March 16, 2010

Spring Ahead Poll Results

Daylight Saving Time has come and gone, to the anger of most of the churched world. It meant waking up an hour earlier to get the service ready, show up in the pews or turn your alarm off to give up. Here's how you expected it to impact your weekend services:

39% of you had total faith that your peers, congregants and friends would figure things out. They'd set their clocks accordingly and show up bright and early, ready to worship together.

Another 31% expected some late-comers. Folk who don't quite grasp the "spring ahead" and wake up only to freak out that their cell phone is an hour ahead of what they were expecting based on the night before.

27% expected the late-comers to be no-showers. They'd see they were late and give up on showing altogether. Or perhaps more accurately, they'd take advantage of a good excuse to say, "Oh! I accidentally overslept."

A small handful of you don't do Sunday morning services, so it doesn't matter to you. You gather some day of the week not affected by the time change or late enough on Sundays that everyone figured it out on their own accord. Oh, and a whopping 0 churches roll with it and change the time of their services.

So what do you think, in hindsight, was your projection accurate? Did you experience an unexpected dip? Did others perform better than expected? Or do you have no idea because you were the guilty oversleeper?

This week, let's focus on Easter. Let us know, what's your big marketing plan for Easter?

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March 10, 2010

Lenten Events Poll Results

It's that time of year. "What time of year?" ask the Baptists. (I couldn't resist that joke, too easy.) It's Lent, or, according to Wikipedia:

"...the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus..."

So which events does your church observe? Here's what you had to say:

The most popular holiday of the season is Easter. Nearly a third of churches are observing and marketing some sort of Easter service. Honestly, I would have expected this number to be much higher.

Just shy of that, one in five churches are doing something for Good Friday--a drama, a candlelight service, a memorial, etc. But they're letting people know they should join them on the Friday before Easter to remember the death of Christ. And in a surprisingly strong showing, another fifth of your churches market their Palm Sunday service.

Next up? Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday. 11% of churches are advertising each of these events. We'd love to hear how you're telling people about the less-famous Lent observances. Is it just intra-church marketing? Or are you going out of your way to let the whole community know of these events?

Oh yeah, and the rest of you. 6% don't observe or market your Lenten festivities, while 2% only observe Mardi Gras. So let's hear it, how did you celebrate Mardi Gras? Or do you want to fess up for being a smart aleck?

It's about that time, so this week we want to know: Daylight Savings Time goes into effect this weekend. How will it impact your services?

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March 3, 2010

Pastors and Designers Poll Results

Erik Germesin recently wrote a gap-bridging piece for pastors and designers. It's no secret that pastors can find designers to be troublesome to work with, and vice-versa. For whatever reason, these two groups just don't always seem to gel. We were curious as to how the pastors and designers that you know play together.

The biggest group, pleasingly, are the 43% of you who have pastors and designers who go above and beyond to understand one another and work together. Your designer doesn't go crazy when the pastor suggests Comic Sans, and your pastor doesn't lose his cool when the designer cries over a rejected design.

Another 10% play nice, but there's some serious animosity going on there. They're all smiles and back-pats around the office, but you know they absolutely dread and loathe when things go from office-to-office. Another group of the same size don't really work well together, but they keep to themselves.

A little, tiny 3% of you have pastors and designers that go at one another angrily. Women and children can't come to the office, and there's likely to be prayers for repentance after they deal with one another.

So who's left? Oh, there you are. 34% of you don't have any designers, so it doesn't matter. Maybe you're not part of a church, you're part of a church who doesn't do any designed materials or you just have one of those administrative assistant/designers. (Although hopefully not the latter.)

This week, we're getting in the spirit of Lent and asking: Which events in the Lent calendar does your church traditionally observe and market?

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February 24, 2010

Social Marketing Strategy Poll Results

The Smithsonian Institution made some waves a few months ago with their social media strategy. It's hard to know if they were being frustrating over-achievers or meticulously-documented marketers, but it made us think: how well-developed is your church's social media strategy? Here's how you voted:

The big winner? Whoever the one person was that voted their church as we're thought-out and written-up like the Smithsonian. Speak up in the comments; share your strategy; let's hear it!

And the other group of you on the same track are the 10% who have devised a strategy, but now you're executing. We'd love to hear what went into your plan and how the execution is going thus far.

And what of the non-planners? 37% of you are flying foot loose and fancy free. You jumped into social media, and now you're just trying to engage in conversations and keep your head above water.

The next couple chunks of you aren't having the most social media success. 28% are trying your hand at social media, but you're wandering aimlessly and failing slowly. We'd love to hear where you've run into problems and what they were; perhaps you can help other churches with your story.

Another 24% of you are simply not engaging in social media. Do you feel like you can't give full effort, so you might as well not try? Just don't see the value proposition? Feeling lazy? We'd love to hear why you're not giving it a shot.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:16 AM
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February 17, 2010

State of Church Marketing Poll Results

After five-and-a-half years of Church Marketing Sucks, we thought it was about time to check your feelings on the state of church marketing--where we've been and where we're going. Here's what you had to say:

41% of you think we're inching forward with a long road ahead. You think some churches are finally starting to get it, but there are plenty of folks out there who aren't on the boat yet, or they're just missing the point. And 20% of you are even a bit more optimistic. You see bigger steps in the right direction, and you're getting really excited about it.

Another 27% of you think not much headway has been made, but the fight must go on. Churches, for whatever reason, still aren't getting it, but we shouldn't give up. We ought to keep trying to help.

Next up are those 11% of you who aren't on board with the idea that churches should be marketing. Are you sitting on the fence on it? Do you just read Church Marketing Sucks to get your blood boiling?

And finally, a paltry 2% see a 180 degree turn around. Given the size of that number, it looks like we have a lot of work to do on the road ahead!

We'd love to hear you comment on some of the ways you've seen church marketing move forward and some encouraging signs you've noticed. It's always good to celebrate these victories together.

And this week, we're looking to hear: How has your church developed a social media strategy?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:51 AM
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February 10, 2010

The Big Game Poll Results

The most important game of the year played with an oblong air-pocket covered in leather, which airs around the beginning of February, is no stranger to us. We've covered it time and time again. And again. Just looking at our archives, you can tell we think this is something that matters. It's a yearly playground for the church to learn the hard lessons of copyright law, advertising and community. So we wanted to know if your church was planning to host its own event. Here's what you had to say:

44% of you weren't doing a darn thing for the game. You figured small groups would likely throw something together, but corporately, you had no plans to support it. And that's all right.

27% of you took the opposite approach and threw a big party. You had people invite their friends, made pigs in a blanket and, probably, talked through all the commercials (Even though you swore you wouldn't.)

And another 18% of you were using the game as an opportunity to hang out, but not necessarily outreach. You didn't want to make a festival out of it, but you wanted to have fun and watch the game.

And a last, humble, 11% of you just went on with life-as-scheduled. Plus, of course, plotting how you'd drop condescending hints to people who skipped church.

However you spent your big game Sunday, we hope you took the opportunity to pay attention and learn some more about how your church can communicate Jesus to your community.

This week, it's time for a philosophy question! Let us know in our new poll, what are your thoughts on the state of church marketing?

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February 3, 2010

Online Sermons Poll Results

Kevin Finn recently gave churches the challenge to get their sermons online. And we were curious just how many of our intrepid readers were already part of churches who make materials available online. We expected a big number, and we got a pleasant surprise.

83% of you are making sermons available online. Whether you're a house church, a megachurch or anything between, this seems like a good move. It gives your folks more access to the things you believe and preach, and it allows them to stay more connected with your message.

Equally pleasing? None of you are putting your sermons behind a pay-wall. You're making these resources available for free, so there are fewer barriers to possible listeners trying to get to your material. Kudos to you for finding other ways to fund your church and making your message available.

17% of you still aren't putting your sermons online, and we'd love to know what's keeping you back. Principle? Effort? Cost?

This week, it's time for the you-know-what that we've covered before. And we want to know, will your church be throwing a party for the big-game-that-shall-not-be-named on February 7th?

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January 28, 2010

Haitian Crisis Poll Results

The recent disaster in Haiti was of a scale unheard of in the Western Hemisphere. Some of you shared stories of how your churches were responding to the disaster in Haiti. Many faith-based organizations really made an impact during this difficult time, and we were interested to know how you felt about the actions of local churches.

Only 3% of you found yourselves disappointed at the response of churches. And just a few more, 9%, would say you were underwhelmed by support from local churches. These numbers are encouragingly small.

Still in the minority, 12% of our readers felt indifferent about the support from local churches. It was about what you expected, and you saw no reason for pride or shame. It was what it was. Meh.

The biggest chunk were the 48% of you who were pleased with churches' responses. They went above and beyond in your opinion, and you saw it as a great example of the church acting the way Christ charged us to. Kudos, churches.

Finally, 28% of you were blown away. Beyond pleased, you found yourself amazed at the way local churches allowed God to use them during this tragedy. Coupled with the last group, that makes 76% of you beaming with pride at the way churches have helped in Haiti.

Now, let's remember that the tragedy isn't over, and as donations slow, we have a great chance to continue ministering to Haiti. This is a time, as Haiti fades from our nation's spotlight, that churches can continue showing extraordinary love and care for those in need.

This week, our question is simple: Is your church putting its sermons online?

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January 20, 2010

Year-end Ask Poll Results

We covered Saddleback's request for money at the end of 2009 recently, but we wanted to know how their request made you feel. What do you think of churches doing this at the end of the year? Here is what you had to say:

The biggest chunk of you resigned yourself to, "You've gotta do what you've gotta do." That's 31% of you who think you should throw caution to the wind and do what it takes to make the budget.

Next up, a similar 26% of you who are all for it. You think God works at the beginning of the year, the end of the year and everywhere in between. And you're excited about him working through an end-of-the-year offering.

Just a shade less of our respondents, 23%, were feeling just a tinge skeptical. You'd like to know some of the backstory where these missing dollars fall out of the budget during the year before you pass judgment.

Only 20% of you blatantly disapprove. Of those, 13% of you think it's probably not worth the public relations hit. And another 7% of you think the same thing, but in stronger words. Unfortunately, a few bad apples have given the church a reputation for being a get-rich-quick scheme, and you want to avoid this association at all times.

This week, like much of the country, we turn our focus to Haiti: How do you feel about the way local churches have responded to the crisis in Haiti?

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January 13, 2010

2010 Trends Poll Results

We're well aware our readers are a wise and thoughtful bunch, so this week we asked your thoughts on what 2010 would hold for churches. Your response was a bit... disheartening. But we'll get to that in a bit. We'll start from the bottom.

Our biggest loser? 6% of you think the biggest news of 2010 will be church beating "Bed" for the best place to be on Sunday mornings. Hopefully the rest of you already have a church better than your bed.

Next up, 13% of respondents see churches shrinking this year and finding new types of success. Which is just a shade behind the next two groups. 16% of our readers think this will be the year churches really define themselves as caretakers of the needy. And 17% of you believe this year churches will finally get a grip on social media.

Our big winner? Eek! 29% of you believe this will go down as the year churches stick their head further in the sand. That's a bummer, and we hope with all our hope that 2010 is remembered as the year our readers were wrong.

So, 19% of you who said "something totally different," let's hear it in the comments. When all is said and done, how will we remember 2010?

And this week we're asking: What's your opinion on churches asking for money at year's end?

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January 6, 2010

Best Advice Poll Results

Whether we're writing an original piece or commenting on some external marketing atrocity, we always aim to temper our columns with solid advice for churches looking to communicate their message. With that in mind, we wanted to see what advice you liked best in 2009. And here's your verdict:

27% of you kind respondents think our best advice is to quit ragging on other churches. And we covered the subject explicitly two times. Hopefully in 2010, we'll see churches paying more attention to loving and caring for one another and less attention on monopolizing their stomping ground.

A close second are those 24% of you who appreciated our challenge to tell stories that are true. Kevin challenged churches to fact-check their stories, or better yet, tell the true and real-life stories of people in their own communities.

Next up, 19% of our visitors think "Stop copying" is the best advice we gave. You're tired of seeing churches copy television series, one another and anything else they can find. Perhaps this will be the year that churches get their creative act together.

12% of you think the best thing we challenged churches was to "Learn to take criticism." It hurts to hear the hard stuff, but it's better for all of us if we take it into account. And just a hair behind that are those of you who really resonated with our call thankfulness.

Another 7% of you appreciated our warning on the dangers of spec work. And a measly 3% of you thought the best advice we gave was to check your carbon monoxide detector. C'mon, that one was pure, unadulterated, common sense gold!

Here's to another year or church marketing advice, philosophy and common sense. We'll try and do better this time, we promise. But in the mean time, vote in this week's poll: As 2010 dawns, what church marketing trend do you think will most define the next year?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:41 AM
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December 31, 2009

Merry Holidays Poll Results

It was a scary question to even consider asking. Would there be riots? Would Fox News cover our piece? Worries aside, we advanced boldly, asking that Christmas question: How important is the war between "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" to you?

Semi-surprisingly, only 10% of you call it "very important." You made your list, checked it twice, and boycotted anyone who used the "H" word in their holiday Christmas marketing.

The clear winner are the 40% who think it's fairly important, but only insofar as we should stand up to the "holidays" crusaders for being overly-sensitive and ruining all of the good holiday fun.

26% of you are feeling pretty "Meh" about it. You don't care what it's called so long as Santa backs his sleigh up to your chimney with a bag full of presents. Or perhaps you're a little bit truer about things, and you don't care what its called so long as we've celebrating the incarnation of Christ appropriately.

Next up are the rebellious ones. The bold 1% who do as the Romans do and think we should say, "Happy Holidays" because everyone else is doing it. You know what your mother would say about that...

Finally, 23% of you think we should be proactive about "Happy Holidays." Give it attention, cheer for it and hope it finds a nice, comfortable home in mainstream usage. After all, wouldn't we be offended if someone made us celebrate the birth of someone we didn't believe in?

Opinions might be spirited and strong, so try to keep good holiday cheer as you discuss this further in the comments. (Or, everyone might be checked out for New Year's.)

And while you're commenting, make sure to weigh in on this week's poll: What do you think is the best advice Church Marketing Sucks offered in 2009?

Oh, and Happy... uh, Christmas!

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December 22, 2009

Extreme Church Makeover Poll Results

As 2009 comes to a close, many of your are pining for some upgrades around your church facilities. We decided to see just where our readers are longing for an upgrade the most.

We have a faraway winner for facility most in need of a facelift. 31% of you would upgrade your church's youth facilities. Turns out your students don't enjoy meeting in your church's original sanctuary from 1846, and you'd like to get them a place to call their own.

Next up, 15% of you need a church office upgrade. Your terrible day-to-day facilities aren't making actual ministry any easier. And for another 12% of you, the facility you'd most like to upgrade are your, ahem, facilities. You'd like to bring your church restrooms up to par and make them a place people love to visit.

The next biggest sources of pain are your parking lots and pews. Between sitting for an hour and then staying in gridlock, you're going to lose your religion. You'd love to devote some resources to new seating (or at least cushions) as well as parking lot infrastructure and volunteers.

And finally, 22% of you don't have any of these concerns because you don't have a building. Perhaps you meet in a home or you rent a building, but either way, you're whistling "Hakuna Matata" while the other 78% choose an answer.

This week's poll is a bit more controversial; In the spirit of holiday debate and division, how important is the war between "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" to you? Click on through to weight your vote.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:55 PM
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December 15, 2009

Church Design Pet Peeves Poll Results

This week we took a good, long look at the pet peeves we all love to hate. I'm sure the poll was met with cringing and gnashing of teeth, with all wishing they could select multiple options. Unfortunately, you could only choose the most irksome error, and here's how you voted, in a surprisingly tight race:

The winner? Clip art! You don't like to see "designs" like these popping up in church materials. They're funny on the Internet, but things get serious when they make their way into real life. Just behind clip art are Comic Sans and Papyrus--the favorite fonts of churches across the country. But really, there's nothing funny about Comic Sans. Plus, Jesus hates Papyrus.

Next up are the 16% of you who hate phony stock photography. Your church looks like a whitewashed cross-section of Average Joes, but your stock photography has six friends of mixed races playing cricket. And rounding out the artistic answers, 7% of you are most peeved by churches like "Turtletop Town Church in Tottlesville, Tennessee" who have eight crosses in their logo--one for each "T."

Beyond that, 11% of you are tired of churches ripping off art. They're copying music or designs or anything they can get their paws on, and they're not following copyright law at all. Another 11% of you are tired of churches messing up the music lyrics. There are only a handful of words up there, they ought to be able to get them right.

Finally, 16% of you are above all of these pet peeves, and you have bigger things to worry about. Bummer, design pet peeves sure are a lot of fun.

This week, we're looking to hear: What aspect of your church building would you most like to give an extreme church makeover?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:43 AM
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December 9, 2009

Thanksgiving Poll Results

We shared some stories last week of churches who were being thankful around the holidays. But each church has their own traditions and values, so we wanted to know how your church commemorates Thanksgiving. You could choose as many options as were applicable, and here's what you had to say:

27% of churches exercised their thankfulness through generosity. In some, way, shape or form, you reached out to those in need around Thanksgiving.

