Church Marketing, how and why?

If then statement:

If we believe we are tools in the Master's hand for His glory and His Kingdom, and we are His creation as described in the Bible.

Then I believe that marketing is a tool for Christian's to use for His glory and His kingdom, as marketing is a created process that was used in the Bible.

Jesus said go into all the world and make disciples.
Paul wrote letters and asked the churches to pass them around.

These are marketing techniques.

Conclusion:
Ultimately, as I said earlier, it is a matter of intent, purpose, and motive.
 
Abba San said:
Yeah - it is tough. If you intend to market your church to the target group "unchurched" you will also get a lot of disgruntled "churched" in the mix.
Click to expand...

I'm actually thinking of churches targeting (to grab two random denoms) "Baptists" or "Lutherans." Or even worse, Baptist and Lutheran churches targeting other Baptists and Lutherans.
 
Oh.

I've never heard of targeting a denomination with a marketing campaign.
 
Hmm, maybe I need to clarify better.

A lot of the marketing I see for churches (Billboards, message boards outside churches, etc) is, intentionally or not, filled with messages that have more meaning for Christians than for non-Christians. In fact, often these messages are appealing to Christians and have appalling meanings for non-Christians.

It's no secret that many of the visitors to churches nowadays are Christians from other churches, who are looking for a change of pace. A lot of these messages, once again intentionally or not, are geared at picking up these kinds of Christian drifters.
 
I think the video is a very good parody on what is perceived as what happens in many churches today. From the point of view of somebody who has not stepped into a church their whole life or their last experience with a church was when they were a child, does your church come across like this?

I got a sense from the new to a coffee house people that:

  • The regulars didn't care who they were
  • The greeters were busy with their friends, too busy to help the new people into the door and a definite lack of willingness to help or guide.
  • It was more important that the newcomers filled out information sheets then to be served
  • It felt more important to convert people to coffee (the doing, the being a Martha) then enjoying the coffee (the being with Christ, being a Mary).
  • The tip jar (Tithe collection) and the prosperity, give until your cup over flow, it was more important to give to get more then the why of the giving.
  • There was a lot of jargon being used that the new people didn't understand. They wanted the simple coffee (the message) they got a very concluded message.
  • They were singled out as new comers, and received a light hearted if not false welcome.
  • They (the coffee shop) had narrow doors coming in (only 1 set of many doors) but were not about to work on closing the wide exit doors (the outflow of customers, or the people who leave the church because they feel their needs are not being met or their needs not being important enough to be discussed).

Overall, I think the video is a very damning commentary of many churches today, real and perceived. I know in our church, which is only 50 or so people in the congregation (very small), the discussion and in house programs are being geared towards wide open entry doors while closing the exit doors by making people want to come and want to stay.
 
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