sucks everything that it is. It's because of you that, as COLLIDE put it, Church Marketing Sucks doesn't suck.

Posted by Michael Buckingham at 4:27 AM
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January 29, 2009

NFL Allows Church Super Bowl Parties

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

After banning church Super Bowl parties in the past, the NFL has relented and is allowing churches to show the big game, provided they don't charge for the event or use the name "Super Bowl" (I recently saw TGI Friday's calling it "The Game We Can't Name" in their promotions).

While churches can't charge for the event, taking donations to defray costs is OK. Another stipulation is that the event needs to be held in a location where the church normally meets (apparently no renting out new space for your "big game" party).

If your church is having a Super Bowl party, hopefully you already knew that (doing your copyright homework is good marketing).

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:33 PM
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Church Marketing Lab: Worship logos to 80-Year-Old Mailers

(Filed under: Peer Review)

We're always overwhelmed to find that some members in the Church Marketing Lab don't even know what Church Marketing Sucks is. And vice versa. Surely some of you stumble upon us through Google or one of the kind folks who links to our site, and you have no idea what a Church Marketing Lab is.

Well, it's the place where church marketing becomes more than a blog you read. You can give advice and get advice from tons of peers in order to help the church. As of writing this, 2,864 members have submitted 7,173 items to the Church Marketing Lab. That's a thriving community, and it's a community we're committed to supporting and encouraging.

That said, here is a bit of the art that we've seen passing through the Church Marketing Lab this week. It's not necessarily the best of the best, and it's not the worst of the worst--it's a taste of the what's happening in the Lab. And if you're not involved yet, head on over and start participating!

Preflight is this church's worship service team, and they are working on a new logo.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: Worship logos to 80-Year-Old Mailers"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:14 PM
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Friendly Reminder: Check Your Carbon Monoxide Detector

(Filed under: Building Design)

At a church in Atlanta, a dozen people had to be taken to the hospital recently due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Now surely, no one meant for this to happen. But it's certainly some bad press and a step away from becoming an inviting church. "Oh yeah, aren't you that church where the 12 people were poisoned?" isn't the next phrase you want to hear after inviting someone to church.

So this is a friendly reminder to make sure your church has checked its smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors recently so you don't end up on the wrong side of a story like this.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:20 AM
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January 28, 2009

Dealing With Your Church's Bad Drivers

(Filed under: First Impressions & Beyond)

We've talked before about rep'in your church with pride. But sometimes, the people in your church didn't even do anything that bad. Other people are just too doggone picky.

Take this guy for example, who became angry that a lady put on some makeup at the gas station. Then, he saw her Lifechurch.tv license plate cover, and a hilarious voicemail ensued.

So what's a church to do? Order people to keep their membership secret? Provide common courtesy classes? Send out a pre-offense apology letter to the community for anyone who might offend them?

Some marketing problems just don't have good solutions.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:59 AM
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January 27, 2009

Church Burnout Poll Results

(Filed under: Poll Results)

Recently, we talked with Anne Jackson about her new book Mad Church Disease. She was involved directly in church communications when she found herself in the hospital dealing with stress-related illnesses. Most of you probably haven't wound up in the hospital, but we wanted to know if you've experienced church burnout.

A whopping 12% of you are now former church employees due to burnout. That's over 25 in our meager little poll; I think that says something about how big this problem is.

45% of you have seen the burn victims, and it's not pretty. We've seen them too, and we agree. But another quarter of you say that these burns are no worse than those you've seen in secular offices.

The blessed 7% of you are lucky enough to have an amazing staff culture that hasn't sent you reeling. And a final 8% of you get burned out just from being stuck at church for an hour or two on Sunday mornings.

We'd love to hear in the comments how your church has successfully fought against burnout or things that have really left you empty. If you want a more professional prescription, make sure to order a copy of Anne's book.

This week, we want to know how your church would respond to a Hooters moving in next door?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:58 PM
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Recession-Proof Your Church

(Filed under: Church Business)

New layoffs are announced each week and the unemployment numbers keep rising. Talk of recession-proofing your life is becoming more and more common, and with shrinking giving the church is not immune. Margaret Feinberg says it's time to recession-proof your church. And she gives five steps to doing it that every church can follow. This is the type of thing that would be very good to e-mail your pastor.