Another 20% of you went with a special Thanksgiving service. We'd love to hear in the comments what you did during this time. While 14% went on with business as usual--maybe a bulletin announcement or a pulpit-sponsored "Happy Thanksgiving," but that's about it.

Just a hair less of you, 19%, preached some sort of Thanksgiving sermon. "We're thankful for turkey, but we're more thankful for Jesus." That sort of thing. Conversely, 5% of you took the week off from services altogether. You just let folks be thankful for sleeping in on Sunday.

The final groups? 7% of you had a big party so people could invite their friends and feast together, and 7% of you skipped out on a geographical basis. Perhaps in your countries, you aim for thankfulness 365 days out of the year, without a special holiday for it.

This week, it's the topic everyone loves to hate: What is your most irksome church design pet peeve?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:50 AM
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December 1, 2009

What's in a Name Poll Results

The Internet is home to five years of crummy church signs, you've played with the church sign generator and we've done our fair share of lamenting ridiculous signage. But did you know that the name on the sign could be just as hilariously bad as those cheesy stick-on letters?

Neil Cole did He lists some of the hilarious church names his mentor has cataloged over the past years. Here was my favorite, which was a bit long to include in our options:

First Church of the Last Chance World on Fire Revival and Military Academy (in Dade City, Fla.). These folks have the first and last word on just about any subject. I don’t even want to ask what sort of military they are training.

This name didn't come easy. It's a mix between a poetic masterpiece and a frightening omen, constructed with strength and prowess. The first six words drip with consonance and rhythm, rolling of the tongue beautifully: First Church of the Last Chance. But from there, the final seven words turn to mayhem and madness: World on Fire Revival and Military Academy. Man, what a great name.

Of our poll options, the runaway winner was the Original Church of God, Number 2. You guys are suckers for some great irony. Nearly half of you preferred, OCoG#2, who have a pretty great acronym to boot.

Plenty of you were also fans of Hell for Certain and James Bond United Community Church, while I thought Lover's Lane Episcopal Church had a particularly poor showing. After that, it's pretty much just handfuls of you with particular affinity for each name.

I'm sure these bad church names are just the tip of the iceberg, so don't hesitate to let us know your own experience in the comments.

And while you're there, visit our home page to be a part of this week's poll: How did your church celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:43 AM
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November 25, 2009

Paper or Electronic Poll Results

In some places, the church bulletin has already died. And we first discussed the electronic replacement of the bulletin four years ago. But we were curious how our readers respond to paper bulletins versus electronic versions. And the results were fairly evenly distributed.

The biggest chunk of you are double-dipping. You read the e-mail newsletter and the paper bulletin. A Sunday school gold star goes out to those 31% of you.

28% of you just do the digital version. It's more convenient, easier to file, more cost-friendly and more earth-friendly, so you just go that route.

The next biggest group? The honest rude other ones of you. These 24% of you are taking both, and you're sending them straight to the trash. If you want news, you'll get it from the grapevine, thank you very much.

And finally, 16% of you are just in love with the paper bulletin. It certainly still has its advantages, and this chunk of our readers are taking a stand against the digital revolution in favor of some good, old-fashioned paper. Here's to you, paper-bulletin-reader.

This week, it's time to get funny. We've got a few hilarious, real church names, and we want to know: Which is your favorite funny church name?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:18 AM
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November 18, 2009

Boon or Bust Poll Results

Just yesterday, Michael Buckingham said,

The Internet isn't powerful because it connects you to information, but because it connects you to other people.

And that's what social media aims to do. In theory, social media is the technology that is connecting the church--to one another, to the world, and even to God. But is it really working?

42% of you say social media has been a wash for your church. People haven't been so zealous about replying you that they've crashed Twitter, but they also haven't gone out of their way to publicly berate you on Facebook.

The next biggest chunk of you are the 25% who haven't tried. I'd love to hear more about this. Are you folks simply not willing to try? Is it not where you want to spend your time? Do you believe computers are possessed?

The next 20% are connecting with people like never before. Social media has been a serious boon for you, and you're loving the way God is using you. But only slightly less of you, 14%, have found it to be a total bust. (Cue sad trombone.)

If ever there were a time for you to step out and comment, this is it. What have you had success with? Why do you think it was successful? Where has your church crashed and burned with social media? If we really want to tap into the connective power of emerging technologies, we've got to share our ideas and stories with one another. To get things started, here's how one church makes use of social media.

And in the mean time, participate in the Church Marketing Sucks battle: Which are you more likely to read: bulletin or e-mail newsletter?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:25 AM
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November 11, 2009

Five Ways to Sabotage Creativity Poll Results

Our pals over at Media Salt recently penned an article on five ways to kill the creative process at your church. But what's the best way? Well, only your collective wisdom can answer that question.

47% of you are watching the creative process die a quick death by not planning ahead. Half the time you're taking care of Sunday on Saturday night, and you end up defaulting to Comic Sans and crosses for t's.

19% of you have too many hands in the pot. And by the time your creative work passes around all the secretaries and through the pastor's wife, it just doesn't have that spark anymore.

11% of you are just copying how another church is doing things and hoping you don't forget to change their name to yours in any of your printed materials. And 5% of you aren't copying other churches, you're going straight to pop culture instead. You're losing some momentum with your "Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition" series and movie knockoff graphics.

9% of you have gone ahead and thrown the word "deadline" out of your vocabulary, and your creativity has suffered for it. Great ideas end up dying the lonely death of "never got it done."

And a final 9% of you are thriving by not falling victim to any of these pitfalls. Let's hear in the comments what good practices you're putting into place to avoid these. And of course, hilarious stories of failed pop-culture puns are welcomed, too.

This week, let us know: Would you say social media has been a boon for your church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:14 AM
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November 3, 2009

Consuming CMS Poll Results

Last week we asked how you most frequently enjoy receiving Church Marketing Sucks content. We have a number of different delivery systems, and we were curious to see which ones are used the most. Of course there is a bit of bias, since the poll only shows up on one of those methods--and I think we see that in the results.

The most popular way to get CMS is right here on the site. More than half of you do that, though it may have something to do with the fact that the poll is right here on the site. If the numbers aren't skewed, it's quite a statement that nearly half the audience of a web site doesn't get their content on the web site. There's a lesson for you.

Up next was the 24% who turn to RSS. After that comes social media with 14% enjoying @cmsucks on Twitter and 8% partaking on Facebook.

A little surprising, but a whopping 0% liked our e-mail newsletter best. Ouch. Hopefully that just means it's a secondary way of accessing CMS. Yeah, that's it.

Feel free to tell us what you really think in the comments. This week we ask which of the five ways to sabotage the creative process is your church guilty of?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:44 AM
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October 27, 2009

Church Apps Poll Results

We recently wrote on churches developing iPhone applications. The article spawned some great discussion, and we wanted to know what the Church Marketing Sucks community thought--too techno-centric? A great idea? Something you could care less about?

Well, nearly 60% of you are on board. 31% of you are pumped up, fired up and generally excited (up) about it. You love the idea of keeping your church in your pocket, sharing it with your friends and staying involved in your community that way. Another 30% think it has potential, but it's only good if you can nail the execution and deliver something great.

The other 40% of you aren't so sold on the idea. Of those, 12% are keeping an open mind, but you think just having a workable web site and good product ought to do the trick. An equal number argue that you can spend your time and money more effectively than chasing the winds of technology. And 15% of you are just plain tired of hearing about an app for this and an app for that, and you couldn't care less about an iAnything.

Our own Kevin Hendricks made a great point relating to Twitter that sometimes it seems the church can never win. Either we're pegged as technophiles who are always chasing the latest technology or antediluvians who are ignorant of the world around us.

So it sounds like we'll be going back to some old advice on this one: use only when necessary. It's not a bad thing, and it's not a good thing. If it fits in with your church's strategy, it could be a great thing. If it doesn't, it could be a huge bust.

This week, we want you to let us know: How do you most frequently enjoy your dose of CMS?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:07 AM
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October 21, 2009

Wambulance Poll Results

Crying babies in church services can be a downright pain in the backside. Partly because they're crying, loudly, in church. But even more so due to the inevitable mental gymnastics around the question, "What should we do about this?!" What do most churches do? What does your church do? We set out to find the answer.

43% of you just take one for the team, put on the attitude of Jesus and thank God for the little ones. It's a lot easier than making a scene and turning crying babies into crying mothers and angry fathers. And heck, it might even be a lot more Christ-like.

27% of you solve the problem before it starts, and you have your church police plugging babies into the nursery or your baby ministry. And another 24% of you are waiting a little longer to redirect, and you redirect into a cry room or overflow room--something of that sort.

A final 7% of you go with the always-fun option of staring and dirty looks. You don't care if the baby stops crying, but you at least want the parents to feel the pain in your eardrums.

This week, click on over and vote on our new question: Your church. Do you want an app for that?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:27 PM
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October 14, 2009

Invitations Poll Results

The question is a little bit awkward, and it can feel like you're about to get in trouble. "Have you invited anyone to church recently?" For me, memories of youth group surface, where your Christian street cred was based totally on the number of popular kids you were bringing to church.

But the painful reality is, many of us don't actually invite friends and family to church. We decided to do some investigating. Keep in mind that our audience is a group of church marketers--people fundamentally concerned with getting the word out about churches.

23% of you haven't invited anyone to church in the past year. That's not to belittle you or anything of the sort. Maybe you're trying to help your own church get to an "invitable" place. Or maybe you're working on discipleship on a more personal level.

The biggest chunk of you have invited someone a small handful of times. That's nearly half of you who are inviting at a clip of one person every few months.

Next, we're headed to the super-inviters. A quarter of you are inviting four to ten people a year, and 12% of you are going over ten a year. That's pretty impressive--sounds like you're either the pastor of your church or have a church you're really excited to bring guests to.

So let's hear it in the comments--what is it that keeps you from inviting people to church?

I'll start: I don't slow down enough during the day to talk to people and build relationships that get to a point where I could invite someone.

Your turn.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:47 AM
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October 7, 2009

CMS on Twitter Poll Results

I'm sure most of you have noticed, but in case you haven't: Church Marketing Sucks recently joined the Twitter party. Since then, we've made tons of new friends, shared some great content and even got a comma in our follower count. But we really want to do this whole Twitter thing right, so we wanted to know how you'd like us to use the service.

Far and away your biggest request is for short church marketing links that don't merit a whole post. That's a whole 25% of you.

And a big request is just for a more personal side to our crew. Back-and-forths, at replies, opinions and recommendations are at the top of your list for Church Marketing Sucks on Twitter. And heck, I guess live coverage of events could fall into this category, which 11% of you are hoping we provide.

But do you want to be linked to actual Church Marketing Sucks stories? Well, 15% of you want links when comments get interesting and 9% of you want a full feed of entries. But 14% of you are begging us not to flog you with every single entry. So we'll try and strike up the right balance there. Feel free to keep giving us feedback.

And lastly, 4% of you just want mentions so you can get followers. That's not to mention those who just want mentions for their product or their service. But blog rules apply: Feel free to let us know about what you have to offer, and we'll plug it if we see the value for our community. No link exchanges, cut-and-dry retweet swaps or vanity mentions.

We're excited about the value this can bring to the Church Marketing Sucks community!

This week, our poll question is personal for you: How many people have you invited to your church in the last 12 months?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:21 AM
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September 30, 2009

Boycotting Poll Results

If you follow us on Twitter, you might have noticed a story we linked to about a church from Florida who was removing all of their Pepsi machines to protest Pepsi's support of the gay agenda. Churches tend to boycott tons of things--from Disney to the Da Vinci Code, so we got to thinking: Would you participate in a church boycott?

43% of you said that it's a toss-up, and it totally depends on what your church is boycotting and why. Perhaps you'd pass on boycotting the latest Pixar movie for using the word "hiney," but you'd be all about boycotting your local grocery store for being a hub for child trafficking.

33% of you went with probably not, while another 12% of you say, "No way!" You non-boycotters prefer to be known for what you choose to support, or you just think boycotts are silly and ineffective.

Only 12% of you would bet on the side of standing in your church's picket lines. Either you normally agree with your church or you choose to agree with them because God has put them over you. But either way, you think you'd probably participate in the boycott alongside your leadership.

This week, we're asking something a bit more personal: What ways would you like to see Church Marketing Sucks utilizing our Twitter account?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:17 AM
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September 23, 2009

Ramadan Poll Results

Recently, we discussed Brian McLaren's celebration of Ramadan as an interesting way of him communicating love to his Muslim neighbors. As is always the case, some commenters agreed and some begged to differ. But according to our most recent poll, it looks like our readers are pretty skeptical of something like this.

43% of you call shenanigans. You think this is silly at best and blasphemous at worst. Mark Driscoll agrees with you. In the USA Today Driscoll said McLaren's fast is "...insane at best ... Sad, tragic, horrific, misguided, dangerous, wrong..." and that:

If Christians want to pray during Ramadan, they should pray not with Muslims but for Muslims--that Muslims would come to know Jesus. To pray with Muslims absolutely dishonors Jesus.

18% of you don't see it this way. You see it as a great expression of love and mutual interest, and you'd like to have thought of it yourself. The chairman of Islamic Studies at American University shares your sentiments:

There is a high level of anti-Americanism in the Muslim world ... Now they are going to say this propaganda that America hates us is not true. Here is a pastor who wants to understand us, who does not want to convert us, and who is even prepared to walk with us, to fast with us. That is a big gesture.

And then, there are a whole lot of you riding the fence. You're still trying to decide how you feel about it, or more likely, you've suspended judgment indefinitely and moved on. That's all right, I'm sure there will be something new for you to have an opinion on in the future. For example, this week's poll:

We're looking to know: If your church were organizing a boycott of a company, would you participate? Log your vote in the Church Marketing Sucks sidebar.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:57 AM
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September 16, 2009

What Sucks Poll Results

You don't have to read deep into our site to know that we think church marketing can suck. But you visit our site, so maybe you think it sucks, too. Well, what exactly is it that sucks about it? We asked you to find out.

40% of you think the problem is the product. Your churches might have gossipy members, a lame pastor or a bad theology, but whatever it is, good luck trying to fix it with marketing.

That's separate from the 17% of you who toss it up to product packaging--an ugly building, a crappy web site or terrible design. You think these things keep people from looking into churches the most.

Another 27% of you think the problem is promotion. Do churches really just expect everyone to talk about them enough to get the word out? They're going to have to try harder than that.

And finally, 10% of you think the pricing is off; it takes too long or they ask for too much money. While 6% of you tally it up to placement; it's simply silly to expect people to show up to your hidden church building on a Sunday morning.

This week, we want to know your opinion on Brian McLaren's recent actions: What do you think of observing Ramadan to reach out to Muslim neighbors?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:34 AM
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September 9, 2009

Online Moderation Poll Results

Online moderation has always been a hot-button issue, especially for churches. Opinions on what role institutional churches have in accountability, oversight and moderation cover the whole gamut of options. But we wanted to know, among our noble and intelligent reader, which opinion reigns supreme.

The biggest chunk of you, 44%, want very little filtration. Filter it if it's completely obscene, but other than that, let it slide. It won't be worth your effort. While 11% of you even take it a step further and go completely laissez-faire. People should be able to look at what they want, when they want and act as they wish on your watch.

35% of you prefer a slightly more active approach to make sure things stay clean. You like to keep an active role in keeping the focus in the right place and avoiding sin. And finally, 10% of you like the idea of generous moderation. After all, it's your online reputation alongside people's souls, and you don't want to toe the line on either one of those issues.

This week, everyone can play. We've got a pretty basic question for you: Where do you see church marketing sucking the most? Log your vote in the site's sidebar.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:46 AM
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September 1, 2009

Church Buildings Poll Results

There are a thousand different types of buildings where church is being held: theaters, schools, cathedrals, strip malls and more. But do any of them have an inherent advantage over any other? When a friend asks you to church, is there any sort of building that would make you more inclined to show up?

39% of you would feel most comfortable checking in to a contemporary church building. Something snazzy and contemporary that feels like an American church to you.

Next up, 24% of you are more likely to visit somewhere that feels historically significant. Whether you have an interest in architecture or connecting with tradition, I don't know, but you'd like to go to church in an older building.

That barely beat out a secular option--you know, a bar or a night club or something to that effect. 23% of you would go that route given the option.

A realtively-small 8% of you would prefer a house church, while 7% of you would prefer to spend your time somewhere rented on Sunday mornings.

This week, want to know about moderation in your church: How much should churches moderate how individuals use their online resources and offerings? (Facebook, blog comments, Internet usage, etc.)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:29 PM
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August 26, 2009

Fall Conferences Poll Results

If you browse through our Events Lab, you'll see there's no shortage of conferences over the next few months. There are some really great ones out there run by people who are incredibly passionate about communicating the gospel clearly. So naturally, we wanted to know how many you'd be attending.

56% of you don't have a conference in the budget this year. Luckily, if you're in the D.C. area, you can be a part of the Idea Camp for free, as Michael Buckingham recently shared. If you're nowhere near, then you can still catch some great notes and videos online.

