MIM EZINE, MAY 3, 2005

CONTENTS

– Purpose-filled Ministry – Interview with Kevin Hendricks of Church Marketing Sucks

– Guest Column – Down for the Count: The "Baby-Sitting" Mentality of Preschool Ministry 

– Book Review –  Courage to be Christian

– Classified Ads

To read this ezine in its entirety click here

---

Promote Your Speaking, Seminars or Conferences. 

Find a Speaker for Your Next Event!

Visit Ministry in Motion's speaker directory and conference directory pages. 

---

Purpose-filled Ministry – Interview with Kevin Hendricks of Church Marketing Sucks

by Teena Stewart

The mailer definitely caught my eye.  The bold letters on the front read, "Church Marketing Sucks". I figured it was a gimmick to sell church marketing and mailer supplies. I decided to do more research and was surprised to learn that churchmarketingsucks.com is not a business nor do they have have advertising on the site.  

This month's purpose-filled ministry column includes an interview with Kevin Hendricks, one of the voices behind churchmarketingsucks.com

MIM:  Your website states the following, "Frustrate. Educate. Motivate. The blog to frustrate, educate, and motivate the church to communicate, with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ."  How is this ministry and this website going to help churches improve how they market themselves and the Christian message?

Kevin:  The whole idea of Church Marketing Sucks is to get the church's attention and point out that we're not marketing ourselves very well. Many churches don't realize that we should be marketing and and  how bad some of our efforts really are. But we're not
content to just bash the church. We want to make things better. Thus the 'educate' and 'motivate' portions of our tagline. We want to educate churches about what good marketing is, how it can help them, why they should be doing it, and how they don't have to have a
mega church budget.

MIM:  How are you going about educating them?

Kevin:  Our main method has been the blog. Blogs are great for covering a specific topic with incredible depth.  Over time you have a continuing conversation about that topic. It's a wealth of knowledge for churches. We point to marketing experts, talk about what
other churches are doing, give suggestions, and dream about how the church can be the church better.

Beyond the blog, we hope to point churches to some folks who can help. The 'Don't Suck' page of the site lists companies and resources that specialize in helping churches. If a church doesn't think they can do marketing on their own, we hope they'll contact a professional and get some help. And honestly, it's the rare church that can do a good job of marketing on their own.

MIM:  Can you tell us a little bit about how Church Marketing Sucks got started, and what your ultimate goal is?

Kevin:  Brad Abare is the idea man behind Church Marketing Sucks. He's been involved in marketing with businesses, non-profits, and churches for a long time. It's always burdened him that churches so often drop the ball when it comes to marketing. 

That frustration about churches and their marketing finally led to the launch of this blog. Brad and I have really been the ones keeping the site going, but we've had a lot of
help, including design work from Shawn Stewart and guest blogging from
Andy Havens. And tons and tons of people encouraging and supporting us.

Our ultimate goal is to see a day when church marketing doesn't suck.

MIM:   In your September 10, 2004 article entitled, "Is Marketing a Dirty Word" you wrote, "Remember that the goal here isn't to introduce slick and polished business marketing that ruthlessly targets pockets and cashes in on souls. That's marketing that sucks. Lousy clip art and typos are just as bad as glossy photos of people prettier than your congregation. The goal is being authentic and effective."

What are some specific ways churches can be authentic and effective in their marketing approaches?

Kevin:  Some people think of marketers as sales people trying to hock something no matter what. But marketing is about more than that. Marketing is how you do business --  whether you send a thank you note to your client or just ignore them after a project. Marketing is not inherently bad. It's a tool that can be used for good or foolish purposes. Marketing has a bad reputation, but that doesn't mean the tool can't be used for good things.

Church marketing should always avoid that fake, sales person approach. The best way to do that is to be honest and authentic. I think effectiveness will follow. Honest marketing admits that we have mistakes -- something few churches, or Christians, like to admit. Honest marketing doesn't pretend we're incredibly diverse, beautiful people
when most of us aren't. (The practical lesson -- use a real photo of your congregation, not some cheesy stock photography.) 

MIM:   What are some of the top mistakes churches make when marketing?

Kevin:  Many churches fail to  be consistent and don't repeat their message often enough. You can't expect to buy one commercial and expect it to do a lot of good. You can't expect to send one mailing and sit back and relax.  And the consistency needs to be there. A church should have a brand and use it consistently. Your logo should be the same on your
bulletin, your letterhead, your TV commercial and the sign out front. Your tagline should be repeated so your congregation knows it and lives it.