She makes the great point that no matter what, God is still in control, and she sees these hard times as an opportunity:

Recognize that financially tough times provide an opportunity for the church and the people of God to shine the brightest. Today, more than ever, your dollar can go further and make a bigger difference in the life of another. As Christians, we are called to be the people who run in when everyone else is running out.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:06 AM
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January 26, 2009

Catalyst West Coast Discount

(Filed under: Events)

Lots of folks have lamented the east coast bias in major church conferences. Innovate is in Indiana, MinistryCOM is usually somewhere in the Midwest, Catalyst is in Atlanta, and the list goes on.

Well worry no more: Catalyst West Coast is coming April 22nd-24th. You'll have a chance to see Hillsong United perform and hear Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, Craig Groeschel, Perry Noble, Guy Kawasaki and more. We're written three times before about our experiences with Catalyst. And recently, they interviewed our own Brad Abare.

They bill themselves as "the leadership filter for what's next in the church," and a lot of our readers are future church leaders. Because of the overlap, they've offered 10% off to the Church Marketing Sucks community with the priority code "CMS". You can register at their site or give them a call and mention the code in order to get the discount.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:47 AM
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January 23, 2009

Church Marketing Lab on Twitter

(Filed under: Peer Review)

Yesterday we talked about Twitter, and I'm sure tons of you out there are already using the service. I know the four of us at Church Marketing Sucks are. But that's not what this is about. This is about the Church Marketing Lab being on Twitter.

It's a great way for you to stay involved in the Church Marketing Lab and see a bit of what is going on there more regularly than you get here. You can also get some good design links and tips. So instead of just showcasing some examples of the work passing through lately, we decided to showcase some of the tweets coming through:

The Elephants are in the Room at the Lab... do you have feedback on this design?: http://snurl.com/ajde7
Great resource, Thanks! Retweeting @arudd: speaking of fonts... how about more for free! http://www.fontsquirrel.com/
If you're interested in following fellow cmlab Tweeters.. check this thread out: http://snurl.com/ahy7m
A fellow designer on a time crunch needs your help.. do you have any input on this design: http://snurl.com/aj9tz

Big thanks to Pam Parish for taking the initiative on this one.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:26 AM
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January 22, 2009

It's Twitter Time for Your Church

(Filed under: Technology)

The Reasons Your Church Must Twitter Anthony Coppedge recently released a $5 e-book entitled The Reason Your Church Must Twitter.

It covers everything from what in the world a Twitter is to how your church can make maximum use of Twitter in various flavors--from simply having public conversations to using Twitter as a devotional tool.

The book would be ideal for a pastor who is open to the use of technology but hasn't embraced Twitter yet. You'll hear uses of Twitter like driving traffic to your church site, increasing your web presence or supplementing your blog, so it's not ideal for the pastor who doesn't realize the value of the web.

Some churches are already doing this, and a few who have been successful (by various metrics of success) come to mind:

I'm sure there are plenty more, but those should give a little context for what successful Twittering can look like. And hopefully The Reason Your Church Must Twitter can get your church there.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:47 AM
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January 21, 2009

Churches and Copyright

(Filed under: Church Business)

Admittedly, churches struggle with copyright concerns. We had the church-NFL debacle awhile back, and a search for "copyright" yields a small book worth of information.

We contacted a few people to set some of the issues straight where churches were concerned about copyright, and Brian Flagler was one of the first to respond. He let us know that he had a podcast coming up soon with the North Point Music Blog about copyright concerns.

So make sure you check it out, it's a 15-minute Q&A that will give you some great information on copyright laws as they pertain to your church.

If you don't listen, and you end up getting sued for using a song without permission in your services, we will publicly announce that your church marketing sucks.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:24 AM
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January 20, 2009

Mobile Site Poll Results

(Filed under: Poll Results)

More and more churches have been going mobile with their web sites. It seems that even kitchen spatulas have built-in wifi now, and just about everyone is browsing the web while they drive or talk to friends. So has your church gone mobile yet?

The biggest chunk of you are still working on your stationary web site, so you can't get too much done on your mobile version. There's nothing wrong with that, and a stationary site is definitely more important. If you don't give a rip about your stationary site or a mobile site, you have some issues. There's a third of you who do care and wish you could get working on a mobile site, but it's not in the budget or plans.

Two slivers of you are on the opposite ends of the spectrum--either agreeing that being available on the road is critical or that it's hogwash. You folks let us know in the comments either how you've seen mobile sites working or why you think they stink.