13% of you are planning to do just that. You're not subsidizing anyone's buildings and paperwork; you're going straight to the Internet for your fall conference needs.

30% of you have your go-to conferences that you're at every year, and this year will be no different. Let's hear what they are and what keeps you coming back to them in the comments.

And a final 1% of you are church conference junkies. You'll be live-blogging, conference-hopping, freebie-loading and doing lots of other hyphenated conference-speak. But it's certainly over two conferences for you.

This week, we're interested in knowing: If you were checking out a new church, what type of facility would you be most inclined to visit?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:17 PM
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August 20, 2009

Church Traffic Jams Poll Results

Recently, we discussed Mark Batterson's joy at finding a church traffic jam in Texas. For some, including Mark, this was an immediate cause for rejoicing. For others, it was cause for frustration that a church would be so inconsiderate of their neighbors.

The biggest chunk of you are hesitant to rejoice in this madness. You think it's more a product of poor planning than simply excited crowds. In case you're wondering, that's over half of you--54%.

Next up are the 32% of you who are rejoicing that this many people are showing up to church, regardless of any traffic mayhem that comes along.

Finally, 14% of our respondents are irked that churches are causing such a commotion. Instead, churches should be focused on being less invasive and being better neighbors.

This week, we turn our eyes to the fall conference season. Check our right sidebar to vote: As fall conferences heat up, are you going to be attending a conference this fall?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:27 AM
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August 11, 2009

Preaching Poll Results

Recently, John Piper came down on extracurricular activities during sermons. It ignited a great debate in the comments, so we wanted to break it down into some totally unscientific data to pretend we have a better idea of how our audience feels. Here goes:

48% of you are cautiously in agreement. Sometimes we can get carried away with our interpretive dancers and Braveheart clips mid-sermon. But other non-speech activities can be beneficial sometimes.

33% of you think he missed the boat, probably somewhere shortly after he came up with that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" line. Seriously, preaching gets bo-o-o-ring; let's get some snazzy media in there.

And a final 19% of you are in total agreement with him. You're tired of all this chatter about Twitter during church and all the hullabaloo of the newest media fad. Let's just focus on great teaching, and let the rest take care of itself.

This week, let us know, what do you think of when you hear of church traffic jams? We'll have the results for you this time next week!

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:37 AM
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August 4, 2009

What Time Poll Results

You hear of church attendance spikes at certain times of the year--after the new year, in the fall, Christmas, Easter, etc. But how are these newcomers arriving? Is it at the urging of friends? Are they simply picking a church on these days? We decided to ask you if you're the ones doing the extra inviting at these times.

The resounding answer? Nope. 53% of you don't make a special effort to aim for these special days. You simply invite them to whichever Sunday works in the context of the relationship.

The most popular day for you to invite a friend after "Eh, anytime," is Christmas Eve. 15% of you are most likely to invite friends to your church's dancing Christmas tree, hand bell concert or candle light service.

Sadly, the next most important time is "no time." Your church isn't worth inviting to, so you don't bother on any special days.

After that, call in the scrub holidays. The first Sunday of the fall and Easter hover around 10%, while only 1% of you would be most likely to invite at the beginning of the year.

Recently, the issue was hotly debated here on Church Marketing Sucks, and this week, we're asking this: John Piper thinks we should keep our preaching pure, focusing on the power of our words instead of media. What do you think?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:43 PM
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July 28, 2009

New Churches Poll Results

Recently, we took a look at the three big reasons people choose a church. It essentially breaks down to theology, ministry and fellowship. So what is it that drives you to a church?

Well, for 58% of you, it's theology that's king. You want to know whether or not a potential church shares your dispensational premillennialism before you go giving their greeters your hand. Or maybe it's more practical and you want to know more of their day-to-day theology. But either way, theology is your thing.

Another 10% of you are looking for a place to serve. Does the church make it easy for you to get connected? Do they work with other local ministries? Will they let you make their web site?

And the final third of you (32% to be precise) are looking for friends. You want to go somewhere they'll sing "Happy Birthday" and the old people will bring you warm chocolate chip cookies.

This week, we want to know, which Sunday of the year would you be most likely to invite a friend to church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:19 AM
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July 22, 2009

This Old Site Poll Results

Our church web site used to be the sort of thing you mumbled. And you only mumbled after you unsuccessfully tried to "accidentally" give a wrong address at least twice. Now that we've revamped things, it's a bit easier to spit out our URL. But how about you guys--how old is your church site?

38% of you have church sites that are in their prime. They're not brand new, but they're not over-the-hill either. That's good news.

But the next 21% of you aren't so fortunate. Your church site is over 4 years old. You're hoping to upgrade soon and sell the old one to a museum. While another 20% of you are knocking on that group's door with a site that's 2-4 years old.

Just a hair less of you, 17%, have a site that you've recently pulled the wrapper off. It still has that new site smell, and you're loving it right now.

Then, a tiny slice of you don't even have a site. That's 5% of you, and I'm sure some of you are members of a house church or no church. Those of you in a church with no site, what's the rub? Is a site in your future plans at all?

And for this week's poll, we want to know: People usually pick a church for one of three big reasons. Which is most important to you?

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

Growing Church Poll Results

It's a point of curiosity for us to know about our readers' churches. It helps us get a better picture of what to cover and how to cover it. So we decided to turn to you in order to find out what's going on with your church in terms of growth.

32% of you are on a plateau--you're neither growing nor shrinking. But you're visiting our site in order to find new ways to grow. And 31% of you are growing, however slowly it might be. You have your eyes on the prize, and you're excited to be moving up instead of moving down.

After that, there are two groups of you that are polar opposites. 15% of you practically wrote the book on multiplication (No, not that kind of multiplication--don't flatter yourself.), and 14% of you are shrinking and you don't know how to stop it. I don't know that our blog, particularly a poll results post, is the way to help you right a shrinking ship, but hopefully this humble blog can provide some assistance.

Finally, 5% of you are staying steady and loving it, while 4% of you are shrinking, but it isn't your fault. I'm not sure whether to applaud this as uncanny wisdom and peace, or to say that it's run-of-the-mill foolery. I'm sure our commenters can make that call.

This week, we want to find out: How old is your church's web site?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:40 AM
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July 8, 2009

Guns in Church Poll Results

One church recently asked members to bring their guns to church. A whole heap of you weighed in with your comments, but we wanted to give you some cut-and-dry options to find out exactly how you, our readers, feel about this.

57% of you think that bringing guns to church sucks. You prefer not to be at a church where everyone is packing heat.

Another 23% of you are just wondering what guns have to do with marketing, and that's a good question. When you ask people to bring their guns to church, you have marketed yourself in a certain way. And that's why we're asking about it.

The final 20% of you are totally in favor of churches supporting the right to bear arms, and you don't see any issues with keeping churches and attenders safe in this way.

This week, we have a pretty simple question for you--Is the church you're attending growing?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:53 AM
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June 30, 2009

Denominational Campaign Poll Results

Recently, Kevin covered the trend of denominations running ad campaigns focusing on branding individuals as members of specific denominations. For example, "I am a Southern Baptist." Or, "We are Episcopalians." But what are your feelings about these campaigns?

Eek, only 4% of you are huge fans. That spells some bad news for denominations looking to build loyalty with possible new members.

A bigger chunk of you are all right with them, but they don't get you too excited. It's not going to make you head down to your local Kingdom Hall with your bicycle because a few folks in a magazine said they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

21% of you are right there with me--laughing your hind end off that these denominations are ripping one another off on a campaign based around individuality.

And, finally, 57% of you think denominational marketing campaigns suck. You think they ought to go back to the drawing board and not come back until they have something better. I feel like there could be potential for a niche site there.

This week, we want to know: How do you feel about the idea of bringing guns to church? Move your mouse over to our right sidebar to cast your vote.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:53 PM
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June 24, 2009

Cussing Pastors Poll Results

Ed Young's rant about cussing pastors got you guys all fired up. So we figured it was only appropriate to try and get our finger on the pulse of the Church Marketing Sucks community, via a poll.

It looks like the biggest group of you are tired of hearing about all of this stuff. Over a third of you think we ought to be worrying about more important things rather than the diction of authority figures.

Slightly less of you, 29%, think a pastor ought to keep it clean. "Cussing" should never be a word to describe pastors. And another 27% of you think that it should stay as clean as possible, but the occasional, decorative curse isn't so bad.

So who does that leave in the minority? Those of you who love some four-letter words and expect the same from your pastor. You think pastors should be able to use whatever word is best in the situation, regardless of whether children's ears need to be covered.

This week, we'll revisit another post: What do you think of "I Am/We Are [Insert Denomination Here]" ad campaigns?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:17 AM
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June 17, 2009

Church Marketing Sucks Books Poll Results

A couple of months ago, we asked for some help from book reviewers, and we got a great response. As a result, we've been able to kick up our book reviews recently. And we have more coming down the pipeline for you as well. With that in mind, we wanted to ask which recently-reviewed book your staff most needs to read.

Coming out on top (by a wide margin) was Kem Meyer's Less Clutter, Less Noise. Your church is having a bit of trouble focusing on what matters, opting for the catch-all approach. You want them to know they need to pick one.

Next up was Tribes. Some of you have probably read this book already, and some of you probably just know the name of Seth Godin. Either way, you're ready for your leaders to start taking risks and leading boldly.

In a close third was Reimagining Church. It sounds like some of your churches have added so much clutter that they're losing focus on what the church is meant to be and do. And you'd like them to make a drastic shift.

Only 5% of you would prescribe Flickering Pixels to your church staff. I guess it's not an epidemic that pastors are getting over their head in technology and losing their focus on the message of Jesus Christ.

This week, in what's sure to be a controversial poll, we're asking: Where do you stand on cussing pastors? Navigate on over to the right sidebar to let us know how you feel.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:45 AM
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June 9, 2009

Your Advertising Poll Results

I originate from the deep south. The suburbs mind you, but I'm only about 10 miles--or two generations--from south so deep that even the word "south" has three syllables. Down in these parts, you can't spit without hitting an advertisement for one of the countless little (or big) churches. Lots of churches around here would have the honorable distinction of checking all the options in this week's poll. But what about your church? Let's see...

The most popular option is for the 20% of you who have advertised in your local paper. Despite papers being a dying breed, there's nothing that feels quite as "local" as your town's paper. But the Internet is moving in on the local paper's territory. (Haven't we heard that before?) 18% of you have advertised online.

Local advertisers round out the double digits with the 15% of you who have tried the yellow pages, 12% who use local fairs and events and 11% advertising on local radio stations. It's nice to see churches staying committed to local advertising.

An aside: It's always blown my mind how many churches advertise on Christian radio. I guess there's lots of competition for the "I'm a Christian who happened to have just moved here and had no churches recommended to me" and "I was converted through Christian radio and haven't found a church yet" groups.

5% of you do yard signs, and 5% do television advertisement. TV is tough because it's so doggone expensive, and yard signs are tough because your church appears to be running for office.

And 14% of you have done something else, so let's hear about that in the comments.

This week, click through to let us know: What recently-reviewed church marketing book does your church staff most need to read?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:14 PM
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June 2, 2009

Being Sticky Poll Results

A while ago, we talked about the book Sticky Church, but we never really answered what churches are practically doing to "close the back door" in the context of guests. So last week's poll was your chance to give us some feedback.

78% of you are interacting with first-timers in a purposeful manner after their visit. We'll run you down first. The majority of you are following up with a phone call. Hopefully this is a personal, human call, not any sort of robo-call with robo-pastor's voice. That's just scary. Another third of those that follow up are doing so via e-mail. It's less obtrusive and easier on your staff, so I could see why you'd go this route. The last two slivers are showing up at doors or sending offering envelopes, which could be a nice, abrasive kick-in-the-pants on their way out the back door.

Our final 23% (which astonishingly adds up to 101%--we don't write the programs, we just type in them.) don't follow up in a specific way. Most of you just plain don't follow up. And a portion of you have no way of knowing whether they're first-time visitors or not. Perhaps you like to let your Sunday be exciting enough that it's sticky, or maybe you just need to get on the ball.

This week, we turn from keeping folks around to reaching new ones as we ask: Where has your church tried their hand at advertising?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:05 AM
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May 26, 2009

Search for Church Poll Results

Some hear "SEO" and adrenaline starts pumping, veins pulse and palms sweat in excitement as you dream of rising to Google's top result. More of you probably hear "SEO" and think "huh?"

For you, Wikipedia is a great start.

But you know the poll drill--we wanted to know how our readers' churches handle SEO. And the results were split pretty evenly.

By a slight margin, with just over a quarter of you, those of you who have talked about it but taken no action are in the lead. It's time to get with it and do what you can to make your church easier to find online.

Then, neck-and-neck are the quarter of folks who are prioritizing search engines and the other quarter who haven't thought of search engines. Maybe these two groups should get together for some sort of search engine pow-wow.

Nearly 20% of you declared that you only worry about it if by "search engine" you mean "Sunday morning automobile." Undoubtedly, some of you were joking, but this is indicative of a wider problem. There are still a ton of churches who aren't doing what it takes to reach their communities.

This week, we're wondering: How do you follow-up with first-timers to be sticky and close the back door?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:14 PM
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May 19, 2009

1,500 and Going Poll Results

As we passed 1,500 posts on Church Marketing Sucks, we thought it was a great time to ask you, the reader, what you wanted to see more of in the next 1,500 posts. Looks like this is how posts 1,501-3,000 should break down:

The next 750 posts will be about churches doing it right. It looks like this is what you guys want the most. Keep your eyes peeled as we've got a couple of these coming up in the next week or so.

After that, we should run about 465 posts on marketing theory and philosophy. We'll count on our in-house guru Brad Abare for more great stuff in this category, like his story on the Heath Brothers yesterday.

And we'll round it out with 285 posts on church marketing that sucks. After all, we have to earn the right to keep our name, yes?

Let's get technical in this week's poll: Does your church ever consider their position in search engine rankings?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:15 AM
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May 13, 2009

Tweet Tweet Poll Results

Recently, my mother asked me, "Do you twit?" I'll give you a little context for why this matters. I've never even heard her use the term "Facebook," although once, after watching Dateline, she did demand I delete my MySpace account, despite my never having a MySpace account. She has never, and likely will never, have an e-mail address or turn on a computer. When mom starts mentioning technologies, it means they've been beat into obsolescence and it's time to move on, leaving Oprah, Ashton Kutcher and CNN holding all the blame.

It seems Twitter is so prevalent that pastors are asking congregants to post updates during services.

21% of you are sick and tired of being sick and tired of hearing about Twitter all the doggone time. You don't care what the pastor wants you to do, but you wish he'd shut up about Twitter.

Congratulations, only 6% of you chose the snarky answer on this issue. And another 22% of you are genuinely unsure how you feel about getting all a-Twitter during church. It seems a bit ... distracting.

The biggest chunk of you? Those are the ones who say that churches ought to be doing anything to engage people--Twitter or not. At war with them are the 25% who think you can take your Twitter and put it where the stained glass window don't shine.

I feel like there has to be some point where we do a little bit of focusing without going off and spewing 140 characters every six seconds, but hey, I'm just a codgy old 22-year-old who can't keep up with the kids these days.

This week, we're asking: Church Marketing Sucks recently turned 1,500 posts old. What would you like in the next 1,500?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:38 AM
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May 6, 2009

Church Violence Poll Results

Is your church ready for the unthinkable? Unfortunately, church violence has happened more than once, with incidents making the news too often. So it's probably a pretty good idea to make sure your church is ready for the worst case scenario, but let's see if you are.

19% of you are ready for any situation. You've got a disaster manual in case of fire, violence or screaming babies, and nothing is going to throw you off your game.

29% of you are a little bit less sure. You've got a plan in place, but you're not sure everyone has a great grasp of it or that it's thorough enough for the worst of scenarios.

Another 28% of you keep putting it off, even though you plan to make one. Fortunately for your marketing, your name isn't published here, but it could bring great peace to some attenders knowing you already have a plan in place.

And a final 24% just believe God will protect you, and there's no need for a plan. Which is why you keep your money in a big stack on the altar and don't check the background or credentials of staff members, right?

Most of our articles, rants and discussions take a turn towards light-heartedness, but this isn't one of those times. This is a serious subject, and just as you have the responsibility to protect your finances, staff and vision, you have a charge to protect those who attend your church. We'd love to hear about some of your stories and plans in the comments.

This week, we're turning to Twitter. Do you support pastors encouraging attenders to use Twitter during services?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:30 AM
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April 28, 2009

Best Publicity Poll Results

Recently, Seth Godin lauded the advantages of YouTube over traditional advertising. (We assume he was motivated to write this after seeing our poll question this week. Thanks, Seth!) And it seems like the new measure of success these days is YouTube views. All this online video got us to wondering just how much churches have hopped on the bandwagon of "viral videos."

There are still 41% of you who would prefer the lead story in a local or regional newspaper about your church over a YouTube hit.

But a whopping 59% of you would prefer tons and tons of views on a YouTube video done by your church.

