Church Promo Videos That Don’t Suck

September 8, 2004 by

2004_09_08jesus.jpgThe homemade promotional video is a time-honored marketing tool of the church, especially among youth groups with tech savvy teens. But with digital video cameras and cheap editing software, those homemade videos aren’t too shabby anymore.

Vintage 21, an emergent church in Raleigh, N.C., has made a number of videos to promote different church functions, including their small group ministry, mid-size group activities, a Super Bowl event, and a four-week series on Jesus. The videos are funny and smart, and in the case of the Jesus series, effective at generating discussion (if not border-line sacrilegious).

Best of all, this style of promotional video can be done on the cheap. The Jesus series videos even took a page from Mystery Science Theater 3000 and didn’t require any extensive filming. (link via Nick Ciske)

Post By:

Kevin D. Hendricks


When Kevin isn't busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.
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4 Responses to “Church Promo Videos That Don’t Suck”

  • Rev Randall
    April 1, 2005

    This is my first time to this cite and i went stright to your muliti media to see if you have seen ” the greatest Jesus Video of ALL TIME ” … YOUR CITE RULES …. As a forward thinking pastor I have been beaten down , laughed at , punched, kicked , spat upon . for the very core of your cite .. I can show people the vintage 21 cite and go ” SEE thats what i’ve been trying to tell you ” .. they would look at me and go ” i don’t get …. have you seen the flanel board ….” AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH..
    Big Props to this cite and vintage 21
    p.s. i want to be apart of this tell me what you need .
    Randall Knight Bend Oregon


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  • Anthony D. Coppedge
    April 6, 2005

    I’m all for using video editing technology – expensive or inexpensive, but the video still needs to be engaging and tell the story in a compelling way.

    In my opinion, the videos shown on the Vintage 21 website are fine for a group of friends that like to watch silly movies that showcase their freinds. But will unchurched visitors who may have just turned off MTV or ESPN really think these videos are worth watching? It’s sort of like an “inside joke” – they’re only funny to a few people, but not for mass distribution.

    Sorry, but this kind of poor quality video actually does fit nicely under the title “Church Marketing Sucks”.

    My 2 cents,


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  • Josh Fitzgerald
    October 28, 2005

    I loved the Jesus videos. I’m going to use them for the Christian Fellowship Club as an outreach to the unsaved on the college campus. I’m all for cutting edge and almost controversial tool to reach the unsaved. Hey, Jesus hung out with the Pharisees and then rebuked them; that was controversial. (they had mad ladies lining up aroiund the block, hahahaha, so funny)


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  • Al Gore
    January 22, 2006

    These videos are at the top of google’s most popular videos (video.google.com), so they don’t have a niche market, they have a broad market. Anything that makes fun of Xians is generally funny. Have you seen the “farting preacher” at google? I have no idea how any of this is doing anything but make fun of xians. But they’re funny! Har Har!


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