This week, let us know: Do you think burnout among church workers is a problem? (As addressed in Anne Jackson's Mad Church Disease)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:02 PM
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Getting To the Point

(Filed under: Writing & Editing)

There are two things I'm very fond of when it comes to good communication:

1. That the communicator has a point, and
2. That the communicator makes that point in a timely manner.

When these two things come together, it's amazing what can happen.

Consider this Christmas appeal from the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, in their newspaper, appropriately titled the Catholic Agitator.

Continue reading "Getting To the Point"

Posted by Brad Abare at 6:50 AM
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January 19, 2009

Reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr.

(Filed under: Social Justice)

One of the great lessons of the radical we celebrate today, Martin Luther King Jr., is that change requires action:

"One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying."

That's a central message to church marketing. All the postcards or billboards in the world, graphic design that could melt your face and a brilliant strategy to roll it all out mean nothing if we're not living it.

A few previous entries on King:

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:38 AM
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January 16, 2009

Church Marketing Lab: Thanks to our Moderators

(Filed under: Peer Review)

These days, the Church Marketing Lab is still gaining momentum. We're at over 7,000 pieces of work, and the community is thriving like never before. One of the big reasons for this is a new round of moderators. These are the folks who make sure each piece gets feedback, discussions stay focused and peaceful, and that people don't abuse the community. It's a huge task, and their payment is just how great they feel doing it, and the occasional thanks from us. So new.perspectives, courtenay, DanielleSuzanne, @muntz, David Choate, *cameron* and @professr, huge thanks go out to you.

Here are a couple pieces made possible by our moderators that will give you an idea of the types of things that pass through the Church Marketing Lab:

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: Thanks to our Moderators"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:12 PM
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The Story of Rice Temple and Hooters

(Filed under: Evangelism & Outreach)

I personally grew up in a suburban, Bible-belt town. There was a big stink when Hooters came to town as local churches protested and tempers flared. Local churches and the idea that all of our men and children would surely be ruined is what closed the doors of the Hooters not too far down the road.

My church, and many others in my town, marketed itself as a church more concerned with keeping themselves safe than saving others. We didn't mind what happened to the people at the restaurant, as long as we didn't have to deal with them and their junk.

Another church had a different idea. They joined up with their local Hooters. Can't you hear it now? The First Annual First Baptist of Mayberry-Hooters Fun Run. The Associated Baptist Press tells the story.

Continue reading "The Story of Rice Temple and Hooters"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:41 AM
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January 15, 2009

Sitepoint on Design in Modern Church Marketing

(Filed under: Graphic Design)

Recently, the online media organization Sitepoint (a secular organization) tackled the issue of design in modern church marketing. They hit heavily on topics of the overuse of grunge-style design, the difficulty of communicating identity and recent church branding conversations we've been having here. It's a great read, and I think in a few places, they really hit the nail on the head:

"Church designers seem to face a massive challenge: make beautiful, polished interactive experiences that retain humility and communicate spirituality, all without appearing contrived. Reducing the role of the ego is standard practice in nearly all religions, yet ironically many of today’s churches need to promote themselves more than ever as they seek greater numbers and visibility. Do church designers feel conflicted, trying to convey core values while wrapping them in slick, expensive designs?"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:43 AM
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January 14, 2009

Brad Abare on Communication, Identity and the West Coast

(Filed under: Interviews)

Recently, our own Brad Abare was interviewed by the folks at Catalyst as they prepare for Catalyst West Coast. You can catch the entire interview at the Catablog:

Part 1 - on the dynamic of church communication.
Part 2 - on church identity crises.
Part 3 - on ministry on the west coast.

They're quick interviews, and Brad always has great insights (at least we think so), so you won't regret checking them out.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:17 AM
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January 13, 2009

Mad Church Disease: Burnout Among Church Staffers

(Filed under: Reviews)

A long time ago in a post far, far away we interviewed author and Church Marketing Sucks guest blogger Anne Jackson about her church burnout project, Mad Church Disease. At the time (July 2007) it was just a web site to start the conversation and begin writing a book. Now that book is available: Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic (well, it'll be out February 1--close enough).

This book is for church staffers and volunteers who are at the end of their rope or might be there soon. Paradoxically, churches can be wonderful places to have your life transformed, but terrible places to work. Something about doing ministry professionally makes people think it's OK to sacrifice your family, your free time, your health or even your soul.

Continue reading "Mad Church Disease: Burnout Among Church Staffers"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:52 AM
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Church Copyright Poll Results

(Filed under: Poll Results)

How does your church handle copyright concerns? Last week we asked about the sometimes prickly subject of copyright and how your church handles it.