You have to ask yourself questions of target audience, end goals and, in these days, whether you're all right with people being a part of your church only online. All in all, these were some surprising findings. Let's just hope your YouTube aspirations don't end up like this.

This week we're asking if your church has an emergency plan to deal with tragic situations.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:10 PM
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April 22, 2009

Seth Godin Says Poll Results

A couple weeks ago, Seth Godin said some things about design capabilities that set off a firestorm in the Church Marketing Lab. So we wanted to know what kind of design skills our readers have.

30% of you are better than Average Joe. But after all, that's why so many people have lakefront property at Lake Wobegon. Kidding of course, I'm sure those 30% of you are truly better than 50% of the population.

A solid quarter of you are mediocre by admission, but you're on the up-and-up. And another 18% of you are subpar, but you want to get better. For both of those groups, the Church Marketing Lab could be a great place for you to hone your skills.

23% of you have no worries because you're a design professional. You need Seth Godin talking to you about graphic design about as much as you need another pastor telling you to "grunge it up a bit."

A final 4% of you admit that you suck, and you're all right with that. And we're proud of you for admitting it and being all right with it.

This week, we want to know, which of these two sources of publicity would you prefer for your church? A viral YouTube video or a lead story in a local paper?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:48 AM
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April 15, 2009

Holy Week Poll Results

Last week, we asked which of the Holy Week festivities your church would be observing this year. Here's what you had to say:

Coming up first was, of course, Easter Sunday. A third of you celebrated Easter in some way, shape or form that was different from your normal services. Maybe you had a play, maybe it was a "Resurrection Sunday" or perhaps you just did that whole "He is risen/He is risen, indeed!" thing a bunch of times.

In a virtual tie after that were Palm Sunday and Good Friday. About a quarter of you broke out the palm fronds, and a quarter of you observed Jesus' death, likely with a side of grape juice and a cracker.

After that is Maundy Thursday, where you might have chosen some feet-washing, ringing of the bells or a good old-fashioned "last supper" feast.

5% of you also celebrate Holy Saturday, which I'll admit, I didn't know existed except for Wikipedia. Even the Big Picture, in all their Holy Week photography glory, failed to mention this one. It's the forgotten Holy Week holiday.

A tiny sliver of you don't celebrate any of the week's festivities at your church, and an equally tiny sliver only celebrate Mardi Gras. (Or you're just picking the smart aleck option.)

This week, we're asking you the following question: Seth Godin thinks you should have some design competency. What's your skill level?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:29 AM
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April 7, 2009

Pastor in a Box Poll Results

At the risk of igniting another comment firestorm, we asked you if you were ready to put your pastor in a box. In our earlier article, comments ranged from thought-provoking and well-intentioned to simplistic and pugnacious. Hopefully, things will stay nice here as we visit this subject once more.

6% of you are sitting on the fence. You're not sure exactly what you think of this, and we'd love to know if you're still there or if the comments on the entry have swayed you.

Another 6% of you are willing to do anything to shut your pastor up, including putting him in a box. We won't tell your pastors you said so.

Just over a quarter of you think this idea is a ridiculous joke. It crossed some sort of line, and you aren't ready to cross it with them. Perhaps you have a well-thought response to explain yourself, or maybe it just feels wrong.

And the winners are ... the 60% of you who give a resounding yes to boxing pastors, so long as it brings people in the doors. You're big fans of going the extra mile and doing whatever it takes to expose people to the gospel--a noble goal indeed.

This week, we'll be a bit more tame by asking: Which Holy Week holidays does your church observe?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:38 AM
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April 1, 2009

Your Role Poll Results

We're always curious to know exactly what you do as we plan and discuss our scope and content. We've asked this question three times before, and we wanted to see what this looked like in 2009. Here's what you had to say:

Over half of you are church staffers. After all, if you weren't, you couldn't justify reading Church Marketing Sucks on company time. We'd love to keep getting feedback on how we can serve your churches.

38% of you volunteer at your church, and therefore you volunteer your time to read Church Marketing Sucks. For that, we're incredibly grateful.

The final two groups of you are handfuls. You either keep the pews warm and think about church marketing just because it crosses your mind (or you cross paths with us via Google) or you don't know what church has done for you. We're glad to have these two groups stopping in as well. We'd love to hear more from you or have you join us via RSS.

This week, we want to know, Are you ready to put your pastor in a box?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:57 AM
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March 24, 2009

Passing the Plate Poll Results

Treasurers love it, and visitors dread it. There are tons of problems with passing the plate: what the heck do you do to fill that time from the stage? What if people feel unnecessary pressure? Who gets to pass the plate? How do we protect that money sitting in the plate free for the stealing?! But there's also one huge problem with not taking an offering: what if we can't afford to keep the lights on?

So, like we love to do, we turned it over to you and asked if your church passes the plate.

A whopping 61% of you are still passing plates! Looks like this is the clear winner in terms of quantity, but is it the winner in terms of quality? I'm a skeptic here.

There are 32% of you who pass the something or another. I've seen plastic buckets, paint cans and felt baggies, but nothing else readily comes to mind. The comments are a great place to answer the question, "What are you passing around during church?"

Lastly, 6% of you have abandoned the "giving time" approach altogether. Your giving is done online, by mailing it in, going to a kiosk or dropping it in on your way out. Have you seen a huge drop in giving doing this? Have people given you a good response?

There's no right answer to this question, but you should dare to ask the question: For 94% of us, is a Sunday morning giving time really the best option? And how are we defining the "best option"? In my opinion, I wouldn't define best as the most short-term week-over-week giving. Best is what will get you the most returning visitors, best long-term givers and more sacrificial, joyful givers. I'm sure for your church, best is something very specific as well.

This week, we've got a simple one for you. What do you do for your church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:10 PM
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March 18, 2009

Church Marketing Fears Poll Results

Many of you who are reading this are involved in churches where marketing isn't ever approached. And when it is approached, it's with about as much caution as is humanly possible to muster. But why are folks so scared of marketing? We asked you to help us get to the heart of the issue, and here's what you said:

A quarter of you are afraid that you'll end up depending on cool sermon graphics, tricky ideas and other fancy whirlygigs instead of God. Along the same lines, 22% of you are worried that you'll nail the marketing end but come up a bit short on the ministry end, leaving people disappointed. These are certainly valid fear, as churches have fallen into these traps before.

A big chunk of you also worry about convincing people to come to church instead of experiencing God. You're worried that the end goal marketing communicates isn't the end goal you have in mind. And there are 17% of you who are just plain horrified by the thought of Comic Sans. Very funny guys.

The final handfuls of you are worried about two things: falling into the trap of people pleasing and communicating that you're the "right church" for everyone. I've seen churches end up in both of these situations frequently, so I'm surprised they didn't turn up more frequently.

Now it's your turn, you 9% of "Something else"-ers let us know in the comments what scares you. And everyone else weight in on this week's poll: Does your church follow the tradition of passing the plate?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:10 AM
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March 11, 2009

Worldy Words Poll Results

From time to time, we hear arguments that church marketing is bad, evil or sinful. Most of these folks posit that marketing is inherently a bad thing as it supports structures of greed and consumerism. When we get into referring to our faith as a product, the cost of life change as the price and Christians as consumers, the bag of worms fully opens. But what do you think? Can we use these worldly, business terms without short-changing the gospel?

48% of you think we can, but we need to be careful. It's not the most descriptive answer--careful in what way? How could you see this going wrong? Have you ever seen it going wrong?

Next up, 20% of you think we should have free reign to use these words. It's just providing context and a common language, which is actually pretty doggone useful.

Just a few less of you, 19%, aren't so sure, and the idea of using these words makes you rather uncomfortable. Lump in the 7% of folks who are still deciding for themselves, and that's a quarter of our respondents who aren't quite sure how they feel about all this marketing talk. The good news is, you're certainly at the right place to be having these conversations and wrestling with this.

Finally, 7% of you offer a stern "no," arguing that using such words is near-blasphemous. We can respect that, and some people are certain to be there. We're glad you're here to provide a voice to that group and keep the conversation alive.

So there you have it: a whole bunch of you are a-OK with this, a handful are still deciding and a vocal minority are in staunch opposition. Next up? What is your number one church marketing fear?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:06 AM
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March 4, 2009

Sunday Blunders Poll Results

You guys are passionate about screwing up on Sunday. Well, not screwing up on Sunday that is. Nearly 400 of you let us know what irks you most when churches drop the ball on Sunday morning (or whenever your services are). And here's what you had to say:

Not a single one of you fears cold coffee, stale muffins or leftover donuts. Whether you haven't experienced it or just don't mind, I can't answer. Only a hair more of you, 2%, are aggravated by the nightmare known as the parking lot.

The next most aggravating blunders are long services, no words for the music and not having an altar call. Each one is just a handful of you, and each has its place. I've heard people go so far to argue that long services indicate a character issue with the staff, bad parking lots have been the subject of entire sermons, and Craig Groeschel gives a great defense of the "no altar call" group.

After that, we get into the big groups. 18% of you are most troubled by unfriendly greeters. A great example of your vote is in the What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church video. Bad greeters can seriously dampen a church visit.

Another way to irritate 18% of you is to keep those "Were glad your hear" and "I know that my Redeemer lies" in your bulletin or on your screens. If it looks like the Chick-fil-A cows wrote your Sunday materials, you've got a good one in five people irritated.

But the clear winner? An irrelevant, rambling sermon. Even after all these year and Sunday inventions, folks are still coming back for the sermon. And if you're lasting an hour and a half on your sermon about the biblical evidence against dancing, you're losing your crowd.

This week, we're pushing a hot topic: Can church marketing issues be put into worldly business terms--consumers, product, price, sales, etc.?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:35 AM
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February 24, 2009

Web Weight Poll Results

Yes! Only 4% of you don't have a web site! Amen.

Excuse me. What I meant to say was: Last week, we were wondering how important you would say your church's web site is. Is it just a level above your families in importance? Could you live without it? Is it worthless? I had a hunch there would be a lot more of the latter than the former, but thankfully, I was wrong.

The biggest chunk of you say that it's absolutely essential to your church's function. You're tapping the full power of the web to bring people in and keep them connected, and we support that.

Slightly less of you would describe your site as "helpful" but not "essential." Maybe people can figure things out there, but they could certainly live without it. It's just a hair above the next option of "auxiliary," both of which hover around 25% of you.

16% of you still say it's useless, so there's still some work to be done (Hint: Church Marketing Lab and Freelance Lab). But hey, at least you have a site, that's a start. Right? Right?

For this week's poll, we would love to know, which Sunday blunder irks you the most?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:28 PM
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February 17, 2009

If You Had a Free Conference Poll

Last week we asked which conference you'd attend if you had a free ride. The clear winner was the Catalyst conference with 25% of the vote (Don't forget about 10% off to Catalyst West).

Next came the famous "Somewhere else" conference at 19%--wait, that's not a real conference. So where else would you rather go? NRB? CSC? SXSW? WOA? OK, SXSW, totally. But let us know in the comments what conferences you think are worth attending.

Up next was the HOW Design conference at 17% (our own Michael Buckingham will be there again this year). The whole "I'm rethinking conferences" idea came in next with 15%. Considering we were asking about a free trip and not just your favorite conference, maybe it's not just the cost and people are serious about conference overdose. Next came the Q conference at 12% (Don't forget about the CFCC meetup, though you missed the discount deadline), Innovate at 6% and MinistryCOM at 5%.

You can always check out the Events Lab for a complete list of upcoming church communications-related events. This week we're asking about the importance of your church's web site.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:31 AM
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February 10, 2009

MLK Day Poll Results

Each of the last two years, we've hit on our perceived importance of MLK Day. And we're big believers that it's a holiday about giving, not receiving (unlike that big red and green one that's close to the shortest day of the year in America), and churches can make a lot of headway by leveraging the natural momentum of the holiday. But what's important is what your churches are doing, so let's check that.

59% of you don't necessarily share our ideas. You don't do anything for similar holidays, so you don't go out of your way for MLK Day. You're all about second-tier holiday equity, lest anyone feel left out.

8% of you did take some time to reflect on Dr. King, and we'd love to hear what that looked like. Another 9% of you just didn't feel like it, and you don't want to hear about it. I feel like Dr. King would be a-OK with you having that right.

Just over one in ten churches seemed to go with a pulpit shout out for the good doctor, giving him some form of a mention. And the remaining tenth either aren't sure what MLK Day is or aren't from around these parts.

All in all, it looks like our love for MLK Day is far from being espoused by most churches, but hey, there's always next year. As for this week, let us know, if you could have a free conference trip, where would it be?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:32 AM
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February 4, 2009

The Church and Hooters Poll Results

A few weeks ago, Rice Temple Baptist Church met Hooters. And their community saw great dividends from their partnership. You might originally be taken aback if you heard a Hooters was moving in next to your church, but we wanted to know how you think your church would actually respond. Here's what you had to say:

Over half of you think your church would welcome them and work with them, just like Rice Temple did--joining with them for Bible studies if possible and looking for any opportunity to share God and do life with them.

Another third of you would "love them from a distance." You know, the way you love a friend who can't stay out of trouble or a family member you've already had to forgive 490 times.

The final 17% of you would stay away--far, far away. You don't want your husbands and children being corrupted with the lustful lure of death-tinted orange shorts. For you, it's better to stay away than to risk the trouble that comes with a Hooters.

This week, we want to know: Did your church do anything special for MLK Day?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:25 AM
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January 27, 2009

Church Burnout 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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January 20, 2009

Mobile Site 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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January 13, 2009

Church Copyright Poll Results

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 7, 2009

Next Christmas Poll

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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December 30, 2008

Santa Claus Marketing Poll Results

As Santa Claus was flying through your neighborhood to deliver the latest and greatest goods, we were curious how many of your churches have used the jolly fat guy in your marketing.

It looks like most of you shy away from the modern update on Saint Nicholas. Over half of you stick to tiny baby Jesus and away from the overgrown Santa Claus. And another 9% of you go even further to call him Satan Claus. Overbearing Grinches? Christmas re-thinkers? A new offshoot of Christianity with an aversion to the color red? There's no telling why you hate Santa, but surely you have a good reason.

18% of you invite Santa in anytime and see him as an opening to talk about the real meaning of Christmas. While another 21% of you invite him in, but only in the format of something small -- a Santa hat or a "Ho Ho Ho!" from the pulpit, perhaps. You like good ol' St. Nick, but only in limited doses.

This week, we're looking to find out: What would you most like the Center for Church Communication to give you next Christmas?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:08 AM
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December 23, 2008

Bickering Issues Poll Results

Last week we asked how disagreements are handled between the lead pastor and other communicators. This can be a sticky point (and churches aren't the only organizations who experience this), as evidenced in the reaction to our 'You Know You're in Church Communications If...' PDF from a few months back.

A slim majority think cooler heads should prevail, as 51% said we should be able to talk it out like adults. That's good to hear. Hopefully it actually happens.

Next comes 24% who say the tie goes to the pastor. This isn't surprising considering at some point there needs to be deference to senior leadership. But hopefully everyone is listening and learning from each other. After all, you hire an expert for a reason.

Which leads us to the 13% who think the expert should have the final say. Experts better know their field, but it's ultimately the pastor who runs with the vision.

Finally, 12% think it should come down to a game of paper, rock, scissors. My kind of people.

This week we turn to all things Christmas (sort of), and ask about churches using Santa Claus in communications pieces.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 5:38 AM
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December 17, 2008

Financial Woes Poll Results

Many churches are having very difficult times dealing with the financial struggles of many in their congregation. There are tons of options available for how to help your congregation through rough financial waters, but what's the best way? Or at least, what are most churches doing? Here's what you had to say:

27% of you are just turning a deaf ear to the so-called crisis. Maybe this means your church did some great financial planning and isn't feeling pinched at all. Or maybe it means the creditors are calling and you answer and say, "Beep beep beep. This number has been disconnected..."

About 1 in 8 of you are having tear-filled goodbyes with members of your staff, and 1 in 10 of you are having tear-filled goodbyes with your marketing budget. Perhaps another poll is in order to find out which you will miss more.

Knotted up at 6% are those of you who are doing absolutely everything and those of you who are just ramping up those annual tithing messages. Only like .000000000000012% of church-goers tithe, but I'm sure it's just because they haven't ever heard a sermon on it.

After those options, a smattering of you are going with sermons on the evils of Wall Street and some others with creative fundraisers.

But above all, the biggest chunk of you are doing "Something else." So let's hear it in the comments, exactly what is your church doing?

And this week we're asking about conflict resolution. Vote in the sidebar of the site to let us know, How should churches handle disagreements with the lead pastor and other communicators (designers, marketers, etc.)?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:32 AM
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December 10, 2008

Mystery Worshipper Poll Results

We've covered mystery worshippers here before. Twice. Some people loved it, others hated it. So we wanted to get your opinion on the idea of asking a stranger how to run your church.

45% of you love this idea. You think it's incredibly helpful to get an objective outsider's perspective on your services. Personally, I'm a huge fan of this kind of breath of fresh air. You don't have to take every suggestion they make, but you should at least be collecting objective data to include in conversations about what your church is doing.

