PR and the Church

How can Churches reach the press? If your church is living out the Gospel and making a difference in the community, you will simply need to share what you are doing with the media. I hear complaints about how the media has a negative view of Christians and portray them harshly, but what are you doing to change that image? Is your church doing good by clothing the homeless, feeding the hungry, and caring for the fatherless and the widows? Let the media know what your church is about. There are plenty of good reporters out there who would love to do a feel-good story.

Imagine the impact your church could have if every time someone opened the newspaper there you are! Imagine people saying, “Oh look what that Marketing Genius Church is doing today. Do they ever stop doing good?”

In a way the Bible is a PR piece. It is not paid advertising, and the people who wrote were recording the facts like it was news. In fact the word Gospel means Good News. So the next time your church does a service project, make sure to share the Good News with your community.

You can post press releases for free on sites like PRZoom. Give it a try.

Is Your Church for Everyone?

An important part of marketing is to pick a target audience. But, Isn’t the Church for Everyone?

Yes, the Church is for everyone, but the style or gifting of your particular local congregation may not appeal to everyone. If you try to appeal to everyone, you are more likely to appeal to no one. So if someone is looking for a rock and roll style Christian music service yet you sing hymns, he or she might be better off attending another church. The competition for churches is not other churches, but Satan. As long as people are going to church somewhere, you have won. Therefore, you need to do your homework, stop making excuses and figure out the best way to communicate to the local people walking in your doors (or find out why they aren’t walking in the door).

The great Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer speaks of the Church’s challenge of meeting the unique demands of its age. This means that in every era the Church faces new competition for the hearts of people. It is incumbent upon each generation to define and meet any challenge to knowledge of God.

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

You challenge is to determine what influences your particular church body is opposing and how best to face them in a modern context. Putting together a marketing plan is part of the process of effectively reaching your community.

What are Churches Marketing?

In traditional business you keep score by how much money you make. Therefore good marketing means more money. How do churches measure their success?

Churches are not looking to make money, they are looking to save souls. Fundraising and communicating the importance of good stewardship are important goals for churches, but if that is all they do they have failed.

Churches exist to save souls by bringing people into a relationship with Jesus. This may seem straightforward, but how does your church measure success? A pastor friend of mine was moved to tears when he visited a neighboring church and they showed a video of dozens of people getting baptized. I asked him how many people had come to Christ through his church the last few years and he said he did not know, but it was not many.

Before a church considers undertaking a marketing campaign they need to know what they are trying to accomplish. What does a building campaign build? A more efficient point of contact with people who need Christ, or more space for the members?

What goals does your church have for producing results that matter? Creating internal programs for members is not what we are called to do. How many people did your church reach for Christ in 2006? How many will you reach this year?