Are Horoscopes for Christians?
Now that horoscopes and the stars have been re-aligned should you follow the stars or God? It’s really simple for people to check their horoscopes to see what the ‘stars’ predict for the day, but is it the guide that you need?
I remember the day that I found out that reading horoscopes is not the direction christians should take. I thought it was just simple fun reading and hoping for a good day ahead. It was like watching daytime soaps and hoping that the bad guy would finally be found out and get what he or she deserved, but no it dragged on to, oh no, tomorrow. And so it is with horoscopes that it gives you just a little taste of possible good news and then you are waiting all day for it to happen and then, oh no – maybe tomorrow.
Christians find the truth is in the Word of God, not in reading horoscopes in the newspaper. The sure thing is reading your bible to find what your day will hold for you, its a truth that you can depend on.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged believers, christians, daytime soaps, horoscopes, newspapers
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Do you have a Dot Com Congregation?
Do you have a Dot Com Congregation? The answer: Perhaps, but perhaps not. Over seventy-percent of the United States population are surfing the internet on a regular basis. They are looking for information, romance, games, news, chat, media, videos, and ways to buy, sell or trade. In fact, if it can be done on a computer, there is definitely someone doing it. The growth of the internet in the past 10 years has risen by 151% and the U.S. has the second highest number of users in the world. Many of these users are looking for a church: your church!
Americans have always identified with religion. A city of 200,000 will have well over 300 churches listed in their phone book. In the age of Social Networking, it is crucial to be identifiable by using a web presence and social media interaction. Everyone has criteria for the church that they are looking for: i.e. big vs. small, programs for children, connections for women, men, couples, singles, divorce, grief, growth, contemporary, traditional, etc. Some would say that people are leaving their church because they don’t like the _______ (fill in the blank) and just as many people are looking for the very opposite. But how do they find you and how do they know that you offer the specifications for which they are looking?
Neighborhood churches, in the past, were populated by people who have found them by driving by, being brought as a guest, generations of tradition, and a changing trend of finding them through the internet. Most churches’ web presence is simply a brochure with a laundry list of events, groups, people and general information, with very little interaction and limited social media connections or information for the leaders of the church and corresponding youth and crisis personnel.Americans have become accustomed to instant gratification via the internet, and they don’t want to “work” and “research” to find information on a high quality church, such as yours.
Once your congregation finds you online,how many of your services and social media interactions are found on your webpage? How do you connect with your current congregation beyond Sunday morning? Many teens, young adults and professionals of all ages like to interact both via the internet and in person. Since there is not enough of the Pastor to go around “in person,” and the dynamics of face-to-face and phone interactions have changed dramatically in the past five years, you must keep up with the spirit of the times, in order to experience growth.The answer lies in having a strategic marketing plan that incorporates:
- Video,
- Audio,
- Social media,
- Updated FAQs
- Question-and-answer forums,
- Discussion platforms in order to feed your congregations need for the spiritual truth
- Lead capture techniques
Just like in dating and in successful work environments, it is not always easy to put the right two people together, but it is always worth the effort! Marketing your church online is not only highly cost-effective for both the church and church-seekers; it is a pleasant and recognizable form of communication in today’s world.
Posted in Blog, Featured
Tagged Changing trends in America, How people use the internet, Religion in America
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Do you have a Church or a Club?
What are the defining characteristics of a church and of a club? Which do you have?
A church is defined as: “A building for public and especially Christian worship; the clergy or officialdom of a religious body; a public divine worship; a body or organization of religious believers, such as: The whole body of Christians, Denomination, and Congregation.”
A club is merely defined as “An association of persons for some common object usually jointly supported and meeting periodically; also: a group identified by some common characteristics.” Typically, clubs are somewhat exclusive, and some are even accessed by “invitation only.”
On the surface, it seems crazy to suggest that a church is a club; however there are similarities that may prove you have created a club within your church.
Does your church use unique, non-standard words as labels for common words?
Hint: Would a person need to speak to a member of the church to find the definition of these words or understand their use?