46% of you went with the snarky options. About half of those want to finish surveying their imaginary friends first, and the other half already have a metric--attenders invite friends, and those friends give feedback. I think these answers translates to, "Mystery worshippers are a dumb idea."

The final 8% of you say no, but for different reasons. Half just think it's a ridiculous idea and don't want some shadow person telling them what to do. Another half already have some good ways to measure their success. Maybe those are surveys or town hall meetings, who knows, but feel free to let us know in the comments.

This week, we're asking how is your church responding to the current financial crisis? Let us know in the right sidebar of the home page!

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:36 AM
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December 3, 2008

CFCC Thanks Poll Results

For a little bit of Thanksgiving fun, we thought we would see what offering of the Center for Church Communication you're the most thankful for. Here's what you had to say:

Not surprisingly, over half of you said this blog is your favorite. I think we can chalk some of those up to our poor statistical methods--it's not exactly fair that our sample consists completely of Church Marketing Sucks readers and visitors. Nonetheless, it is our most popular offering, so we weren't surprised to see it take the lead.

Running a not-so-close second is the Church Marketing Lab. Nearly 2,700 members in the CML make up a big portion of the folks who interact with CFCC on a regular basis. We're super grateful to have them, and we're glad 21% of you call the Church Marketing Lab your favorite CFCC offering.

After that, it gets a bit tighter. Well, at least with our two "non-answer" answers. 12% of you don't want to have to choose because you love everything we do. And believe us, we are flattered. Another 15% of you weren't even aware of anything other than our blog. Well by all means, why don't you check out what we offer?

There's a virtual tie between Local Labs, the Events Lab and the Job and Freelance Labs at 0-1%. Those are a bit more niche offerings, but if you're into developing relationships with local church communicators, attending conferences or staffing (either staffing your church or becoming staffed by a church), you'll really want to check those out.

This week, we need to know: Would your church consider hiring a mystery worshipper?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:12 PM
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November 25, 2008

Church Marketing Lab Poll Results

85% of you know how fond we are of the Church Marketing Lab. (And another 15% of you are either first-time visitors or a little inattentive.) But we wanted to get a better feel for your thoughts about the Church Marketing Lab, so we decided to ask.

A third of you think it's awesome and love it, and another 15% of you think it's great, but it needs a little help. So that's about half of you who really enjoy the Church Marketing Lab, even though you think it might need a little bit of work. If you have any ideas or suggestions, you can always e-mail us your ideas and opinions. But the best thing you can do is to stay active in the group to encourage the growth and strength of the community.

A quarter of you like the idea of the Church Marketing Lab, but you're too intimidated to get involved. It's a fine line to walk to critique without being too harsh, but we have a great team of moderators to help out with that issue. You'll be able to submit work or add comments without being berated or belittled, but you will get some constructive criticism. So don't be afraid!

Another 10% of you think it's decent, but it isn't your thing, and that's all right too. But the 4% who don't like it and the 15% who don't know about it, you guys have to get your act together.

If you need more convincing about the Church Marketing Lab, just stop in for a visit.

This week, since it's Thanksgiving, we want to know: Which Center for Church Communication project are you most thankful for? Click through your RSS reader to let us know!

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:26 AM
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November 18, 2008

Church Hiring Poll Restuls

Who should we hire? That's a problem churches run in to all the time as they grow. But how to hire isn't a question with an answer that's readily available. And hiring the right person can be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

53% of you feel that it doesn't matter where your church gets someone from, it just needs to get the best possible person. You don't care if they're a lifetime church member or if they're from the county jail.

28% of you are strong believers in hiring from within. You think it's a lot simpler to hire from within so you can properly vet new hires and shorten the process of them catching your vision. But it really shrinks your talent pool.

A meager 9% of you think hiring from outside is the best bet. There are seven billion people in the world, and you think there might be a factory worker in China with the gifting and ability to be the best possible worship leader at your church. There's nothing wrong with that.

And a final 11% of you are in churches who only have the budget to fire, not hire. Well, should you end up on the losing end of that deal, we'd have to recommend the Job Lab and Freelance Lab for you.

This week, let us know what you think of the Church Marketing Lab. RSS folks can click on through to the main site and vote in the right sidebar.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:02 PM
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November 11, 2008

Church Communication Pro Poll Results

We're all communicating something, but a question we want to answer is, "Who are you paying to do it?" We took to the polls, and here's what you let us know:

The biggest portion of you, 31%, actually have someone that your church pays to take care of communication-related business. That's pretty impressive!

Another big chunk of you treat communication as an extra hat for someone else to wear. For 8% of you, it's the senior pastor. For 12% of you, it's another staff member. This is a step in the right direction, at least you have one person trying to present a fairly coherent message.

Then comes some shady business. 30% of those that responded either have a patchwork of volunteers or your entire staff pitching together to execute a strategy. Sounds kind of like when you get too many people helping to cut up the vegetables and someone ends up losing a finger if you ask me. A motley crew trying to communicate a coherent message leaves everyone in trouble.

And then there's the 19% of you who had a wake-up call with this poll as they'd never realized that someone should manage communication. Well for the record, they should, and go ahead and get off on the right foot--pay someone who is a gifted and devoted reader of Church Marketing Sucks. And use the Job Lab to find them. You'll thank us later.

This week, we'd like to know, How do you feel is the best way for churches to hire?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:21 AM
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November 6, 2008

Election Angle Poll Results

The election is over! Hooray! Now that we no longer have to see campaign commercials every six seconds explaining how the other guy wants to raise your taxes 78% or sell your children into slavery, let's take a final look at how churches handled the election this year.

A true majority of you, 51%, are just encouraging people to vote. Some churches registered people during services or nagged their attenders on a weekly basis, but their goal was merely to have their people be voting people.

15% of you are asking people to focus on advancing the gospel rather than advancing the government. Your hope is in the cross, and whatever happens in the presidential race will happen.

Two groups of you are knotted at 10%. That's the respondents who are telling their candidates who to vote for or what issues to vote on. And another 10% of you are running from politics like it's the plague. The latter is probably the best for those government-fearing nonprofit status-loving churches out there.

A big 7% of you are outside of the U.S., so you couldn't care less. To you, we say "Cheers" or "Namaste" or "Habari" or whatever your nation likes to say. It's great to have you reading! And 7% of you went with "Something else," which is a great reason for you to go ahead and head to the comments.

This week, we want to know: Who is in charge of managing your church's communication?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:30 AM
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October 29, 2008

Halloweening Poll Results

It's only a few days until that strange time of year where churches get all riled up on opposing sides of the debate and argue until they're blue in the face. No, not the election. Halloween. So we naturally took to the streets of the Internet to figure out how your church celebrates H-day.

To begin, there was a notable omission in the possible answers. "Nothing." Without even pausing to realize my own church does nothing, I forgot to include that as an answer, so that's probably a big chunk of you 22% something else-rs.

Almost half of you have some sort of creative way to celebrate that which much not be named without actually naming it. Maybe a "Fall Festival," "Trunk or Treat," "Harvest Hoedown" or a "Pumpkin Party." But surely you use alliteration to promote this event and keep elementary children off the streets.

Another 21% of you actually promote trick-or-treating out in the neighborhood. In an increasingly litigious society, you're running the risk of being sued you when a kid gets a stomachache from eating too many Sour Patch Kids.

Among the rest of you, 5% choose to celebrate All Saint's Fest instead, 2% wig out and try to exorcise the trick-or-treaters and a whopping 0% give some sort of presentation to scare the kiddies away from Hell or give them hope on a holiday from the dark side.

I can't believe there are no offerings of "Tribulation Trail" or "Judgement House [sic]." (Editor's note: I actually saw an incredibly well-designed ad and logo for a church's event called "Judgement House." Apparently after good design, spell checking was out of the budget.)

This week, we are looking to find out, how is your church approaching the upcoming presidential election? Forget Fox News and CNN for election results, check back here next week for the poll results on that pressing question.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:38 AM
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October 22, 2008

Re-branding Poll Results

Warning: bad news ahead.

We are all about churches communicating clearly and effectively, in case you were unaware. One great way to do that is through a brand. It ties everything you stand for together and gives it to people in a clear, digestable package. That said, let's see what our readers said when asked how often their church re-brands.

24% of you make an effort to re-evaluate the way you communicate via branding, but you only do it every five-plus years. Perhaps this is because you feel your brand can be effective for over five years, or perhaps you just rethink things when you eventually find your brand has become ineffective.

15% of you are re-branding every two to four years. This seems ideal. You're not letting your brand lose its power before you upgrade--keeps momentum and focus both high. It's also expensive and time-consuming, which is why most churches don't follow suit. And 2% of you go so far as to re-brand at least once a year. Wow. Sounds busy.

The concerning bit are the 60% who either have a brand from long, long ago or don't have a brand at all. Branding doesn't have to be extraordinarily expensive, and it can be outsourced to some degree, so there's really no excuse. Head here to get started on your brand journey.

This week, tell us: How does your church celebrate Halloween? Click through your RSS reader to vote on the site.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:17 PM
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October 15, 2008

Church Site Ads Poll Results

I haven't seen many churches running advertisements on their sites, but I have seen plenty of churches scratching their head for a way to raise funds. And being an Internet kind of guy, my natural tendency is to ask the question, "What about ads?" So we turned the question to you: Are ads on a church site a cheap sellout or a great way to add to tithes?

Well, 62% of you think it's a ridiculous idea. You think it communicates that the church is a bunch of sellouts, and you would rather them find other ways to raise their funds.

And the other 38% of you think it just shows that they're willing to think outside of the box for revenue streams.

Perhaps a better question would be just how much it would turn you off to find ads on a church web site. Historically low actual percentages of people who tithe combined with an economic downturn will have churches turning in new directions for income. But only time will tell if they turn to ads or elsewhere.

This week, we want to know: How often does your church consider a comprehensive re-branding?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 11:12 AM
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October 8, 2008

Scent Branding Poll Results

Some out there are suggesting that scent branding is the future of marketing. Others are suggesting those people are idiots. So we did the only thing left to do--turned it over to you guys.

44% of you think scent branding is ridiculous. You don't want to be the Caramel Vanilla Church or even Seaside Beach Breeze Baptist. Or maybe you're just afraid that after someone visits once, they will throw up if they ever notice your scent on the air again.

27% of you are up for the idea, but only for the right scent. I admit, I'm with you. If the project got in the hands of someone without olfactory prowess, you could end up with something foul. And another 15% of you are already on board with this idea. You've put your order in at the local candle company, and you're ready to guest blog the experience for us.

10% of you don't think this is branding at all, and 4% of you are smelling impaired. I guess for these folks, traditional branding it is.

This week, we'll be shifting gears a bit. What do you think of ads on church web sites? Click through your RSS reader to cast your vote.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:24 AM
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October 1, 2008

Hard Times Poll Results

If you listen to the news and talk around the water cooler, you might just think the sky is falling. The current economic happenings certainly have an impact on your church, but what is it?

Offerings are down for 35% of you. Your budget red is getting brighter and brighter as stocks go down and down. And another 24% of you have had to make budget cuts already. I'm sure marketing budgets are going down, and we're always looking to hear how you're making less money do more work, so drop us a line.

15% of you have seen attendance going down. Gas money, fear of pressure to give and general unhappiness are probably just a few of the culprits in sinking attendance.

A lucky 11% of you haven't seen a single impact of the tough economy. And an unlucky 10% have noticed a big impact--your marketing plan has been reduced to prayer. Prayer isn't bad, but a few dollars certainly give your marketing a kick start.

Then there's the 5% of you whose attendance is on the up-and-up. Do you attribute this to the financial downturn? Be honest, are you paying people to come to church?

This week, click through to the main site to let us know, does branding your church with a specific scent take branding a step too far?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:42 AM
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September 23, 2008

Mass Communication Poll Results

There are a thousand ways to communicate these days. Back when my parents' grandparents' grandparents' parents' were kids, there was only one: hitch up a wagon, get your machete and clear a trail. But in a world where there are more social networks than people and more media than eyeballs, how do you get your news across?

A third of you are using e-mail blasts. Probably through some sort of marketing platform, you send out an e-mail and dance a little jig if you get your click-through above .16%. And another one in five of you are using snail mail letters because you don't know HTML, your members don't have the Internet or you're too embarrassed your e-mail unsubscribe rate will be 100%.

15% of you take snail mail to the next level, designing direct mail to send to your local mailboxes. And tied with that group are the 15% of you who are using gossipy members to spread news. (And the other 85% falsely imply that they don't have gossipy members.)

9% still use a phone tree service to send out bulk calls, and beyond that, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel. 5% are using text messaging blasts (Only 5%!?), and 3% of you are using tin cans and megaphones. Kudos go to you; in the comments, let us know your system for making that work.

Kem Meyer recently discussed this very topic on her blog. Check out more of how Granger Community Church is now delivering their news.

This week, head to the non-RSS version of the site to vote: How are rising costs and the stale economy affecting your church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:16 PM
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September 16, 2008

Freebies Poll Results

Like it or not, we've all been to church at least once before for the free stuff. For me, it was free Chick-fil-a that started my journey of faith. So what freebie would be most likely to get you going to a church?

Holding the number one spot, ever since free fish and bread (and later, blood and body) in the first century, it's free food. Everyone loves free food, so your church ought to be dishing it out.

We have a dead-heat after that. 23% of you are way above free stuff. You will not sell your membership--no way, no how. But another 23% of you will for shiny, new church materials. You want to hear more about the church, and that's the only way you'll decide.

As gas prices go through the roof, and then through the clouds and onwards, 18% of you are clamoring for some free gas. If you paid your way there for week one, the church should pay for week two.

Beyond that are the meager 4% who want cold, hard cash and 3% who want coupons. In real-world tests, I imagine cash would get a much better response than a weak 4%. Shoot, I'd give you a try if the price is right. I've heard of pastors on eBay, but maybe I'll have to put my membership on there...

This week, click through to the site and let us know in our new poll: Which of these ways does your church send messages to all of its members?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:59 PM
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September 9, 2008

UnChristian Poll Results

Something you probably don't know is that the folks behind Church Marketing Sucks are huge fans of the book UnChristian. Heck, you might not even know about UnChristian. It's subtitled What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity ... And Why it Matters, and it looks at sociological research (by The Barna Group) into the attitudes of 16- to 29-year-olds towards Christianity.

They found that among these individuals, there were five prevalent perceptions. They thought the church was anti-homosexual, judgmental, hypocritical, old-fashioned and too involved in politics. And we wanted to know which of these five your church is guilty of.

29% of you said these late teens and twenty-somethings were spot-on in calling you out for being old-fashioned. The hymnals with the broken spines and dirt floors in the sanctuary must have given you away.

Another 21% said a visitor would walk away from your church feeling an over-abundance of hypocrisy. Maybe it's in the form of blue-haired ladies gossiping, or maybe your church is just brutally honest that we can't live as high as the standard we would like to. Thanks for your honesty and insight in this answer.

Slightly less of you, 18%, think a visitor would feel your church is judgmental after their first visit. Telltale signs of guilt here: greeters snicker after a visitor walks by, the pastor asking "You guys will never believe what I heard about [name here]" from the pulpit or a church sign that reads "I kissed a girl, and I liked it. Then I went to hell."

Rounding out the rest of the list are 18% of you who think you would be pegged as anti-homosexual. Another 7% of your churches are too involved in politics. And the final slice of you are the perfect 9%.

Conference idea: UnUnChristian 2009. The 9% of you who are perfect can offer classes for all the rest of us to avoid the UnChristian findings. But until then you can vote on this week's question: Which freebie would you most want to receive at a church event?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:46 PM
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September 2, 2008

Church Thieves Poll Results

For hopefully the last time we're visiting the different reactions to church thieves. The question is simple, "Would you forgive and welcome like Kinetic Church did? Or would you let the thieves know that you wanted to kick their hind quarters like Revolution Church did?

Well, nearly half of you would welcome the thieves to your church with open arms. If you saw them walking down the street, you would buy them a (non-alcoholic) beverage and a burger and tell them about how God forgives them, and maybe you would politely ask for your things back.

The next biggest chunk of you are the undecided voters. 31% of you aren't so sure how you'd respond, and you're just hoping it doesn't happen to you.

And about one in five would let a thief know how angry you are and that they'd better be scared. Following your threats, if you were serious, you might hire private investigators, rottweilers and the Navy SEALs to befriend the thieves, and the rest would be history.

This week, our poll question is a little bit longer, and it requires total honesty: The book Unchristian found that today's young people, ages 16-29, have a critical view of the church and overwhelmingly think Christians fit five negative perceptions. Which ones do you think a first time visitor would say are true of your church (be honest)?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:07 PM
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August 27, 2008

Bad Marketing Poll Results

We've seen some pretty crappy church marketing lately (not to say we haven't seen some great ideas as well). But which move was the worst of the worst of the worst? Only you could decide, and here's what you had to say:

In a surprise move, you selected the most-hated church marketing move as the Focus on the Family commentator who is praying for rain on Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. Given their recent history and rocky relationship, praying for rain seems like a compliment compared to what many evangelicals would wish on a Democratic candidate.