The majority of you, 43%, have someone on staff who makes sure copyrights are covered and no one's stealing or getting in trouble. Good for you. Another 12% are super careful and consult lawyers and the what not. That's great, but it only amounts to 55% who are making sure they're legal.

Almost a third (29%) are just going with their gut and hoping they don't get sued. Yikes. Is this just the easiest path to take? Do you not know where to go for help (Hint: The Church Marketing Lab is a great place to ask questions)?

Finally, 15% think it's the church's right to copy. Talk about prickly. I know there's a whole open source, anti-copyright movement, but this doesn't seem like an approach that has much integrity for churches. I realize others may have an attitude that if it's for ministry it's open game. Again, you're lacking in the integrity department. If you don't like copyright, stick to public domain or the appropriate Creative Commons material.

This week we're asking about taking your church web site mobile.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:41 AM
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January 12, 2009

Interview with a Church Planter: David Payne

(Filed under: Interviews)

This is the final installment of a series where Church Marketing Sucks discusses marketing with successful church planters. Part 1 featured Pete Hixson of Vinings Lake Church, for part 2 we talked with Don Record of actionchurch and in part three it was Joe Boyd of Aviator Church. In part four, we will be talking with David Payne of Lifesong Church.

Church Marketing Sucks: Hey David, I know you're busy. Thanks for lending us a few minutes. Can you give us a quick, two-sentence intro of who you are and what you do?

David: I am the lead pastor of Lifesong Church outside Worcester, Mass. My role is to shape and drive the spiritual development of our community of faith.

CMS: And if you didn't plant a church, what would you be doing?

Continue reading "Interview with a Church Planter: David Payne"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:53 AM
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January 9, 2009

Church Marketing Lab: Ads, Sermon Art and More

(Filed under: Peer Review)

It's been awhile since we've updated you on the going-ons of the Church Marketing Lab, with the holiday break and wonderful food and all. As you settle back into the office and break your New Year's resolutions, maybe a new resolution is in order: to get involved in the Church Marketing Lab. Get designing, get over any fears you have, and get some feedback on your work. Here's a little sample of some of the work that's been passing through:

Essential Church is running an ad in their local value pack of coupons.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: Ads, Sermon Art and More"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:25 AM
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January 8, 2009

Rethinking Church Conferences

(Filed under: Events)

The resident expert on church staff burnout, Anne Jackson, started a conversation this week about church conferences. It started with a Twitter post and turned into a blog entry that currently has 49 comments. The essence of Anne's post and the feedback she's receiving is questioning whether or not conferences are worth it. Do you come away with anything helpful or do you just feel inadequate?

Redefining the Conference
That's why I like the new breed of what I'll call "un-conferences." They're experimental events that are trying to redefine the typical conference. Two that come to mind are on opposite ends of the spectrum: Q and Idea Camp. I say opposite ends because Q is pricey and Idea Camp is free. But both events are about getting people together and talking about ideas. Both events banish the garish exhibit hall, so no booths or bozos with their hard sell. (Full disclosure: We'll be attending Q and hope to have a CMS meetup. And we have some connections with the man behind Idea Camp, Charles Lee. He's cool.)

Continue reading "Rethinking Church Conferences"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:05 PM
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January 7, 2009

Activity vs. Action

(Filed under: Church Business)

Once again marketing guru Seth Godin stirred up some thinking with this post that caused me to think about all the ministries churches are involved with. While Seth is talking about online activity, this quote is worth pausing on:

"Is the work you're doing actually leading you where you want to go, or merely keeping you busy?"

Think about all the ministries housed in your church, all the effort you put into them and ask yourself that important question--is it leading you (and those you minister to) where you want (and need) to go?

Too often I believe we launch a ministry because it sounds like a great idea, or because someone really thinks it's needed, or maybe even because the hot church down the block just launched one. That can lead to busy work and often doesn't produce a result other than the addition of another ministry.

Before you launch the next ministry be sure that you understand the purpose and define where you want it to take you and those you minister to. There are great ministries that you can skip (or jump in head first). Maybe because there's someone better equipped for the task, maybe it's a question of focus or passion or maybe, and this is every bit as legitimate, you're already spread too thin.

Be purposeful in your ministry and don't confuse activity with action. This will create both successful ministry and happy ministers.

