Some Thoughts on Church Marketing

Here's an insider's perspective about what sucks about church marketing: Churches/pastors that aren't living the Christ-honoring life that they say they are try to dress it up, paint their tombs white, and sell an image of themselves that is untrue.

The minute that our efforts shift from the purpose of trying to help others and ourselves become healthier, happier, holier people, that is the moment when church marketing sucks. Our job is not to mask our problems or portray something we're not. Our job is not managing peoples' perceptions (Though some disagree, I'm 50/50 on this.). Our job is to invite people to a higher calling for their lives. To proclaim a hope more lasting than a politician can provide. Our job is to inspire others to acts of selflessness and charity. To encourage them to greater and continued faithfulness. To restore trust in a faulty establishment (the Church in America). Our job is to do these things through more than communicative mediums - to do it with our lives.

The minute we lose sight of the why is the moment of complete and utter failure. Especially that last part: "our lives." I don't think God needs us to promote Him with our art/promotional pieces/websites/ridiculous t-shirts. I always thought what he really wants is our hearts. And He wants us to LOVE HIM and LOVE PEOPLE. If our "marketing" or "brand" is not doing those 2 things, we're in the wrong. Period.

Just thinking out loud... I guess if people really did all this stuff right most of us in the church marketing world would be out of jobs. But I think I'd be ok with that.