The Current Condition of Church Marketing

The Current Condition of Church Marketing

Let’s face it, church marketing sucks. If this paper was to be focusing only on the current condition of church marketing, then that is all that needs to be said. Churches today are notorious for being one decade behind in design and garner no attention when it comes to utilizing technology.  Whether it be the fear of learning new tools, the cost of purchasing them, or the sense of comfort in the familiar, the church has missed out on a powerful way of connecting with their community and empowering their church members for evangelism.

Marketing in the church is often a dirty word. It conjures up the thoughts of Bible salesmen, televangelists, and bulletins that look like Microsoft Publisher designed them. The current model of marketing is ineffective at welcoming new people into the church, reaching out to people in the surrounding cities, or offering practical ways for church members to share the gospel with their neighbors, friends, and family.

This paper is designed to give you a proper foundation in understanding the role of marketing in the church, knowing where to begin, and learning how to meet the needs of those around you.

This will not be an encompassing “marketing-in-a-box” paper that you can read and then become the next mega-church. This will not add a thousand members to your church overnight or increase tithes by any given percentage. There are no guarantees that these marketing tips will ever work for you.

Why read this paper then? Because marketing requires thinking things through. Marketing begins with managing perception. There is no end to marketing. From the moment someone pulls into the church parking lot and even after they drive home, there is conversation about your church. Marketing is all about understanding what people are currently thinking about your church, what you want them to think, and offering ways to help shape their perception towards what you want them to think.

This paper will highlight what those common perceptions are, where they begin, and how you can shape them to your desired result. Because marketing requires practice and much patience, no guarantee can be made. But that is the beauty of it. What you put in is what you will get out.  Church marketing doesn’t have to suck any longer! You can change it and you can begin now!

This is part one of a multi-part series I will be releasing on church marketing. Stay tuned for more on what church marketing is, laying a proper foundation, and where to begin.