What’s your new year’s resolution? Instead of making one for yourself, why not make one for your ministry?
Here’s a suggestion. Instead of reading the latest devotion/theological book, why not read a marketing book?
It sounds so crass, doesn’t it – marketing the Gospel. Okay, then let’s call it something different. How about “creatively making God’s truth relevant to our culture.”
Marketing is simply applying common sense to an issue in an effort to produce success. The Bible is filled with ideas for successful living, isn’t it?
I’ve found that reading the latest popular secular marketing book makes my mind more creative, and I’ll see parallels to my own ministry. I’ll dream up new ideas. I’ll try new things. I’ll evaluate. If the new thing fails, I’ll attempt to figure out why, then fix it or try something new.
For instance, by reading a marketing book you may discover that quality graphics are a subconscious clue for busy people to quickly evaluate a company. That’s why millions are spent on logos and such. Does your website look amateurish (does your church even have a website?) Do your bulletins look like they were the product of a mimeograph from 1977? (Remember those things… with the purple ink and weird smell?) Would that send a signal to visitors that your church is amateurish and outdated?
Maybe you have trouble getting musicians to show up for rehearsals. By reading Freakonomics, I learn that many good, decent people will try to get away with anything they can. What if you decided to make a rule – if you don’t come to rehearsal, you can’t play on Sunday? Would that be enough incentive for them to rehearse?
What would happen if ministry leaders started seeing themselves as God’s entrepreneurs? Some have, and you know who they are. You don’t have to do things on a national scale, though. I get excited when I hear about a small church starting a coffee house to reach a different segment of the community. Or hearing about ministries that think outside the box and do clever things to reach their neighbors.
Just remember, successful entrepreneurs fail much more often than they succeed. They just appear more successful than the average Joe because, well, the average Joe just doesn’t try to do much. You can’t be afraid to fail, just don’t be afraid to try.
Here are a few of my favorite marketing books. To get your feet wet, I first suggest
Small Is the New Big and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas
All of marketing guru Seth Godin’s books are great, but this one is an easy start, with bite-sized essays on being remarkable. Why aren’t churches remarkable? By the way, Seth mentions WorshipIdeas in one of his ebooks along with other websites.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Learn to trust your instincts with this best seller by Malcolm Gladwell.
The book I mentioned earlier – “A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything.”
7 Responses to “Worship Marketing?”
June 10, 2011
Dave WilliamsonDon: I wish more people would come down out of the clouds more often and do some of the things you’re suggesting here. Some of the broadest, most spiritually-applicable thoughts for me have come from ingesting the musings of those who weren’t thinking of the church at the time they were wriing. The caveat, of course, is that anything we decide to do or even try has to line up with the truth of scripture…
November 22, 2011
Brian ElmerActually, Jesus isn’t a ‘brand’ that needs marketing. Whatever happened to the belief that the Holy Spirit is enough? He draws people to Himself as the message of the gospel is preached/taught/shared. Biblical strategy? Gospel preached, forgiveness received, obedience walked, and daily surrender = transformed life. God can do amazing things through His children who are walking in Him, not some humanistic marketing scheme.
January 22, 2013
BillBrian, you are right, Jesus is not a brand.But even He used parables and other stories to explain His teachings.
He did not simply quote from the scrolls.
Many seekers have never, and some believers rarely read the Bible and need innovative and vivid instruction and invitation to open their ears, to open their eyes, before they can open their hearts.
We are surrounded by a swirl of competing alternatives and attractions, and need to do all we can do, not garishly, but boldly, to stand out and to reach out.
January 22, 2013
Diana ChildChurches have been using marketing concepts since the first bell rang to let parishioners know it was time to worship. We use bulletins to “advertise” our available services. We use logos to mark the difference between our church and the church one block down. We put up steeples to draw attention to the fact there is a church in the area. I don’t see many churches able to spread the word of our Lord WITHOUT an outreach program…. Again, that is another form of marketing. We need to stop thinking in terms of “us against the secular world” and start thinking of opening doors to allow the secular world in.
January 22, 2013
RosemaryI find value in what has been said in the article. I also find value in Brian’s comment. Both have a great truth to them.
As a testimony to what “marketing” can do (as long as God is in it):
I had been attending and helping out in this small baptist church that seemed to be getting smaller each week. One reason could not be blamed for the decline, but some included an aging population, a small secluded town, and the person serving as pastor was dealing with the call he was feeling from God to go full time to the mission field (which I can say is very much his gift, he is an amazing missionary!). Even with these issues God decides which doors stays open and which ones He needs to close. And so I asked for the funds to buy a computer, make a website, and email to connect us beyond our walls and let people know we were still alive and well. The request was granted and since that time God has blessed us with an amazing preacher, an increase in attendance of active believers, and a new outreach with out electronics. We now Live stream and podcast our services every Sunday. Following what God lays on our hearts is the first key to a successful ministry; the second is learning from professionals and give your very best effort to our Savior (reading marketing ideas and putting them into practice).
January 22, 2013
JerryIs it a humanistic marketing scheme to “…go and tell…”? If we don’t reach out and let people know of the “unknown God” like Paul did, are we being obedient to the command to go and make disciples of all nations?
Romans 10:14 asks the question “…how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?…”. Would you deny that the Word has to go forth for others to hear. Certainly Jesus will draw all men if we lift up His name, but only lifting His name inside the four walls of the church building is the opposite of reaching out to a lost and dying world.
January 23, 2013
Brian ElmerI hear what each of you are saying. My beliefs are that we have gotten to a point where we are more dependent on our ‘program’ or advertising to reach people than we are the gospel. I hear the comment about an ‘outreach’ program. What if we just truly lived a life that reflected the gospel of Jesus? Our ‘outreach program’ is becoming just that AND we are growing. Why? Because for the most part our ‘outreach’ stems from lives changed by the gospel. If we want to ‘market’ Jesus, let our lives be the ‘billboard’.