Church marketing - should we do it?
January 25th, 2007
When I started developing Blogpastor, I came across websites that talks about the need to market the church effectively. I know about tools of evangelism, especially those pertaining to the Internet, but I have not really implemented them. Websites and weblogs are powerful tools, and they can reach audience that other methods would otherwise not work. While I understand the urgency of the Great Commission, I’m not quite sure if marketing should be carried out on a church.
What is marketing?
My greatest reservation in using church marketing lies in the definition of marketing. Philip Kotler has defined marketing as “human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processesâ€. In marketing, the main aim is to arouse in people that they have a need for a particular product. Therefore, in church marketing, one will try to ’sell’ the church as a means to satisfy some needs or wants innate in us.
Marketing - the pros and cons
Church marketing can create an awareness in people about Jesus Christ. However, church marketing, if not done effectively, may be seen as simply a means to solve the problems people are facing. In other words, some people may see the church as just another product. In this world of instant gratification, God, and the church, is not a source for quick-fix to our problems. It is a moulding process, one that bears the fruit of patience eventually. I’m concerned about the rise in the 2 kinds of people as described in Luke 8:13-14:
13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
It is highly plausible that these 2 groups of people may stumble others because of the fact they have slipped away, but I am more concerned that they may have never enjoyed the personal relationship with God, which is what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Indeed, Christianity is not a religion, because all religions are man-made. Christianity is about a true, open and personal relationship with our Creator, the one who loves us.
Should we still carry out church marketing?
My personal take on this is - yes, church marketing can still be used, as long as it is guided by the Spirit. This may sound vague and fuzzy, but it is not. Church marketing can be seen as a tool to share the Gospel to others who would otherwise not have known of it. I can also bring a slightly, yet correct perspective of Christianity to someone who would usually turn a deaf ear to. But, church marketing must not be carried out to the extreme that it distorts information or paint an overly rosy picture of what following Christ is. Neither should it be seen as the end point to bring people to Christ. I think that following up to ensure that the person grows is very important. In being in tuned with God, we will be able to know the target audience to reach and how we can market the church accurately, precisely and effectively.
God isn’t just looking at quantity, but also at quality. Marketing may be the first step, but the real work starts after winning the lost souls to Christ.
Entry Filed under: General
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