When people visit your website will they easily find the common elements of a church?
- Sunday school classes,
- Youth programs and activities,
- Worship times and descriptions,
- Baptism information,
- Membership requirements
Hint: In order to be trendy or ‘current,’ you have program names that a new person would not recognize.
Does your church offer the same opportunities to all people?
Hint: Are there groups that meet which outsiders would only find through word-of-mouth or through an invitation from one of their members?
Even the best intentions will lead us down the wrong road and the above examples are common in today’s churches. Even though our goal is to reach out and bring people to Christ, we have unknowingly created roadblocks for the very people we are trying to attract. We need to make sure that all of your potential followers feel welcome, loved, and included.
We need to make sure that your list of scheduled events is simple, up to date, and easy to understand. If these concepts sounds like a ‘no brainer’ to you and you are sure that you have passed this test, ask outsiders to look over your website to point out holes in your strategy.
If you need to be an “insider” to understand the special terms which are used to describe worship, adult and children’s classes, then your purpose of attracting new people into the church has been foiled by your own advertising.
Everyday people are searching the internet, looking for a Church that will lead them to Christ, using language that they will understand and comprehend. They aren’t always sure what they are looking for, but they know they are looking for some type of non-judgmental fellowship. They don’t understand all of the ‘church’ words and they don’t know whether they should be going to classes. They are looking for God and His followers. You may drive them away if you act like an exclusive, “invitation only,” trendy club. Use simple, friendly language in all your media and show them that they don’t need invitations to a part of the church.
Who is in charge of your marketing?
While marketing in the past has been effective, now thatsocial networking and news feeds have become the new normal for the very people that we are trying to reach the church has to step up its game in order to keep up.
Previously, listings in newspapers, the telephone yellow pages and the church sign out front were enough to get a church filled with people. Outreach to new people who had just moved into the neighborhood, along with Sunday visitors, flyers and bake sales all contributed to church marketing back in the day. Now, with more churches per city, with different options, teaching methods, small groups, classes and age rangesare all part of the selection.Churches are rarely selected just because they are in the neighborhood anymore.Strategic Marketing Plans are needed to set goals, the personality and outreach programs of each church out to the masses, where they will decide the best option for them.
In small churches, the pastor and the church secretary may be the only ones in charge of marketing, whereas larger congregations may have a director of communications or even a marketing director. Whichever the case,simple knowledge of the internet, website design and maintenance, as well as the use of social networking will contribute to your church’s advertising success.Even having knowledge of all the pieces will not guarantee success without a plan or purpose. With everything that you do you have to ask yourself what is the point? Why are we doing this, what will be the return? It does not do any good to have a Facebook page if it is not updated several times a week with new information on your website on a regular basis.
Creating a website and a Facebook page are not enough. You may have all of the essentials on your website, such as Service Times, Sunday School Classes, and the basic contact and location information of the church, but this will not be effective on its own. Creating a Facebook page for others to simply “add” among their list of interests will not expand your message or show the good qualities of your church. Your congregation must be a living, growing organism, which distributes life and health and spiritual truth regularly. “Build it and they will come,” does not apply to your church advertising, as it does in “The Field of Dreams.” How do you know that your website is really effective?
You need the use of tools to determine the efficacy of your marketing and advertising that tell how long visitors stay on your site, where they go when they reach the website, and the topics of interest. This will help you to tailor your church website and Facebook page to your congregation needs. Effective marketing will not only bring in new members, but it will keep members in your church who might otherwise move to a more modern, up-to-date congregation. What do you do if you don’t have a strategic marketing plan or someone to oversee its implementation? Outsource the work, responsibility, and the oversight. Find a consultant who will direct your growth and listen to the needs of your church helping you move at the speed that is right for you.
Posted in Blog
Tagged Advertising, Build it and they will come, church marketing, church secretary, churches, congregations, creating a website, Effective Marketing, internet website design, Marketing, marketing plans, outreach programs, small groups, social networking, strategic marketing, sunday school, teaching methods
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Who is your congregation talking to?