Posted by Michael Buckingham at 5:50 AM
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Next Christmas Poll

(Filed under: Poll Results)

What would you most like the Center for Church Communication to give you next Christmas? Last week we asked what you'd most like the Center for Church Communication (our nonprofit parent) to give you next Christmas.

Surprisingly, more than a quarter of you (25%) wanted a podcast. And I thought podcasts were so 2005. Next up two options tied with 18%, one wanting something offline like books or magazines and the other wanting more reports (like You Know You're In Church Communications If...). In the under 10% range we had a number of other options, including organized meetups (like the Local Labs), conferences, consulting and nothing.

Lastly, 13% of you (the 4th most popular option) wanted something else. Let us know in the comments what you've got in mind.

We'll see what 2009 has in store. We can't promise we'll deliver all of these things by next Christmas, but we can tell you that we are working on some of them. This week we're asking how your church handles copyright issuse.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:38 AM
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January 6, 2009

Jesus is Not a Brand: The Good

(Filed under: Philosophy)

This is part two of a two-part post discussing the recent Christianity Today article Jesus is Not a Brand, by Tyler Wigg Stevenson, the author of Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumer Age.

Recently we discussed the shortcomings of Tyler Wigg Stevenson's views in "Jesus is Not a Brand." But he also has some wonderful insights to challenge churches in their marketing, and I'd like to look specifically at three of them.

Marketing is full of segmentation.
Wigg-Stevenson mentions Ford vs. Chevy and Mac vs. PC. Kem Meyer captured the essence of our spirit of debate succinctly recently on Twitter:

Here's an idea: How about this in 2009? Respective Apple & PC fans stop gloating and wishing for the other to fail. It's annoying.

Continue reading "Jesus is Not a Brand: The Good"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:03 AM
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January 5, 2009

Jesus is Not a Brand: The Bad

(Filed under: Philosophy)

This is part one of a two-part post discussing the recent Christianity Today article Jesus is Not a Brand, by Tyler Wigg Stevenson, the author of Brand Christianity. We mentioned the article last week and generated some initial discussion.

"Jesus is Not a Brand" is well-written, and I think the author would find himself largely in agreement with us here at Church Marketing Sucks. I certainly recommend the entirety of his long article for intelligent discourse on some of the inherent problems with brands and the traps that churches can fall into.

He has arguments that are inspirational, eloquent and mostly spot-on, but I'd like to address a few of the article's fundamental flaws. This is neither an attack on him or Christianity Today, it is simply our addition to a great conversation surrounding church marketing. And moreover, judging by his article, it is largely a discussion in semantics.

All that said, let's get to his arguments and a few basic misinterpretations.

Continue reading "Jesus is Not a Brand: The Bad"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:02 AM
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January 2, 2009

Marketing Jesus: CMS in CT

(Filed under: News & Updates)

Marketing Jesus The January 2009 issue of Christianity Today features a cover story on church marketing, "Jesus is Not a Brand" by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson (author of Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumerist Age). The lengthy article mentions Church Marketing Sucks and even quotes our own Joshua Cody.

It sparks a great conversation in the continuing debate about church marketing, though it doesn't seem like our perspective was fairly represented. We'll be posting a two-part response next week. Until then, what do you think? Is church marketing a lost cause, doomed by the very medium? Or is more complicated than that, a difficult journey through a minefield to find church marketing that touches the soul without selling that soul?

Personally, I always find it ironic when anti-marketing proponents communicate their message in a way that relies on marketing.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:53 PM
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Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity

(Filed under: Reviews)

by Jeff Goins, Guest Blogger

Reimagining Church is Frank Viola’s reconstructive sequel to the challenging, deconstructive critique of modern church practices, Pagan Christianity (co-authored with George Barna).

The basic synopsis of the book is built around the arguments presented in Pagan Christianity. Theoretically, the two books should be read together, but frankly, if you missed the prequel, you can still jump into the sequel and not get lost.

As a marketer for a para-church organization, there were some interesting points to glean. Of course, this isn’t a book on marketing, but it does call into question whether or not our definition of “the church” is accurate. So, I wondered to myself, as I read it, if I had unnecessarily been investing time into marketing an institution that really wasn’t supposed to be an institution.

Viola explores biblical ecclesiology from a narrative-based perspective of Scripture, admitting his own limitations and influences. He challenges the reader to imagine a church that only follows the New Testament model for fellowship and community and to dispose of practices that don’t comply with the examples given by the apostles and early Christians. The church, he argues rather simply, is primarily an organism, not an organization.

Continue reading "Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 2:11 PM
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