I'm going to list them here, but before I do, please know that not all of these rubbed me the wrong way. I simply wanted to just take stock of what was in there in terms of marketing to churches. I'm going to do my best not to editorialize. Instead, I invite you to read the advertising phrases below, see what you think of them, and perhaps comment on the reflection questions at the end. Keep in mind, all these advertisements are geared toward churches and church leaders.
The list:
"Grow your church with [name of product]."
"Cruise with a cause: Missions Cruise"
"Take a vacation--change a nation!"
"If you provide the small group, we'll provide the teacher."
"You save souls. We save time, talent, and treasure."
"Draw crowds and leave a lasting impression."
"120,000 FREE sermons"
"Attract more visitors this Christmas with an outdoor banner and stand."
"Increase number of new Christians."
"The convenience leaders need with the content pastors trust."
"Win men to Christ and to your church...lots of men!"
"Training Champions 4 Christ to Impact Our World."
"Missional with one click..." [advertising a social networking service]
"Culture trumps vision."
"All hosted by a church that has seen people make commitments to Christ in every service - every week for the last decade."
"Are your students demanding a dynamic and fresh approach to youth ministries?"
"Make your church relevant and widely attractive to the men in your community."
Questions:
What does this say about our collective approach to ministry?
Did any of the phrases stick out to you?
How does this relate to how we minister to students?
5 comments:
The 5th one from the top is strange. "You save souls..." What version of scripture did they use to drum up that statement? Cause whichever one they did, I'll make sure not to use it. It is a dangerous slope if we ever think that WE save people.
Yep, Jay, you're right on.
Great post. Makes me wonder what we would find if you did the same with the slogans we use to advertise our youth ministry programs and activities.
In general it says to me how much more we depend on man to build Christ's Church than depend on Him to do so. The result has more to do with numbers and buildings and ministries than it does with a people seeking after a deeper relationship with Him.
Brian: I was thinking the same thing.
aldrich: I agree.
Here's an additional question: what role should marketing messages have in the church? Here's one person who's trying to answer that question: http://www.beyondrelevance.com/
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