Your church Facebook page should be like a water cooler where members of your congregation gather and chat, sharing pieces of news and information and interesting facts. Unfortunately, many church pages are simply something to “like” in order to show your affiliation, without actually being a gathering place for humanity. Are you organizing your church Facebook page effectively, or is it a dead end on the internet?
Keep your Facebook page alive by talking to and about various members of the congregation, giving updates, such as congratulations, condolences, well wishes and encouragement. Allow other church members to post messages, to that everyone will interact on an equal basis, not just posting comments or reactions to “official messages.” In addition to this, members of the head of the church should actively participate in these discussions and comments, in order to encourage others to participate as well. Get as many church leaders as possible to check in on your Facebook page, and leave comments and posts, so that these show how active and involved your church is.
As leaders of your church, you should be aware that your congregation will actively follow relevant and educational news and information. They will naturally congregate around postings and events which allow them to fellowship, interact, connect with each and be more like God. If you are providing these tools and opportunities for them, they are more likely to be attracted a church which does do this.
As leaders of your church, you must use these social media tools responsibly and correctly. Thanks to the widespread use of sites like Facebook, many people are affected and taught, both positively and negatively, at the same time. Don’t underestimate the power and validity of your programs and social media interactions.
Out of all of the current web pages, blogs and forums which are available, your church is looking at yours. This is a large responsibility, which must not be taken lightly. It is alright to inspire a certain amount of dissent within your church on somewhat controversial topics, but it is not okay to put down specific individuals and their beliefs. It is alright to support the strategy and beliefs of the church, but it is not okay to cut off published public opinion entirely. A balance must be maintained within your church and, of course, within the social media applications it employs. It should be structured, but not stiff, organized, but flexible, open to new opinions and viewpoints, but not entirely wishy-washy. Discretion in the leadership is evident to your followers, and your church will respect how you use all of the tools at your disposal, when you use them well.
What does your web strategy say about your church?
Are you one of the older or more settled churches which firmly believein the prevention of chasing after trends, fads and popular communication techniques? Do you watch while popular ways to serve Jesus are born, last for a short while and then die out? You may be wondering how long this Facebook-Twitter-Linked In-Stumble Upon fad will last.
Social media is here to stay. It is not some trendy methodology which will die out tomorrow. Myspace is no longer being used for personal interaction, but is now more of a forum for music and video artists and companies. Facebook is replacing the Myspace fad, and Twitter is not used for personal updates, but rather as a source of information sharing. While the tools and sites of social media have changed, social networking is here to stay, no matter which form it may take in the future.
You may still be concerned about how social networking will be used to cause harm. Your church will be affected negatively if social media is used on a widespread basis to put it down, talk negatively about the church leaders, or by advertising other churches on a frequent basis. Individuals in your church will be harmed if postings and forums violate privacy or the reputation of church members. It may seem a bit overwhelming to constantly monitor site activity on your social media tools. Postings will be removed or deleted, but they may cause significant harm if they are left up too long before they are found. Should you invest your time in something which will cause as much harm as good?
The answer is: yes. Telephone operators once had the opportunity to hear and spread community gossip. Simple websites once had the opportunity of trashing organizations or individual people, and nobody could take them down except for the site administrator. All tools, no matter which form they take, will be used for both good and evil purposes. The question of adopting a social networking strategy for your church should be considered quite carefully. This is the newest, most common form of communication and advertising. If you are not using it, then it is as if your church does not employ a telephone line.
Becoming an early adopter of new social interaction tools certainly has its advantages. People looking to adopt a new church naturally expect it to be a modern, up-to-date congregation, and all of its information to be readily available online, where they will compare, contrast and make a decision on attending. Even five and six year olds will use the internet, so to target a group of people who may still find their location information in a phone book is almost archaic. People of all ages, from eight to eighty, are actively searching for information and church programs online, and you must be ready for their eager eyes and their thirsty minds.