My personal pick for the worst marketing move would have to be giving away a free semi-automatic assault rifle at church. And 30% of you agree. It seems that there is nothing positive that can come out of someone walking out of church with a shiny new rifle, provided by your church.

Another 1 in 5 were awestruck by a church who would refuse $600,000 from a lottery winner. For many of you, that's about $600,000 more than your current marketing budget, so it certainly seems like a pretty egregious marketing error. Oh yeah, and there's the "If you're bad, we don't want your money" undertone.

The smallest group of you were most repulsed by Gary Lamb's violent outburst towards church trailer thieves. Judging by the large number of "I can't believe that!" comments on our original entry, it seemed this option would get a big spike. But lo and behold, it sits at the bottom of our responses, with only 14% of the responses.

Speaking of stolen church trailers, this week's poll revolves around that issue. Who do you agree with? Are you a church thief hugger (like Kinetic Church or Oconee Baptist) or knee-breaker (like Revolution Church)? RSS readers, be sure to click through to the site to make sure your vote gets counted.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:40 AM
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August 19, 2008

Future of the Church Poll Results

The future of the church. It's a huge topic, and it's one we need to be ready for. But what is that future?

Well, 37% of you think multi-site churches are the future. More sites, more impact, yeah? Probably the convenience, pooled resources and leadership of multi-site churches lead you to this conclusion (and maybe The Multi-Site Church Revolution). And another 18% of you are looking the opposite direction. Mini-churches are the future in your eyes.

11% of you think there's no change in store. It's 379 more years of the same thing -- some mega-churches, some mini-churches, some middle-churches. 9% of you think McChurches are the future. $1 double cheeseburgers for visitors and McSermons for everyone.

And the lonely group of you are the 3% who thing mega-churches will multiply thousand-fold to become giga-churches. Just imagine, showing up to find 20,000,000 friends for the 9:30 a.m. service. Hopefully, we will also see a revolution in church architecture and parking lot infrastructure.

There's another 21% of you out there who say "something else." So what is that something else? House churches? Internet churches? Twitter churches?

Click through your RSS reader to let us know what your "something else" is, and to give us feedback on this week's question--what is your vote for the worst church marketing move of late?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:18 AM
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August 13, 2008

Church Taglines Poll Results

In the Church Marketing Lab, a discussion fired up on how to choose a church tagline. So we wanted to know just how your church went about it.

The majority of you went with a shrug and admitting that there is no tagline involved in your church's marketing. And just a few less of you left a note on your pastor's desk that said "Need tagline, leaving office, e-mail me tonight." Those two options make up a whole 80% of folks who responded.

Among the rest of you, here's how things shaped up: 9% of you hired a copywriter, communicated vision and let the congregation approve of it. And it only took most of you 7-12 years. And another 5% couldn't hit the 12 year window, and it's still lost somewhere between the Finance Committee and the Senior Citizens' Church Marketing Committee.

5% went with either a rhyming dictionary or the elusive alliterative dictionary to create a cool concept to communicate cause. And a small, small slice of the pie either asked Google or just straight up stole it from another church's advertising. But only after you couldn't find a good tagline on Napster, right?

When the Church Marketing Lab weighed in, here's what they had to say:

"Church taglines should not make churches sound self absorbed ... they should be about the person you're talking to. Taglines should tell the reader how he or she can benefit from interacting with your church."

"You tag line needs to be an extension of who you are. Trying to come at it any other way is a mistake, and will lack integrity when you're done."

"I have no idea. I'm a Presbyterian. Our implicit tagline is 'Come because you were born here.' We don't do marketing. I'm here to learn."

"One of the best church taglines (and description) that caught my attention, and I still remember it is: Vintage 21--a community of God seekers, God followers, and God doubters."

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:09 AM
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August 6, 2008

Special Guests Poll Results

Just how special does your church treat visitors?

Well, for nearly a third of you, the answer is not special at all. They get a pat on the back, a bulletin and maybe a handshake from the pastor. Then again, so does everyone else at your church. Another 12% of you go just over this low bar for a pulpit shoutout. Low-effort, low-cost for you.

The next 5% of you are where visitors really, really start to get special. Maybe it's a sticker, a pin, standing up in the service or wearing a dunce cap, but you make your visitors do a "subtle" action that screams, "I'm a visitor."

The final group of you (over half) bribe give your visitors something. Whether it's church resources, a gas card, burritos or whatever, it's slightly more than the obligatory pastoral welcome or funny-smelling bulletin lady hug.

This week, we want to know how you came up with your church’s tagline?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:29 AM
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July 29, 2008

Feliz Cumpleanos Poll Results

Church Marketing Sucks launched four years ago last week, and so last week's poll asked how long you've been along for the ride.

Out front are the 46% who've been around for a few years, veterans but not charter members. Next are the newbies with 28% who just found out this place existed. After that are the 18% who've been around less than a year. And finally come the 8% who've been around since the beginning--thanks for sticking with us.

So in the end a majority have been with us a few years or longer, but 46% have found us in the last year. It's cool to see that kind of growth still happening.

Thanks to everybody--no matter how long you've been reading--for joining us in this effort to help churches communicate better. This week's poll asks what your church does for visitors.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:20 AM
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July 23, 2008

9 Must Reads Poll Results

Long, long ago, we gave you nine must-read books on the road to not sucking. So did you heed our advice and read the books?

1 in 5 of you (in our self-sampled and highly statistically accurate poll) said you have read Good to Great. That's our most popular book, followed by The Tipping Point, which 19% of poll respondents have read.

A couple more books sit at 13%--Purple Cow and Church Marketing 101. But after that, it's pretty much a dead heat in the 1-3% range for the rest of the books.

The biggest portion of you are missing out on nine great reads by skipping them. You can go ahead and e-mail this entry to your friends and family so they'll be able to snag these for you for Christmas in July. They'll be a huge help to both you and your church.

We're huge fans of each of these books, and buying them through our links is a great way to support Church Marketing Sucks and the mission.

This week, as we celebrate our 4th birthday, let us know, how long have you been along for the ride?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:58 AM
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July 15, 2008

Clothing Your Flock Poll Results

Long, long ago, I told you a story of a jerk in his corporate shirt who made his company look like a fool. So what about when your church staff are bad tippers, rowdy complainers or law breakers? Are you using them as a billboard so your church's image takes the heat?

8% of you have a church staff that proudly sports your logo day-in and day-out. You're a bold minority who isn't afraid of the way your own people will act in public. Another 10% of you make the option available, but they don't have to if they don't want to.

Over a quarter of you that responded think you're opening Pandora's box by letting your staff wear church shirts. Surely they'll cut someone off in traffic, stub their toe and curse aloud or be spotted dancing in public on their lunch break.

Oh yeah, and there's nearly half of you who don't have room in the budget for church staff shirts. Here's to you, average church staff who is too broke to face these problems.

Want to solve this problem? Never hire someone who would act in a way to muddy your church's name. And hire staff that if they ever do, aren't afraid to apologize for their actions.

This week, we have a question for all our bibliophiles out there. Which of Church Marketing Sucks' 9 must-read books have you read already?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 4:40 PM
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July 8, 2008

Most Important Marketing Poll Results

Last week, we wanted to know which aspect of your marketing was most important. We provided plenty of choices, so let's see what you had to say:

45% of you say the most important part is actually communicating something. Too many folks are talking just to talk, and you think you'd better have the guts to have some meat behind your marketing. One out of five of you think keeping your marketing straightforward and simple is most important.

Apart from those two biggies, there are just a smattering of the rest of you who feel each other choice is most important for you. Whether it be tuning in with popular culture, name recognition, creating buzz or focusing internally, less than 10% of you feel these are the most important parts of your marketing.

Oh yes, and there are 6% of you who feel none of these are the most important--the gospel markets itself.

This week, we're asking, does your church team wear staff shirts?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:05 AM
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July 1, 2008

Phone Booking Poll Results

According to Wikipedia, the first telephone book was issued in 1878. So can an idea from 130 years ago still help your church today?

Almost a quarter of you say yes. You still advertise in the local phone book, and it is a big win for you. But the same number of you say that phone book advertising just isn't worth it for you. Not enough people are seeing you in your local phone book to justify the cost.

Over half of you don't bother buying ads in the local phone book, but you are proud to be listed there, right between Jane Doe and Joe Schmo. Probably even those of you who purposely don't advertise are still listed--seems like a silly marketing move to go out of your way to be unlisted in your local area.

Phone book success story? Or a good reason to file to be unlisted? Let us know in the comments.

This week, we'd like to know, what do you think is most important in your marketing?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:04 PM
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June 24, 2008

Inviting Friends Poll Results

File this poll under, "We're curious." It's always a question floating around about how much marketing matters, where you should focus your marketing and whether it's worth it. So we decided to hit the streets and find out, in an incredibly unscientific manner, how many church guests come from personal referrals.

Not surprisingly, 35% of you have no idea what percent of visitors come at the invitation of a friend. Most of us don't have access to church stats and survey responses, so this was anticipated.

And now for the confusion: About 40% of you say at least 50% of visitors come at the request of a friend. Our Church Marketing Sucks official statistician has yet to be hired, but I can tell you this: most of you say most of your guests come because of a personal invitation.

A quarter of you, however, say less than half of your visitors come at the request of a friend. Maybe you are the marketing elite. Your guests come because of your totally awesome marketing campaigns or because you have a really unique and inviting church.

Whether you're getting people in the doors with or without the invitations of friends, we're big fans of more butts in pews (but even bigger fans of seeing Christ in more hearts). So keep on doing what you're doing to get visitors in the door. This week, our question is simple: Does your church still advertise in the local phone book?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:25 AM
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June 17, 2008

Summertime Time Poll Results

Saturday is the first day of summer, in case you were unaware. Here in the southeast, it's a little discouraging that most days are in the 90s, but it's still spring. But hey, despite the hot weather, church marketing must go on. Or must it?

Half of you don't think so. You're already thinking about back to school, endorsing a presidential candidate without losing your tax exemption, Halloween alternatives and getting ready for Christmas shopping. Or the summer has heated up and church marketing has gone to the beach for a needed vacation.

The other half of you, who might or might not be our favorites, aren't missing a beat, just shifting into overdrive. You might be keeping on doing what you're doing, or maybe you're moving to pump up your summer events. But you're taking no prisoners and making sure your whole community knows about your church and what you're doing this summer. It's summer push time for you.

For this week, we're investigating where in the heck all those visitors come from. Click through your RSS reader to tell us: At your church, about what percent of visitors first come when they're invited by a friend?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:12 AM
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June 11, 2008

Free Labs! Poll Results

In last week's poll, we wanted to know what impact the freeness of the Job Lab and Freelance Lab would have on you. We were pretty excited to offer them for free, and the number of postings would show that you are too. But what do the polls say?

Well, they say that almost half of you don't know what the Job Lab and Freelance Labs are. Eeeeeek. Maybe you're new around these parts, or maybe you immediately skip posts that say "Job" or "Freelance." I'm not here to interpret the data, just to report it.

22% of you were pumped that they were free, which is what we like to hear. And another 16% of you weren't all that excited. You were willing to pay for the service because you need to fill the positions. If you feel convicted to pay anyways, then we have just the page for you.

And the last little bit of you are the 13% who have better ways to fill your job openings. C'mon, better? I doubt it. All the cool jobs are hanging out with us.

This week, let us know, how does your church adjust its marketing efforts for summer?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:15 AM
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June 4, 2008

Twittering Church Poll Results

We've asked you, "What would Jesus Twitter?" and we've talked about Twitter for churches. But it's time to put you to the test. Is your church Twittering?

The biggest chunk of you, at 34%, aren't Twittering. The poll phrased it as, "What a waste of time," but that wasn't the best phrasing. That's just 34% of you churches who don't yet Twitter and don't plan to

Another 27% of you don't know what a Twitter is or why you would want to do it. Wikipedia is your friend. And 21% of you have it in the works, but it's not up and running yet.

Of the 18% of you who are currently Twittering, there are two ways you're going about it. Most of you have some church leadership who tweet. They pass on church information to anyone who would like to follow them. While a small 5% of you actually have a church-wide account.

So now it's your turn, click through your RSS reader to get commenting. Do you think Twitter is such a waste of time? Do you have a church account and want to share your success? Let us know!

And while you're here, let us know this week, now that the Job Lab and Freelance Lab are permanently free, are you more likely to use them?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:06 AM
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May 28, 2008

Video on Flickr Poll Results

This week, we asked how you are feeling about Flickr adding video awhile back. It was a pretty hot issue back in the day, with sides being drawn and battle plans being prepared. The small number of responses, however, would lead this statistician to believe the furor has died down.

Of those that weighed in, 46% have loved seeing video in the Church Marketing Lab. We even showcased some of the video capabilities and their impact on the Church Marketing Lab awhile back.

A quarter of you think video on Flickr is no big deal. Just a passing trend. While another 10% of you are pretty strongly against it. You're the vocal minority who got my mind running on this question, so I'm pretty disappointed you could only rally one of ten to crusade against video. And a final 19% of you don't give a rip about Flickr.

My conclusions? Lots of church marketers don't care about Flickr. Plenty of you are in the business of speaking, editing, writing and beyond, so Flickr doesn't float your boat. Others of you use Flickr, but you're too wrapped up in deadlines to fight about whether or not they should have video.

This week, click through to tell us, Is your church Twittering?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:23 AM
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May 20, 2008

CFCC and HOW Poll Results

CFCC and HOW Design are official. If you missed out on that news, now you're in the know. At the HOW Design Conference, Michael Buckingham led a session on behalf of CFCC, and we're excited about what the future will bring us. So we wanted to know what you thought of these going-ons.

Most of you aren't fully in the know yet about all this will mean. You're not sure of exactly what HOW is, so you can't be too excited about the partnership. Well, HOW Design is a creativity, business and technology magazine for graphic designers. You can get involved in competitions, their creative tip of the month or tons of other stuff on their site. So for the non-voters and the 68% who aren't sure of what HOW is, you are now equipped to check them out.

Another 8% of you say HOW isn't exactly your thing. That's all right, we're not all graphic designers. Perhaps Forbes or Apple or Krispy Kreme will knock on our door next for a partnership. And for the record, yes, we are interested.

Our favorite Another 25% of you are totally stoked about the partnership. As are we. Maybe some of you were at Michael's session at the HOW Design Conference, and if you weren't, watch for a summary from him soon.

For those of you in an RSS reader, make sure to click through this week and let us know, will video in the Church Marketing Lab be of any use to churches in their marketing efforts?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:17 PM
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May 7, 2008

Quiz Time Poll Results

The most recent Barna poll asked about church technology usage, comparing the results across the years 2000, 2005 and 2007. We decided to quiz you and see how well you would be in tune with what other churches are doing. We asked you what percent of churches you thought currently have a web site.

44% of you guessed guessed that 0-50% of churches have a web site. Maybe that number is so high because 0-50 is the biggest range. Or maybe you just don't think many churches have sites.

The numbers go down from there. 21% of you thought that half to 65% of churches have sites. Another 21% of you thought 66%-80% have sites. That's the group I was in, as an optimist.

The really optimistic bunch of you thought either 81%-100% of churches have web sites. That'd be pretty sweet, but unfortunately, only in DreamLand.

Well, if you didn't cheat, the results are in...

62% of churches have a web site. That's up from 57% in 2005 and 34% in 2000. Check out Kent Shaffer's wrap-up for more complete results, including stats regarding e-mail blasts, social networking, projectors and more.

This week, we want to know, did your church do anything to celebrate Earth Day, either corporately or around the office?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:27 AM
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April 29, 2008

Local Labs Poll Results

Local Labs have really been taking off. They've been organic and exponential so far, so we wanted to see how an average reader would feel about a Local Lab in their own city.

It looks like the majority of you are adventurous souls. You would love to check out a Local Lab and see what it's all about if there was one in your city. Well 23 cities nationwide (and one in Canada!) have Local Labs so far, so you might be in luck. That goes for the 36% of you who would go if it were convenient. It very well might be close to you.

That's 86% of people who would go if the conditions were right. Wow!

Another 11% of you don't really need Local Labs. Is that because you aren't a designer or church marketer? Or are you just that good? And a final 3% of you like to keep your friends on the Internet. Maybe that means we need a Second Life Local Lab on our very own Church Marketing Sucks Island?

And if you want a Local Lab, but there's not one in your area, just head over to the Church Marketing Lab, start a discussion thread titled "Local Lab [your city]" to hook up with some people in your area!

This week, it's a quiz time. The results of this quiz are out there on the Internet, so answer before you find them! And we'll post the study next week. So click through from your RSS reader and check our right sidebar to answer, what percent of churches would you guess have a web site?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:29 AM
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April 23, 2008

Socially Just Poll Results

As we launched our new Social Justice category, we wanted to know whether your church puts a priority on social justice. Here's the breakdown of what you had to say:

31% of your churches are hit or miss. Some things you emphasize and others you don't. Maybe you drink fair trade coffee but all drive Hummers. There are just some issues that don't resonate with your church.

And slightly less of you, 30%, say your church only has a few issues it emphasizes. Of those of you, what issues seem to be favorites for churches?