Too often churches do things haphazardly, often because they rely on volunteers and sometimes the volunteers they use don't know the rules about being consistent with a brand and identity.

MIM:  What are some innovative ideas you have seen churches use?

Kevin:  A few good examples include a church giving away tickets to a sold out U2 concert, a youth group that started an after school study hall with a computer lab to
help kids deal with their already crammed schedules, a church that gave away free trade chocolates (nice gift and it reinforced the church's belief), and a church that offered free valet parking.

An innovative idea doesn't have to be a cool idea for a postcard. Marketing isn't just advertising.

MIM:   Trying to get the word out in order to bring people into a relationship with Christ is an ongoing struggle for many churches. First of all, they don't have the funds or expertise to have expensive marketing campaigns. But these don't always work that well either. What advice can you give to church leaders and pastors to be able to get a handle on marketing their message and purpose?

Kevin:  I don't think churches need to always do expensive marketing campaigns.
Sometimes it's just little things like being intentional about what you're doing. I think a good marketing plan can also save you time and energy. 

I don't know if I have any silver bullet advice for pastors or church leaders wary about spending money. I think the bottom line is that a better communications strategy will help on all fronts. It might take a little more time and energy to talk about it and make some decisions, but it's well worth it. They should sit down and talk about what they want to do, whether they're accomplishing that goal, and what can help them get there.

Church marketing doesn't have to be a million dollar thing. Christianity is the best example of one of the cheapest and most effective forms of marketing -- word of mouth. A church just needs to figure out how to utilize that word of mouth: does your congregation invite friends -- why or why not? What would help them invite friends? What would make those friends stick around? Sometimes it's having the right programming, sometimes it's making your church more welcoming, sometimes it's printing up cards to make inviting someone that much easier.

MIM:  How can churches stay current as far as their approaches to reach others?

Kevin:  It's a constant struggle, but I think it comes back to being honest and authentic. In the long run I think being honest and authentic will draw and keep more people than having the latest design or the slickest approach. Yeah, you want to be current, but you don't want to be a slave to relevancy. I think the most important thing is to be honest about who you are.

MIM:  If someone wanted to share ideas with Church Marketing Sucks about what
is working for them, how would they go about it?

Kevin:  They can post a comment on our site or e-mail us via the website at http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com

---

Teena Stewart is a published writer, a speaker, a ministry leader, and the editor for Ministry in Motion. To learn more about her speaking or seminars visit Speaking Topics of Jeff and Teena Stewart.  You can contact Teena at smartwords@sbcglobal.net

---

Searching for a New Ministry Position?

One of the needs we have perceived at Ministry in Motion is a service to help connect qualified ministers and church workers to ministry related and church staff positions.  If you are presently in job search mode, or if you have a ministry position you are looking to fill, be sure to visit this page. ministry openings

---

Down for the Count: The "Baby-Sitting" Mentality of Preschool Ministry 

By Bryan Braley

An amazing thing is happening in churches all across the  nation.  Children's ministry emphasis  is turning from child care to actual ministry.  This trend truly reflects the heartfelt desire to follow our Savior's command to make a way for the children to come to Him and not to hinder them.  But as the Spirit of the Lord moves in great and mighty ways in elementary children's worship services throughout the land, our preschool ministries are still fighting to overcome the stigma of being a glorified baby-sitting service.  I believe it is time that we, as children's ministers, stand our ground and take action to make sure the
"baby-sitting" mentality of preschool ministry goes and stays down for the count!

As a veteran children's minister with almost twenty years of experience, I have always felt that the really important ministry takes place in the upper elementary age levels -- the third through sixth graders.   I have always enjoyed holding services for all children, however my focus was on older children.  In the past, these have been my favorite groups in which to minister.  Then came the day that God introduced me to His view of preschool ministry.  Guess what I discovered, God cares about preschoolers and he wants them to receive effective, quality ministry.

I may be slow but God is patient - It took God a while to get it through my head, but He has shown me that preschoolers really can worship Him.  They can benefit from the message of God's Word, grasp its spiritual concepts and apply it to their lives.

It all begins with leadership - As with everything else in the church and in life, change begins with leadership.  As God opened a door for me to see the importance of preschool
ministry, He began to change my heart, mind, and attitude.  As a result of this change, my wife and I have been able to totally do away with the "baby-sitting" mentality of preschool ministry.  Once we changed our thinking, we were also able to change our methods of ministry.  We began to duplicate this attitude and approach in those who worked with us.  Our volunteers saw the difference this new philosophy of preschool ministry made in our kids, and the parents saw it, too.

