BabuLife

Are You Open to Change?

I'm really enjoying my current read "Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll.  I'm being challenged in my reading of this book about my "ideas" on how to reach people effectively.  While telling a story about a church that once had a weekend attendance of nearly 9,000 and dwindled down to 100, Mark explains how this church was stuck in a rut.  Here's a little nugget:

"The result of traditionalism is a Christianity that has all of the right answers to all of the wrong questions, because the questions that were once pressing are no longer being asked.  The dying church I mentioned desired to attract the multitude of non-Christians who lived close to them, so they hosted a debate between an atheist and a Christian.  They went to great expense only to have no one from the community attend.  Why?  Because the church did not know that atheism, popular a generation or two ago, is virtually dead today.  This church believed that people are either Christians or atheists and because they didn't know their neighbors, they wrongly assumed that, since their neighbors were not Christians, they must be atheists.  Actually, their neighbors were very spiritual people who spent great amounts of time praying but had no idea to whom."

Thinking outside my "traditional" box is a challenge at times.  What I think and believe works may not really be working for the rest of the world.  Do I conform my approach to reach them?  Or do I attempt to change the world into believing what I think? The world is a fast changing place...we need a church that continually thinks outside the "traditional" box. Are you open to change?

-Babu

Get "The Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll

Communicate Without Clutter!

Tuesday I headed out to the Wired Churches conference given by Granger Community Church and hosted by a local church here in Kansas.  My world changed Tuesday as a result of my workshop experience with Kem Meyer.  I sat right in front and had the opportunity to as a few questions.  Without telling a long story about communications at Grace...I'll just sum it up by saying this..."What Communication at Grace?"

We've started down some paths only to stop or get a little side tracked putting out little fires here and there or dealing with issues that needed quick attention.  Without having someone on staff as a constant "watchdog" for communications it can be a difficult thing to effectively produce and manage a whole process for the church.  I've been semi-managing and have really discovered it's way more than just producing graphics.  That's where a whole new world was opened up to me.

So now I'm burning to get a strategy put together that will help the people of Grace communicate effectively their ministries and events in a cohesive way that doesn't just communicate individual ministry visions...but really reinforces the church-wide vision of Grace Church. 

Here is just one section of the workshop that just blew me away (keep in mind all you Communications Director-type people that I'm a Worship Leader so if you've already heard this and it's old hat to you...just click to the next blog on your Bloglines):

The 5 Myths of Marketing:

• Myth 1: You are in Control - Your audience is in control of your marketing.  If you create things expecting to "change their perspective", you're going to lose every time.  Adjust your communications methods with the culture.  Eliminate clutter, leave white space, cut down on the noise...people are too busy in life as it is.  They just want the facts.  Understand that you shouldn't go out looking to create conversation...conversations are already happening.  Figure out how you can be a part of them.

• Myth 2: The More Choices the Better - LESS ANNOUNCEMENTS.  That means cut down the clutter in services.  Cut down the clutter in your worship guides on the weekends.  The more elements on a page, the less people hear.  (This is a toughy for us at Grace Church.  We're addicted to announcements during services & in the worship guide.)  As the worship leader standing on the stage during the announcement portion of services, I have the opportunity to see how quickly eyes actually glaze over when we're on the third ministry announcement.  While those involved in the ministry being announced are excited to hear their event talked about on the stage...sometimes it really just isn't the best way to pump people up.

• Myth 3: Advertising Creates Interest & Reinforces the Brand - Focus on the experience your church provides.  Word of mouth ALWAYS is the make or break.  Realize that you must NEVER advertise a false experience.  Advertising cannot fix inconsistent experiences.  Identify who your church is and brand the experience your church will provide a guest.

• Myth 4: It Worked Before So it Will Work Again - Currently, many Fortune 500 companies have trimmed back on their advertising spending in order to focus on customers spreading the word and doing their selling.  Be prepared to chuck what you're doing if the culture is changing. 

• Myth 5: People Care About What You Have to Say - "People need Inspiration not Information".  Turns out based on some research that Kem Meyer found...We remember 10% of what we read...We remember 20% of what we hear...We remember 30% of what we see...We remember 40% of what we do...We remember 100% of what we feel.  You've gotta grab the heart and give folks a reason to come.  Words don't mean a whole lot in the end.

Is it really possible that there is no other marketing/advertising/communications that is better than a personal invite and a positive experience?

What Causes People to Visit

Recently I did a little research here at Grace Church on how our visitors are crossing through the doors. I can say I'm not surprised too much really by some of what I found, but it was interesting to see that the one thing we consistently spend money on each week is one of the least successful ways of bringing folks in.  Here's what I've found since March 2006 (one month before our move to the new facility):

• Invited by someone: 193

• Other: 109

• Website: 34

• Saw the new building: 19

• Local Paper (KC Star): 9

• Local Paper (Jo Co Sun): 6

• Mailer: 4

These were all collected from our "Connect Card" that folks turn in during services.  The other category is probably based on our data entry folks not knowing how to handle the boxes checked "other".  Most seem to be invites from people or saw the building.

So it would seem the best marketing is word of mouth and people inviting people.  Go figure.