I hear it all the time "people just aren't interested in church like they use to."
Translation: "people aren't interested in the product we're offering the way we're offering it." True enough. There is an undeniable decline in church attendance across America, but we must balance this criticism with another reality, the global explosion of Christianity around the world. Why this disparity? What has America forgotten that the rest of the world is now discovering in droves? Perhaps the 'product' the church is currently offering has been overtaken by another product with better marketing. Any 21st century person knows that the marketing of Apple iPods, iPhones and iPads is far more culturally relevant and enticing than the marketing of church. When was the last time you saw lines waiting for the church doors to open because of the release of a new sermon series?
Several years ago, I had lunch with a frustrated, yet passionate pastor. He was frustrated that attendance had been in steady decline for several years. Unwilling to accept the reality of a post-modern world, he looked at me with a dazed look and mumbled, "what's wrong with these people, don't they know what's wrong with them."
In the old world, people attended church because it was the thing to do. They came because it was the only game in town on a Sunday morning and besides everybody else was doing it. It was the cultural norm. But that world is dead. That doesn't mean that people are no longer hurting or asking spiritual questions, they just are looking in different places for the answers. Often those places look more appealing than the church which sometimes resembles a museum. The local church must take responsibility for marketing in a serious way. Now I know this sounds a lot like some sort of business model, but marketing is nothing more than sharing the Good News (product) in a way that connects with the mind of modern people (relevance) in order to influence future behavior. You cannot change the Message, just the means for delivering it.
"Managing perception is not about manipulating the truth. It is about effectively presenting reality. You have to first become the message you communicate. Perception is how people feel about a thing."
Richard Reising, Church Marketing 101: Prepare your church for Greater Growth, Baker Books, p 23.
Every Christian is involved in marketing. Here's why…
No one knows your product better than you. I hear churches complain all the time, "people just aren't coming like they use to." I'm sorry but that's the norm. Get over it. It doesn't help blaming those who aren't there. In the post-modern world the church members, those who attend worship, give financially, serve others, and who call themselves Christian, have a powerful story to tell, but most don't tell it. If Christians who've experience the love of God, message of grace and the power of sin won't talk about it, then you really don't have a product worth giving away.
Imagine, for example, you go to a new restaurant and have a great experience; the food is fantastic, the servers were friendly and know firsthand how wonderful the food is, and the atmosphere is relaxing and intimate. Would you recommend this place to friend? Of course, if they're really friends! If you had a good experience of course you want your friends to share the same experience wouldn't you? But if you don't recommend the restaurant to your friends, it either says something about your connection to the restaurant or to your friends.
No one is more passionate about your product than you. Do you really think anyone could care about your church more than you? I doubt it. You've spent years giving, praying, growing. You've seen couples married, loved one eulogized, and babies baptized. This is your family and you're proud of it (or at least you should be). You kept things going when others gave up. You endured a string of cultural shifts, criticism and bad behavior that challenged the church's very survival. Why? LOVE. You were loved the Message, the Master, and the Mission for the world. It was you're a pearl in your hand and you just had to share it with the world.
No one has more skin in the game than you. Your life is wrapped up in this church. You've giving your time, talents, gifts and service to change the world through the church. You possess the truth, or perhaps the Truth possesses you. Either way, in poker language you would say "I'm all in." For the local church it must become personal, it must become a passion and it must become our purpose for living. Part-time Christians are very bad advertisers for the church.
No one is likely to do it if you don't. I wish this weren't the case, but the truth is that 9o percent of all churches have either plateaued or are in decline. If you don't move, don't expect anyone else to do it. This may require education, asking questions, and seeking answers. The days when the church was the only game in town is gone, but the reality of God's mission is still as relevant as ever. What's changed is how people allow it to connect to their lives.
This is why we must take marketing seriously. Let me suggest that you take a long look in the mirror. The person you are looking at is your new Chief Marketing Officer. This is not another burden to place on already over taxed people, it is a new exciting adventure to use technology is away the invites people to your favorite spots. Of course if your church isn't your favorite place to connect with friends, connect with God's rejuvenating Spirit, or connect with a mission for your life, then you've got to ask why and go from there.
Stop complaining about the fact that your church is not getting the attention it deserves in your community. Instead, take responsibility for creating your own excitement about why your church is THE place to make a real difference in people's lives and connect them to mission worth living for.
I recommend the following Resources:
Richard Reising, Church Marketing 101: Prepare your church for Greater Growth, Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI, 2006.
Kevin E. Martin, The Myth of the 200 Barrier: How to Lead Through Transitional Growth, Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 2005.
Norman Shawchuck, Philip Kotler, Bruce Wrenn, Gustave Rath, Marketing for Congregations, Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1992.
Adam Hamilton, Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic, Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 2005.
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