Change comes slowly - Although there are many in our church that still view the preschool department as a glorified baby-sitting service, most are those who have no contact with our ministry.  Once they come into contact with what God is doing in The Flame Factory (the name of our program), they quickly realize that we are making an eternal difference in the lives of these children.

I have always had a heart for children, but I overlooked the importance of those precious souls that still held so much of the innocence.  I am beginning to learn why praise is perfected in the mouths of infants and toddlers and why we must become as little children to enter His kingdom.

What are you going to do about it? - No longer should we overlook such fertile soil and continue to treat our preschool department as a babysitting service.  God desires effective, quality ministry to these precious young boys and girls.  As leaders we should ask God to help us re-evaluate our preschool ministry philosophy.  Lay your preschool program on the altar and ask God, "Is this the most effective way for us to reach the little ones You have entrusted to us?"  Allow God to work on your mind, heart, and attitude to reflect
His desire and His purpose.  

In short, we must do whatever it takes to put the "baby-sitting" mentality of preschool ministry down for the count! Let's move beyond baby-sitting to real ministry in our preschool departments.

Bryan Braley is a veteran Children's Minister with almost twenty years of experience.  He has served in both small and large churches and currently ministers as the Early Childhood Pastor for Sachse Assembly of God in Sachse , TX, saog.org.  He also serves as the webmaster for www.kidspastor.com and has recently written a book detailing how you can take your Preschool or Early Childhood Ministry to the next level.  His book, Preschool Ministry 101:  How to Develop a Highly Effective Preschool Ministry is a wonderful addition to the library of any Children's Pastor.  You can find out more about this new book that will help you set your Preschool Ministry on fire at www.kidspastor.com/PS101-AD.htm.


---

Protect Your Family & Your Computer

All-in-one security suite. The world’s first unified security suite adds an award winning anti-virus and firewall solution to protect your family and PC! BSafe Online

• Internet Filter
• Tamper Proof Reporting Option
• Pop-up Killer
• Spyware Killer
• Firewall/Intrusion Detection
• Anti-Virus (Powered By Sophos)
• New! Integrated SPAM Filter
• Simple 10 Minute Install!
• New, Flexible Control Center
• Free Support
• Free 10-Day Trial
• More Information

---

Book Review – The Courage to Be Christian

By  Mike Nappa, Howard,  2001, ISBN #1582291608,  277  pages

Reviewed by Teena M. Stewart

I don’t normally gush over books but I’ll make an exception in this case.  I’m so glad I discovered Mike Nappa.  Nappa has worked as a youth pastor and columnist having written for reputable publications such as HomeLife, Focus on the Family and Crosswalk.com.  He has over two dozen published book credits.  His voice remains fresh and his writing candid. Nappa examines the every day challenges of the Christian life, even his own, and openly shares about areas in which many of us struggle.  The book is divided into five major segments which include:  The Passionate Pursuit of God, The Cost of Pursuing God, Putting Passion into Action, Weakness and Strength, Failure Is an Event, Not a Person, and  When All Is Said and Done.

The Courage to Be Christian is peppered with plenty of illustrations and stories to help the reader grasp the chapter themes, plus quotations from prominent leaders. Though it’s not heavily laden with scripture, there are just enough scripture references to bring home the point and tie it all together.  As I read through the book I felt  it would make a nice small group study.  Then, to my delight, I found that there were, indeed study questions at the back of the book which can be used for reflecting on chapter themes. So make sure you don’t overlook that section.

In the book’s final chapter, Courage to Love – No Matter What, the author tells how he struggled with knowing what he wanted to say to his readers but his own short-coming when it came to being able to love unconditionally made it difficult for him to write it.  His solution was quite innovative.  Nappa wrote, “So I’ve decided not to author this chapter for you.  Instead, I’m going to write it soley for me and allow you to listen.”  He wrote the chapter in third person addressing it to himself by name, and though this might sound exclusionary, it actually had the opposite effect, making it even more powerful because it personalized the message for the readers. (It felt a bit like I was ease dropping on a private conversation, in a positive way.)

This book is an excellent one for those concerned with spiritual growth and the fact that it deals with issues Christians wrestle with every day, makes it a book from which nearly every Christian can benefit.  As I have also indicated, it would make a great book for small group study.  It’s not heavily into scripture but is more topical, relating more to themes and specific issues and giving the reader sustenance and encouragement to keep “press on toward the goal.”  Nappa’s honest and down-to-earth style makes this book a pleasure to read.

Order Courage to Be Christian