Being in the Church Growth and Marketing Industry for the past 20 years, I always get asked the same question, "What is the Best Church Outreach Platform?"
One of the best self-help books I have ever read for my marriage was The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. In his book, Dr. Chapman states that there are five primary love languages through which people express and receive love. In a nutshell, the point is that if you're not speaking the person's primary love language, that person will not feel loved.
It's almost like you are speaking a foreign language to them. And many of us speak to others in a language that is most familiar to us. Which may or may not be our partner's love language at all.
You must speak the correct language for the other person to hear and understand you.
The same holds true in the field of marketing. You must use different marketing vehicles so your audience can hear you. Each person has their own "marketing language" that they primarily hear.
People are also biased toward their own languages. It's normal. After all, it is the language they are used to. For instance, the young new marketing director at Church (A) was raised on Facebook, so that is the language she is used to speaking, so she will gravitate to using that form of marketing for the church. The person who listens to Christian radio all day will suggest that form of marketing. The outreach director at Church (B) has used direct mail to grow the church. Guess what form of marketing they will swear by?
People are biased toward what is familiar to them, even to the point of actually being wrong.
Take, for instance, a penalty call by the referee at a football game. One side of the stands will see it one way, and the other will see it entirely differently. It's the same call but seen in two completely different viewpoints based on whichever team is their team. Our brains can lie to us at times.
So on and on it goes. How do we know which marketing is the best for churches? Like most of the time, I refer to the bible for answers. The Parable of the Sower spells it out clearly.
In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus told what has been called "The Parable of the Sower."
A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil, producing a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Later, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, He shared the whole meaning of the parable, revealing that the seed is the message (we might say Gospel). As it is spread, it falls on a variety of hearers with varying levels of receptivity. It's a powerful message.
Church marketing works like this. Think of the farmer as the church and the seed as the church's marketing. Your marketing campaign scatters the seed. It lands on a variety of prospects.
The Path. Some will receive your marketing, but the enemy has such a foothold in their lives they do not understand how the church can improve their journeys. So, they ignore it.
The Rocky Ground. Some will receive your marketing, get excited, and respond to it. They may even come to church, but only for a season. They never plant roots at your church, so when troubles come, they fall away.
The Thorns. Some will receive your marketing, may understand it, and may even want to respond. But they are so consumed with the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth that it keeps them from doing anything.
Good Soil. Some will receive your marketing, and they will end up committing to becoming members of your church. They will join Bible studies, start small groups, tithe, and serve.
Remember our definition of church marketing? Church marketing is the action of spreading or promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ through various types of communication, media, or strategies to capture attention, engage, educate, and finally persuade people to take action.
So, what is - The Best Church Outreach Platform Ever?
Matthew 28, verses 19-20
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
Jesus does not say WAIT for people to visit your church, make disciples of them, and baptize them in the name of the Father. It says GO and make disciples of all nations... ALL nations start right in your local community. YOUR BEST OUTREACH PLATFORM IS THE GOOD NEWS.
We need to package it and present it to our communities in a way they understand it. Put your church out there and let the Holy Spirit work on people's hearts.
People speak many different "marketing" languages. The more different kinds of marketing vehicles we use to spread the message, the greater our harvest.
Scatter MANY seeds to have a good harvest. Push as much marketing to your neighborhoods as you can afford.
No single outreach technique or medium will reach every prospect, despite what some marketing companies will tell you. You must diversify. You must plant a generous amount of seeds to get a generous return. You must use various marketing platforms to speak to as many people as possible. Farmers always plant more seeds than they need for crop yield. They plant extra because they understand the principle of sowing and reaping.
We must do more than put out a marque sign, open our doors on Sunday, and expect people to walk in, sit down, and receive the Gospel. That is lazy. We need to reach out to people right where they are and invite them to church by speaking in a language they understand and respond to the best. This will take work and will only be solved using as many forms of marketing as your budget allows. We should use every type of seed (communication, media, or strategy) to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And just as the farmer sows season after season and year after year, so must we.
John Squiric
COO Truth Advertising
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32
"Successful Church Marketing is not about products or measuring numbers in the seats. Successful Church Marketing is about people and using biblical principles to attract them to church and ultimately bring them into a relationship with Jesus."