17% of your churches are all about the gospel justice, not the social justice. Hey, people need both, so keep bringing that gospel message.

16% of you hit social justice issues most of the time, but not quite always. Are there certain issues you stay away from, or you just can't quite get to all of them?

The final group is the 7% of you who are social justice junkies. If someone shows up in a Hummer without information about the child they sponsor, it's straight to the altar for some laying-on of hands. This is the small, but (probably) vocal minority.

This week, we're looking to find out would you attend a Local Lab meet-up in your area?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:54 PM
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April 15, 2008

Survey Says Poll Results

We were wondering this week if your church has ever done a church-wide survey. Tons of churches do them and swear by them, other folks think they're a gigantic waste of paper. Our Church Marketing Sucks readers--an avant-garde bunch, if I do say so--had this to say:

53% of you have done it at least once, but you don't go on a regular basis. Did you have a good experience, or not so much? My church is in the middle of our yearly survey effort, and it's pivotal for us. 12% of you are in the same boat, repeating your survey again and again.

23% of you have it on the drawing board, but you haven't actually done it yet. There's something keeping you from taking the leap into surveying. And a final 13% of you are the anti-survey crowd who don't see the need for it yet.

Thinking of going for it, but not sure how to write it, what to say, or where to go? Sounds like a project for our Freelance Lab if you ask me.

This week, we're looking to find out, does your church put a priority on social justice?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:31 PM
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April 8, 2008

Heathen Marketing Poll Results

A few of you were very excited to see the poll results this week, and that's exactly what Tuesdays are about--hanging out at your computer, constantly refreshing Church Marketing Sucks for poll results. Well, we've talked about this before, and we even asked the same question two years ago, but have times changed?

Well, 56% of you are game for any good marketing, regardless of who's doing it. I still assume you'd be a bit discerning and not pay up to some marketer on the run from the law, leading a strange cult or leading a group of terrorists. But all in all, you wouldn't deny a marketer based on faith.

Another 22% of you would have to judge the marketer to make an assessment. If it was a good enough guy or girl that seemed to have values in line with your church and would reflect positively on you, then you'd give it a go. And the final 22% of you think that only a person of faith can market the faith.

How do those numbers stack up with two years ago? Well, then we saw a split of 56%, 18% and 21% (with an extra 5% comedy answer thrown in); so, that's pretty remarkably similar. This one might be stacking up as a timeless debate for churches as they look to hire people to help with their marketing.

This week, let us know, has your church ever done a church-wide survey?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:06 AM
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April 2, 2008

Church Greeting Poll Results

Some people hate to love them; other people love to hate them; still others could care less. Church greeters.

Honestly, to me, it seems like a pretty tough gig. You have to stand out there at the mercy of whatever weather blows in the door, be happy to see each and every person and deal with awkward "I forgot your name" and "Have we ever met?" moments. But apparently some people aren't scared of any of that stuff. At the very least, if you love greeting, you have some job security.

27% of you absolutely love church greeters. Maybe you admire them, are grateful for them or love being one yourself. Either way, it's a Sunday highlight for you to be door-greeted by a smiling face.

48% of you aren't totally sold on greeters, and you judge on a greeter-by-greeter basis. Hilarious greeting experience in the comments would be greatly appreciated!

A final 25% of you don't really get greeting. You think it's a bad idea to have people who are paid to be professional smile, wave and handshakers. Yeah, you probably wear jeans to church and don't comb your hair, either.

This week, throw your opinion in the ring as we ask, would you hire someone who isn't a Christian to help out with your church marketing efforts?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:47 AM
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March 25, 2008

March (Sex) Madness Poll Results

So the 30-Day Sex Challenge is already well under way, and if you were looking to join in, you'll have to wait until next year. We figured we'd wrap up our coverage of it with a poll asking what you thought of it.

Most of you were big fans of the campaign. You like the idea of churches encouraging intimacy within marriage and encouraging singles to abstain. Any British fans of church sex marketing could also check out the new material from the Church of England--"Growing Together." Summed up (probably inaccurately) by British tabloid The Sun as, "Officials at the Church of England have written a saucy good sex guide for their parishioners."

36% of you aren't so sure. Half of you aren't fans of their caveat that singles should also remain celibate. You think this is condoning premarital sex, and churches ought not be in that business. The other half of you could wrap up your feelings about the challenge as, "Meh."

The last 26% of you think it's silly altogether, and there might be a little too testosterone-driven. C'mon guys can make up the marketing campaigns just fine. I mean, what do you propose? Extreme Makeover: Church Edition? (Ed. Note: My apologies for that being the best I can come up with. Comments are now open to 30-Day Sex Challenge Alternative.)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:19 AM
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March 18, 2008

Sunday Morning What? Poll Results

There's a lot of newfangled names floating around for that thing churches usually do on Sunday mornings. We decided to round up a few of them and see just what everyone is calling their Sunday Morning [blank]. Here's what you had to say, followed by a custom personality analysis of your church.

70% of you are holding strong to tradition and calling it a "Service." I imagine this might be preceded by a word like "Worship," or it might just stand alone. Either way, feel good, because you're in the majority. You like to keep it simple and stick with what works.

6% of you refer to Sunday mornings as celebrations. Again, possibly preceded by "Community," "Worship" or another twist on the term. What does this say about your church? You like to let people know they're in for a good time on Sunday mornings, and they can come party with you.

Another 6% of you call it a gathering. I think this one usually stands alone, but if you refer to yourself as a "gathering," you probably tend to be a bit more free-wheeling, nomadic, and cutting edge. 3% of you go with a Sunday morning "fellowship." I'm not sure exactly what this says about your church. To me, it says that you have donuts and coffee, but that's not so scientific.

And cheers to me for a great poll result, 0% of you call it an "environment." Hey, I've heard of it before. And another 14% of you call it something else. Let's hear it in the comments, what do you do on Sunday morning?

This week, let us know, how do you feel about the "30-day Sex Challenge?"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:21 AM
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March 11, 2008

Give It Up for Lent Poll Results

We put together a little list, and we wanted to know which church marketing move you wanted your church to give up for Lent. Your results were all across the board. Here's what you had to say:

The top two answers were the 46% of you who either most wanted to get rid of bad web design or brand theft. You're tired of web sites that look like this (Pepsi site circa 1996, courtesy of the WayBack Machine) and series called "True Values" and "iGod." It's OK, we feel your pain.

Another 17% of you are tired of every church and their brother plastering billboards that say "Best sex ever" or "[Insert phrase] -Satan" or "God answer knee mail." For the record, we post them here for inspiration and to push the envelope, not for the express purposes of plagiarism. We won't knock it if it gets people in and gets people's lives changed though.

12% of you are fed up with paying for sermons. You want your downloads to be free, otherwise you're about to turn to church sermon piracy. Another 6% of you are ready to be rid of professional greeters. It seems a little bit contrived to you. And a final 3% of you are tired of endless blogging. I wonder if this is because of not too many pastors trying blogging or just a few pastors being great at it.

And then, of course, there's the 15% of you whose church doesn't do any of these. Congratulations! Feel free to vent your frustration with other, unlisted church marketing offenses in the comments. This week we ask what you call your Sunday morning, um, event.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:35 AM
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March 5, 2008

Internet Minsitry Poll Results

This week, we asked how your church most often uses the Internet during ministry. We've certainly seen examples of churches doing all three, but when the vote went to the people, here's what you had to say:

The clear, large and distinct majority use the Internet to augment existing ministries. Maybe you have a Facebook account to go with your youth group, a microsite to go along with a service launch or information on your church's site to promote an event.

Another 25% of you use the Internet primarily as missions and outreach. There are people out there who are yet to be reached, and you see the only way to reach them as the Internet. Maybe gamers. Maybe techies. Maybe even Trekkies?

The final 5% of you use the Internet to replace existing ministries. I mean hey, why drive to church on Sunday mornings when you can fly in Second Life? Really though, what sort of ministries have you been able to completely outsource to the Internet? It's an interesting concept.

This week, we're asking you, what church marketing move do you most wish churches would give up for Lent?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:43 AM
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February 26, 2008

Sermon Formats Poll Results

There's lots of different ways to make your sermons available. In a few years, you'll probably just be able to stream them live to a chip in your members' head while they sleep; for now, however, we wanted to know which technologies you currently use to distribute your sermons.

The most common way to share your sermons is an audio download. 30% of you are rocking this method. Digital is fun as costs are cheap and files are portable. I guess the next step is to revisit your payment plans for sermon audio.

Just a few less of you, 29% to be exact, offer your sermons on CD. It'd be interesting to hear if the rise of digital audio has brought CD sales down at all in your church.

The next best thing, and rounding out the audio portion of our poll, is the cassette tape. Wowzers. 10% of you make cassettes of your messages available. Hey, if folks need it, more power to you. The last cassette I can remember buying myself is Ace of Base.

Video doesn't seem to be catching on quite as strongly as audio. 9% of you offer DVDs of messages, and 8% of you offer a video download of sermons. There's other options here, too -- video podcasts and streaming video come to mind. A lot of folks these days just don't have time to sit and watch a whole video.

4% of you offer a text download, and 4% offer a paper copy. It's nice to see that reading isn't totally dead yet.

The final 6% offer a resounding, "Be there or be square." If folks miss out, you don't subsidize their absence, you make them hear it from a friend.

So let us know in the comments, what did we forget? How do you share your church audio? And while you're at it, answer this week's question, in which way does your church most often use the Internet for ministry?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:42 AM
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February 19, 2008

Valentine's Day Poll Results

Cupid has come and gone, chocolate is now on sale and star-crossed lovers are no longer smelling the roses. Last week, we asked how many of you would be celebrating Valentine's Day at church with a love, marriage, dating, sex, etc. series. Here's what you had to say:

25% of you are jumping on the opportunity. You're looking to convince the world that the Bible has something to say about this whole love thing.

Slightly less of you, 22%, are sticking to the liturgical calendar. If the schedule says to celebrate St. Valentine, then by gosh, you'll do it.

But by far, the big winner are those of you who are kicking love to the curb this Valentine's Day. Maybe you don't want to use a series to talk about these things, maybe they just didn't fit in or maybe you just hate love--whatever it might be, we hope you enjoyed your non-romantic Valentine's Sunday.

This week, we're asking you, how does your church make its sermons available to those who want them?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:18 AM
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February 12, 2008

Wifi Sharing Poll Results

So we've talked about your church, the wifi sharer, and last week, we wanted to put stats to our speculation. Here's what you told us about your own church's wifi sharing habits:

Much better than the frequent poll where a single choice gets 90% of the vote, we had a tie at the top this week. Hooray for competition! 28% of you thought, "No way!" on the grounds that folks might end up hacking the Pentagon or viewing inappropriate content on your dime. You either don't want the legal liability or the moral liability of contributing to their shenanigans.

Another 28% of you are silent sharers. You like to keep things looking tight, but if someone asks for the password, they can easily get it. That way, you can profile the person asking for the password and determine whether to give it out to them--kidding, of course.

Next up are the 26% of churches who run a public, open hot spot. You like to keep people hanging around, and perhaps you even serve some coffee or pastries or even something else. How does this work for you? Any run-ins with the law yet?

A final 17% of you ask, "What's wireless access?' I say...well, I don't know what to say to that. You could drop a line to al.gore@algore.com. He should be able to tell you.

Now, with love abounding this week, we want to know, around Valentine's Day, is your church doing a love/marriage/dating/sex series?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:22 AM
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February 5, 2008

Paying for Church Poll Results

As you browse the Internet, you're likely to find tons of church resources. Some are free, some are not. Some are free digitally, but not physically. We asked how you felt about this and what you would pay for, and you let us know.

Those of you happy to buy the digital copy if you miss out on the actual experience are in the vast minority. Only 9% of you would pay for a sermon on a regular basis. I assume this is within the bounds of reasonable costs.

Another 40% of you find yourself in the "maybe" camp. You might try and find a friend who recorded it on their cell phone, look to illegally download it on the Internet or raid the church offices. But if the sermon was great, and there was no other way to get your hands on it, you would pay up.

The majority of you, 51%, wouldn't pay up for a digital copy. You're OK with paying for the physical copy, but digital should be free. After all, the cost to the church is minimal, and you shouldn't be punished for staying home with your sick kids.

This week, we're asking, does your church provide open wireless access for anyone to use?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:27 PM
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January 30, 2008

Church Bulletin Poll Results

Last week, we asked exactly what you do with the church bulletin when you get it. You spoke out in big numbers, and it looks like the bulletin is staying.

62% of you may skim it, but you won't be reading every bit. This solidifies the bulletin's place as an effective method of conveying news. Folks will at least look at the bulletin for information pertinent to them.

Another 21% of you will devour every word of it, and you might even save it for bathroom reading material. You're a stalwart fan of bulletins, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

12% of you send the bulletin straight to the floor. If you need to find something out, you'll get it through some way other than the bulletin--word of mouth, email etc.

A final 4% of you won't read it, but you might use it to take notes or make a fan. So the bulletin is useful, just not as a method of conveying information. This is obviously a small minority, so don't just start giving out fans quite yet.

This week, we're wondering would you pay for church content over the Internet?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:51 AM
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January 22, 2008

Extra! Extra! Poll Results

There's a thousand ways to distribute news--blogs, mailers, e-mails, Twitter, Bat Symbols, etc. We wanted to know what works for your church and how you distribute your news. Here's what you had to say:

The most popular way to distribute news was through announcements or bulletins. Apparently 19% of you use a weekly bulletin and in-service announcements to distribute news. About 127% of churches I've been to use a bulletin and announcements, so I think we might have had some error in our statistical methodology. Or maybe just all churches I don't attend tend not to use bulletins and announcements--what do you think?

16% of you post news to your web site. This is good, people visit your web site. If you didn't hear, we had a snow storm in the south here recently (about 3/4" of accumulation), and it was refreshing to see churches announce their closing online. It's far better than the endless game of watching the scrolling thing on the news channels.

Another 14% of you depend on your church's pre-game show to announce events. It gets your message across, you can do these pre-service slides attractively and it encourages folks to show up early. Next up are the 12% of you who go for the church-wide e-mail newsletter. Some trouble exists here--folks disable receiving HTML email, it gets caught as spam, it's not designed well, etc. Have you seen success with announcing via e-mail?

9% of you still send out a snail-mail newsletter. It gives a fun, antique feel to church. Then come the bottom dwellers: 3% of you use a blog or RSS (come on readers, we can get this number higher), 3% of you use e-mails from individual departments and 3% go with some sort of automated calling system.

Bringing up the rear are the 2% of you who go with "Something else." What on earth could this be? Twitter? Town crier? Door-to-door? Let us know down below.

This week, we need to know...you walk into church and are handed a bulletin. What do you do with it?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:15 AM
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January 16, 2008

Presidential Marketing Poll Results

If you've kept up with the presidential race at all, you've been bombarded with tricky ploys, clever slogans, crazy ads and a thousand other marketing moves. So we wanted to know which move you would love to pull off for your church. Here's what you thought:

The majority of you wanted the deep pockets of Mitt Romney. A personal fortune lets him do most anything he wants, and you guys think this would be helpful for your church. What are you thinking? Eradicating poverty in your city? A sweet new building? A pastoral Rolls Royce?

The next biggest percentage of you, 21%, would rather launch a church blimp, a la Ron Paul. Then, from hundreds of feet, everyone could see the name of your church. Maybe you could even offer free rides to first-time visitors.

16% of you want a celebrity endorsement. Barack Obama has Oprah, Mike Huckabee has Chuck Norris ... First Community Church of Your Town could have anyone--Britney Spears, George Bush, Church Marketing Sucks. The possibilities are endless.

Another 14% of you want your pastor to be a part of a network TV series, like Fred Thompson of Law and Order. Maybe Extreme Life Makeover or a pastoral karaoke show is waiting in the wings.

Rounding out the bottom, 7% of you want to follow Dennis Kucinich and hype your staff's UFO sightings. Another 7% of you want to take a cue from John Edwards and put some green in your logo, to let folks know you care about the environment.

This week, we want to know, how does your church distribute its news?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:51 AM
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January 8, 2008

Doing Design Poll Results

Last week, we wanted to know how your church goes about doing its design. Full time? Part time? No time? Here's how you broke it down:

34% of you can't afford design. Two and a half years ago, we discussed this to frenzied commenting. Go back in time and check it out.

Almost as many of you have one full time designer on staff. That's 28% of churches that devote part of their budget to keeping someone on staff. I imagine you make sure this person can do both web and print in order to avoid having to pay someone else extra? Rounding out the top three are the 17% of you who don't do design. Eeeeek. Some sort of design is always a good thing. Might I suggest our Job Lab? Even if it's just enough to keep people's attention. You don't have to "wow" anyone, but you shouldn't scare them, either.

8% of you have multiple designers on staff. Wow. Maybe a web person and a print person? Three cheers to being devoted to design, we like that. Another 8% of you mix staff with freelancers to give your staffers a little help--an awfully nice thing of you to do.

Rounding out the list are the 6% of you who only use freelancers. I honestly thought this number would be much higher, it sure seems like freelancers are everywhere. If you're looking to use one, let them know in our Freelance Lab.

