Your Journey Blog

Sowing Seeds through Marketing

To some marketing is a dirty word. It turns their stomachs and fires them up emotionally. I remember a pastor once telling me, “Marketing, I don’t get it! You never see Jesus using a postcard!” To which I replied, “I never saw Jesus use a microphone either. What’s the difference?” If we get past the emotion of the word and take a fresh look at it, I believe more people will be reached through our churches.

So what is marketing? It is building a relationship with people who don’t know you or are not connected relationally with your people. Marketing is sharing a testimony with people who know nothing about your church or your message. Marketing is casting seeds out and prayerfully trusting God that it will fall on receptive hearts. Marketing is a way to do mass evangelism efforts through the local church. Marketing is a way to “brand” your image and uniqueness throughout your city. Marketing is a way to create buzz and pique interest in a world where everything is vying for their attention.

Here are the first 4 of 17 practical insights for marketing your new church:

1. Depend upon God’s Spirit and not marketing. Remember only God can draw people into a relationship with him. Marketing is only a method. The Spirit is the life giving power. Prayer and fasting will be critical for you and your church to express its dependence on God. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20:7

2. Choose your marketing approach wisely. There are two basic categories of marketing tools: 1) A specific invitation to an event or a series of messages. 2) General awareness of the church and its vision. Many planters and pastors get frustrated because they invest in general awareness marketing expecting immediate results. If you have a limited budget always go for the specific invitation marketing.

3. Remember the law of large numbers. Not understanding this law sours a lot of pastors and church planters towards marketing. A planter with deep frustration was telling me about his failed marketing attempt. When I asked how many pieces he sent out he replied, 5,000. I began to explain to him that with the best of conditions direct marketing will deliver about ½ of a percent. In his circumstance that would be about 25 people (which on that particular Sunday he had doubled his attendance!) After hearing this he went from being discouraged to encouraged and had a fresh perspective on the realities of marketing. Just think if he would have sent out 25,000!

• 50,000 =250
• 25,000 = 125
• 20,000 = 100
• 10,000 = 50

4. Use a layered approach as much as possible. Do multiple touches throughout the community for at least 30-60 days. If this is done well it can produce a growth thrust for a new church. For example:

• Billboards or yard signs creating interest and buzz.
• Newspaper articles providing credibility.
• Personal invitations arming your inviters.
• Personal email invitations for your shy inviters.
• Direct mail making a specific appeal.
• Direct mail for your “second pop” event.

Special note: A “second pop” event is a special Sunday emphasizing a special guest testimony from a credible personality in the community or a special musical guest that your people will invite their friends to. One of my church planters launched his church last fall. He had his Grand Opening Sunday, October 2 with 147 at their first service and four weeks later had a friend, a former Chicago Bears football player and College All-American, share his testimony and exceeded his launch considerably. Now he is averaging his launch number every Sunday, which places him in the top echelon of church plants within our region.

Excerpt from FirstSteps for Planting a Missional Church

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Details

Details!  For driven leaders it is easy to drive past the small things as you fix your eyes on the big goal. But neglecting the details can have a disastrous impact on a leader’s life, relationships and work.  Take sometime today and let Fenelon’s gentle words probe your life and bring focus to the details of your life.

Fenelon’s Thoughts on Details:

Great acts of virtue are rare because they are seldom called for…to do the small things that are right continually, without being noticed, is much more important.  These small acts attack your pride, your laziness, your self-centeredness and your oversensitive nature.  It is much more appealing to make great sacrifices to God, however hard they might be, so that you might do whatever you want with the small decisions of life.  Faithfulness in the little things better proves your true love for God. It is the slow, plodding path rather than a passing fit of enthusiasm that matters.

Besides, if you neglect little things, you will constantly offend your family, the people who work for you, and everyone else! No one will believe you love God when your behavior is lax concerning small, important details. If you won’t make small sacrifices, how will we believe you can make great one?

You may need courage to attend to small things at first.  It may not be easy.  Accept the difficulty as God’s discipline which will bring you peace.  Things will get easier. (The Seeking Hear)

Jesus’ Words on the Details:

                                                            

“`Well done!' the king exclaimed. `You are a trustworthy servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.'”  Luke 19:17

 

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Gentleness

Gentleness. A word that brings frustration to the minds of many natural leaders. Leaders like power, control, strength but gentleness does not fit our cultural picture of a leader. Gentleness is power under control when a leader is harsh and forceful they are trusting in their own power rather than resting in God's powers. Today let Fenelon's thoughts and Jesus' words mentor your soul.

Fenelon's Thoughts on Gentleness:

Teaching is not effective without an example. Begin with acting right, then you can speak later. Be patient. By this I am not saying to indulge people's sins, but rather to not be annoyed when someone makes slow progress. You can easily discourage others by being impatient with them.

The more forceful you are, the more you need to learn gentleness and kindness. Try to understand the needs of the people you care for and adapt yourself to their needs. Show them your heart is open to them and let them know, through experience, that is safe for them to open their hearts to you without fear. Never be harsh. Be kind and considerate. Decide slowly, but firmly. Correct yourself before you correct others. (The Seeking Heart)

Jesus' Words on Gentleness:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy

Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders - Pride

As a leader I am always wrestling with the various ways pride, self-reliance and anger rear their ugly heads in my life. Those moments produce nothing but shame and remorse. Today, Fenelon's gentle yet strong words not only pierce the heart of any leader but also bring healing and guidance to the driven leader.

Fenelon’s Thoughts on Pride:

Always fear haughtiness. Fear overconfidence in your ideas and determination in your way of speaking. Be meek and humble of heart--that is to say, your meekness should come from a sincere humility. Bitterness and lack of moderation come only from pride.

If you wish to become meek, you must humble yourself. Make yourself little in the depths of your heart. A humble heart is always gentle and capable of being easily led in its center, even if on the surface it may seem rough through unexpected outbursts of a sharp and irritable temper. Watch, pray, and work at this. Bear with yourself without flattering yourself. Let your spiritual reading and your prayer help you to know yourself better, to correct yourself and to overcome your natural temperament in the presence of God. (Talking with God)

Peter's Words to Young Leaders:

"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 Peter 5:5-7

Excerpt from Quiet Thoughts for Driven Leaders: 50 Thoughts from the Spiritual Letters of François Fenelon by Gary Rohrmayer hit the link for a free copy