Any small churches full of design staffers? How about large churches without a design staffer? My feeling is that, as usual, the group you're trying to reach out to is the most important factor in making this decision.

This week, let us know which presidential marketing tactic would you most like to use for your church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:35 PM
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January 3, 2008

2008 Goals Poll Results

Last week, getting ready for the New Year, we wanted to know your church marketing goals for 2008. Here's what you had to say ...

The largest portion of you, 27%, are looking to improve your web site. Face it, your site might be the key piece to marketing your church. Check out here, here, here, here or here to see that we agree.

Another 23% of you are going for self-improvement. If your church follows God more closely and improves, then marketing will take care of itself. If you need permission from anyone to do this, consider it given. Self-improvement is a must.

14% of you are hoping for less fluff. What fluff will you be eliminating? Will you be replacing it with anything else? Slightly less, 10% of you, are looking for some extra cash. Just remember the group above you and don't use more cash for more fluff. That's no good.

8% of you are in want of a professional designer. Might I suggest our Job Lab? OK, good. You can post your need for a designer there, and they'll come to you. 7% of you are looking for more CMS in the new year. We'll do our best to scratch your itch in 2008.

Bringing up the bottom of the barrel are 6% of you hoping for more events. Parties, services, outreaches, polka masses, potlucks ... the whole shebang. Finally we've got the 5% of you looking for some shock value. But when people sue you, condemn you and riot at your church ... we might not claim to know you.

This week, we're asking a simple question: How does your church get its design done?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:00 AM
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December 27, 2007

Woohoo! Christmas! Poll Results

Last week, as we got ready for Christmas, we asked you what you wanted from CMS for Christmas. Here's what you had to say.

37% of you think money will be just fine. Unfortunately, we're a nonprofit organization, heavy on the nonprofit and light on the organization. If you want our money, you'll probably have to rob us, and you'll probably spend more on the gas to get here than you'll get from the heist.

15% of you have too much free time and want more reading material. We'll do our best to keep sending things your way via entries. Slightly less, 14%, enjoy the series that we do. We're planning on keeping those coming, so don't despair.

Another 12% of you are service junkies. You love the Job Lab, the Freelance Lab and the Church Marketing Lab. What other services could you imagine seeing? Tied with services are the 12% of you guys who are looking for more interviews. Let us know who you would like to see in the hot seat, and we'll see what we can do.

6% of you (Thanks!) are just concerned with what you can do for CMS. The answer of course is on our support page. Rounding out the list are the 3% of you who want less everything and the 3% who want to fire the intern for the sake of better polls. Sheesh, Merry Christmas to you, too.

This week, we want to know, what are your marketing goals to better your church in 2008, in two words or less? (Choose all that apply.)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:15 AM
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December 19, 2007

Marketing Gift Poll Results

In the spirit of Christmas, we asked you what church marketing gift you most wanted to give your church leaders this year. Here's what you said:

There was a tie at the top. 34% of you wanted to give them a shiny, new marketing perspective. They just don't get this whole marketing thing, and you hope Santa Claus can convince them otherwise. Another 34% of you want a new web site. If you're web site is all off-kilter, then you probably need to give them a new marketing perspective as well. That one is kind of a two-for-one deal.

9% of you want to give a rockin' awesome old-school CMS tee. Write your Congressman and rally the troops. If we see enough support, maybe that's something that could happen in the future.

8% of you want to pass on all of Brad's nine must-read books. Apparently your church leaders need the gift of a way to fill time, since they have enough to read nine books. Tied up with them are the 8% of you who just want to find a way to make them shut up about church marketing. After all, going overboard with church marketing talk can really put a damper on holiday spirits.

Finally, 5% of you want a link to the Job Lab. Your wish is our command. Copy and paste this: http://jobs.cfcclabs.org into your e-mail client, type in an e-mail address and hit send. Wow, Christmas will come early for some church leaders!

This week, we ask the question, what do you want CMS to give you for Christmas?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:36 AM
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December 11, 2007

Church Marketing Mistakes Poll Results

We all make mistakes. Well, some more than others. And usually it's other people making them rather than ourselves. But still, there are mistakes. Especially in church marketing. Here's what you said when we asked what mistake you've seen your church make most frequently.

At the top, 29% of your churches don't think about marketing, even though marketing exists. Spread the word to other folks in your church!

Second on the list at 23% is "promoting your church rather than generating a response." You're so busy promoting yourselves that you don't do anything that makes people talk about you. Viral marketing trumps self-marketing. Grasp this and maybe one day your church can turn itself into a verb, like Google.

Another 18% of you try to be all things to all people. You have seven services--postmodern, liturgical, contemporary, classical, early, Internet and Second Life. It hasn't taken off yet, but you're trusting it will. Someday.

8% of you are victim of typos. Ahhhh! Just run it by someone else, twice. Tied at 7% we have churches who make promises they can't keep (big trust-breaker) and publicizing competing programs. Folks have to choose discipleship or fellowship, and it leaves them a little overwhelmed.

6% of you think other churches are your competition, and 2% of you don't make mistakes. If that latter group could get in touch with us about some guest blogger pieces, that would be good.

This week, we'll be pretending. If you could give your church leaders a marketing-related gift for Christmas, what would it be?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:15 PM
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December 4, 2007

Replacing Christmas Poll Results

Last week we rekindled the age-old debate of keeping the "Christ" in "Christmas." I also collected data for my forthcoming book, "How To Write Awful Polls." Here's what you had to say:

82% of you are willing to put up your fists and fight for the word "Christmas." If a design idea came up that couldn't fit the whole word, "Christmas," then you would scrap it. No "Xmas" or "Holidays" for you.

9% of you would drop the "Christ" in favor of an "X." After all, it is a sideways cross, right?

A final 9% of you would go with the word "Holidays." You can kill two birds, Christmas and New Years, with one stone, and it's non-offensive. Plus it works better with your design.

This week, we want to know which church marketing mistake have you seen your church make most often?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:24 PM
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November 27, 2007

Polka Mass Poll Results

Last week, we wanted to know what you'd do when you heard there was a polka mass in town. Despite stuffing yourself with turkey and dressing, you let us know. Here's how you answered:

9% of you are chomping at the bit. Just answering this poll very well might have excited you enough to go out and organize your own polka mass.

Another 20% of you want to do it, but you're not going to go out of your way. If someone will let you borrow their shoes and their favorite Slovenian folk album, then you'll partake.

12% of you are less convinced. You would go, but only as a last resort. Polka is simply your backup plan if all your friends bail on you.

The vast majority of you, 60%, wouldn't be caught dead at polka mass. For the record, I'd be in hiding with you guys. I'm more of a river dance mass guy myself.

This week, we get away from Thanksgiving fun shenanigans like polka, and we ask, when it's time to design Christmas graphics, and the word Christmas doesn't quite fit, you...

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:22 AM
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November 26, 2007

Giving Thanks Poll Results

Happy Thanksgiving! It's only a few days past, but we have the breakdown of how you choose to celebrate at your church.

44% of you tie it in to your Sunday services the week before or after. I get a sense some of those folks just say "Oh yeah, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!" Others probably go all out and remind folks to be thankful. Either way, you Thanksgivingify your services.

Next up, 29% of you have a special service near that special Thursday. What kind of stuff happens at these special service? I have a tender spot in my heart for this holiday, so these services sound great to me.

14% of you are already on Christmas. You're too busy decorating your tree and donning your Santa hats to think about turkeys and football. Hey, that's good, we won't come down on you for putting extra attention on the birth of Christ.

The smallest number of you, 13%, get together to give thanks on the fourth Thursday of November. (Or the second Monday of October for our Canadian friends.) Are there any bigger churches out there who get together on Thanksgiving Day?

I guess I forgot an option. My church gives thanks by sleeping in the weekend of Thanksgiving. Sorry for anyone we alienated by leaving that one out.

From Church Marketing Sucks to you, we're super thankful to have you guys supporting our mission and working alongside us. It's really an honor for us to do what we do, and we hope we're moving towards working ourselves out of jobs.

As a special thank you this Thanksgiving, we've got...you guessed it. A new poll! This week, we ask, Would you be there for polka mass?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:32 PM
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November 13, 2007

Blogging Pastor Poll Results

A little over two years ago, we asked you if your pastor blogs for your church. You weighed in and told us this: 21% did with success, 5% are trying without much success, 4% tried and gave up, 66% of you hadn't tried it out, and 5% had no idea what a blog was. That was then. This is now:

28% of you are blogging away, and folks are loving it. That's up 7%, so more people have tried, and more have had success. Always a great thing to hear.

10% of you have given it a shot, but it's not working out. I think the Church Marketing Lab discussion board could be a great place for this. Ask yourself three quick questions.

• Is my audience aware that I have a blog or would they read a blog?
  
• How is my site design?
  
• Am I blogging material relevant to my audience?

Talk to the kind folks in the Church Marketing Lab, and I'm sure someone would love to help you with your site.

4% of you tried, but you gave up. Let us know your story in the comments, are you a pastor who tried, but it didn't work out Are you an intended reader who helped in the project not working out? I'd be interested to hear why these sorts of things fail.

56% of you still haven't joined the blog wagon. My quick response is, "Good grief! Go blog!" My better response is that maybe this is a great idea. Don't try to do something you don't need. Keep it simple, but consider blogging.

Only 2% of you still have no idea what a blog is. If you're in that 2%, consider being discipled in technology. I don't know that I have a link to help that.

So, you might be wondering whether you should comment on this post. There's a few types of people who should. Are you a SuperBlogger? Tell us why you think it works. Is your blog struggling? Ask for some advice. Are you a blogger feeling rejected? Let us know why you think it didn't work. Anyone else? Heck, just let us know what you think.

In the mean time, this week, we want to know, will your church do a Thanksgiving service? Head to the right and let us know.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:52 PM
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November 6, 2007

Church Marketing Support Poll Results

Last week, we asked how much support you could muster up for the idea of church marketing. When you go to your church staff, leadership teams and church friends, what is their reaction to the term "church marketing?"

Good news! 42% of you are a part of churches who are completely supportive of the idea of church marketing. If you go and tell them about what you read on Church Marketing Sucks, they'll probably be a-OK with that.

The bad news? Still 5% of you are a part of churches where you're the only one on board with church marketing. If you go and tell them about what you read on Church Marketing Sucks, they'll probably tell you that Church Marketing Sucks sucks.

In the middle of those two alternatives, 24% of you are part of churches who are getting closer to a grasp of church marketing, but not quite there. Another 16% of you are part of 50/50 churches who ride the fence about the ideas.

11% of you church marketers are a tiny majority in your church. Let us know about your church marketing secret societies and covert-ops in the comments. Finally, 2% of you are just here to pick fights, and you don't even like the idea of church marketing. Welcome!

This week, we're headed back in the CMS time machine and asking a question from a few years ago ... Does your church or church leadership blog?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:09 AM
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October 30, 2007

Hire Your Staff Poll Results

Last week we gave you the opportunity to restructure your church marketing efforts with an unlimited budget. The first place you said you would hire is ...

A teaching pastor. It looks like the time-honored tradition of the most important guy being the one with the microphone lives on today, albeit only by a small margin. 29% of you would start here.

The big surprise is that 21% of you would hire a web or graphics guys. You think graphics are the new face of the church. These numbers are way up from the last poll 50 years ago. After all, good teaching is a good thing.

I think the popularity of the first two show the popularity of an attractional ministry philosophy. The third most popular response highlights the popularity of a more missional approach. 20% of you would turn first to an outreach pastor.

12% of you are more business-minded. You would first turn to an executive pastor to make sure everything is going smoothly. Some folks would call you boring, but we'll call you precise and wise. Executive pastors are important, and it's not the sexy choice. Cheers to you.

A little smaller slice of readers, 7%, would head for either a new band or some super-sweet production. I'd imagine here we'd be thinking long hair, smashing guitars, strobe lights and beyond. Yes?

Getting barely any love from our respondents are architects. Only 3% of folks would hire one of them first. Perhaps next week, we could poll that 3% to find out how many of them are actually architects.

This week, we're asking about your support. Head east and weigh in. How supportive is your church of the idea of church marketing?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:43 PM
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October 16, 2007

Church Franchises Poll Results

We talked a while back about church franchises and it polarized folks a bit. So we decided the best way to go about things was to take it to the polls. Here's how you felt about franchising church:

The majority of you, 53%, think the idea rocks. You, however, think the name sucks. Perhaps some other term could work more effectively for you. It's almost like you're putting a new church somewhere and tending it, so those 53% of you could call it something along the lines of "church planting?"

Slightly less of you, 33%, don't like the idea in general. Why should a new church be part of an old church? What's wrong with the way things are done? I think this comes down to a matter of the wise old adage "different strokes for different folks."

The smallest group of you are totally on board with franchising church and calling it "church franchises." That 14% of you does disagree with the idea of super-sized service length. And hopefully you will fight for these franchises to continue serving nutritious and substantive life change.

This week, we want to know if you're a church conference skipper or a junkie. Head over to the right frame and let us know where you stand. RSS readers, click on through to let us know where you stand, too.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:21 PM
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October 9, 2007

Playing Hookie Poll Results

Nothing like a bad poll question to spice up the beginning of the week. Perhaps I should have asked something like "This site is named Church Marketing Sucks. True or false?" Good question or not, here's what you said.

81% of you don't skip a Sunday under any circumstances. The faithful majority, if you will. Do you never skip because you've done it, and it's failed, or you've just never tried it? Check out cancelchurch.com for a story of one church where it worked. There's also our story about a church that quit for the summer.

As far as the rest of the answers go, 10% of you skip a Sunday every now and again. You look to spice things up, build some momentum or get some rest. Have you had success doing this?

3% of you skip a Sunday sporadically, but more than once or twice a year. I've heard great stories of churches doing this before, but it becomes a little tougher as your church grows.

2% of you meet more in small groups than a large group. I'd assume you guys are in networks of house churches or things as such who get together to worship and celebrate every now and again. A viable alternative to mainline churches for many people.

4% of you are church skippers. I'm not gonna bust any chops over that here; we're glad you're checking us out and seeing how church marketing sucks; best of luck in figuring out a solution to the problem.

This week, we want to know what you think of franchising church.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 3:17 PM
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October 2, 2007

Fall Kickoff Poll Results

Last week, we asked whether or not your church was going to make waves with a fall kickoff service. Youth groups are starting back up, people are coming back from vacation and a new season is rolling around. It's a great time of year to build up some momentum.

21% of you are getting pumped up because it's about that time. You're going to have a huge kickoff; let us know in the comments what you'll be doing or what the statistics were like for a fall kickoff.

Another 27% of you are a little worried. You don't want to get too excited because honestly, you don't think your kickoff will be that exciting. Why not post your service ideas in the discussion board of the Church Marketing Lab, and get some feedback there? There's always the spring kickoff, right?

The true majority of you, 52%, aren't kicking anything off for the fall. The first Sunday of the fall is just another day of the week for you. Not everyone has to do a fall kickoff, don't sweat it. But consider all the good that could come of it.

I guess I'll head off and plan a CMS fall kickoff. Until we can get something to kick off, answer our poll for this week. Let us know if your church ever plays hooky. It's just over to the right.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:30 AM
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September 25, 2007

Announcements Poll Results

Sometimes when you're at church you hear the words, "Let's go ahead and bring up our [blank], Mr./Mrs. [blank] for the announcements." Sometimes, when you're at church, you hear a collective sigh and the sound of dying momentum. We asked you how to fix that.

Most of you think announcements ought to be relegated to videos before or after the service. 46% of you are tired of someone rambling on about announcements in the middle of the service.

22% of you like the way things are. Announcements make your heart skip a beat, and you love to hear them during the service. 12% of you want to get them out of the way at the beginning of the service. Then, people could just come late if they didn't want to hear them.

8% of you want them at the end of the service so folks can slip out if they need to. 2% of you, whose church I might not be too excited to visit, want to tell about the potluck supper at the beginning and end of the service. A final 11% of you want to give announcements the boot and go all e-mail newsletters and web sites. Blasphemous announcement killers.

This week, it's about time for big fall kickoffs with football, fireworks, giveaways and more. Is your church doing something to kick off the fall?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:22 AM
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September 18, 2007

Marketing Focus Poll Results

Last week we asked you where your church concentrates its marketing efforts the most. The most popular place to concentrate efforts was, not surprisingly, Sunday mornings. 24% of your churches place the most marketing emphasis there.

After that, there's a near tie. The second most popular focus was on your members. After all, if you concentrate on them, they'll go out and market for you. Right after that, the churches of our readers put the most effort into serving the community. Having events other than Sunday and large-scale marketing round out that group.

9% of you concentrate most on the sermon because theology trumps marketing. Only 3% of you are engaged in door-to-door marketing or other way to get in touch with individuals just to spread the word about you. I'm saving 13% of you for last, and that's you guys who aren't putting any effort into marketing. Well, we're glad to have you here.

This week, let's talk about church announcements. How do you think they should be done? Let us know in the poll to the right.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:27 AM
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