If your church is like many organizations, you don’t have a large marketing budget to spend on marketing.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things your church can do to promote itself.  All it takes is being creative by thinking a little bit out of the box to get some fantastic returns on your marketing budget.  Here are 7 ideas that should help build your membership if you do them consistently.  More importantly, do them in excellence!  Are these the only ways to market your church?  Absolutely not!

1. Send Out Press Releases REGULARLY! – Press releases are one of the biggest sources of free publicity for your church.  One of the most effective (and cheapest) ways to get your message out about your organizations special event or activity is to regularly provide press releases to the local paper and radio stations. These organizations are hungry for content.  You just need to provide it to them. Complile a list of all of the outlets in your area.  Don’t forget to try and find out who handles your section of the paper and sent it to that person directly. Learn how to write a good press release.
2. Email Signatures - How many emails do you send out each day/week/month or year?  Many of those emails go to non church congregants.  Each of those provides an opportunity for a little promotional "commercial" if you will about your church. An e-mail signature consists of text and/or pictures that are automatically added to the end of an outgoing e-mail message. Email signatures are automatic and once set up require no effort or thought on your side. They provide a powerful opportunity for you to provide your organizations web address and a tag line that promotes what your church is all about.  
3. Plan a Special Event! A special event held at your church can either let people know about your church and what it stands for or even reinvigorate awareness of your church.  How does that work you ask? Special events give your current members a reason to reach out to friends/co-workers to experience your church. The thing you need to remember is to make special events special.  Provide spacing in terms of time between events. 
4. Promote a different ministry each month. Your church can be viewed as one large group that is composed of several smaller groups or ministries. Sometimes called Love In Action Ministries, you may have groups within your church that get together regularly that are focused on niches within your church.  Some of these groups are or can be Youth/Teens/ Men’s Group, Women’s Bible Study. Book Study Groups, etc. Each one of the ministries in your church contributes in some way to the growth and outreach of your church. Don’t think that just because these groups are ongoing in your church that everyone knows about them. Promote one group each month weekly.
5. Using the internet as an outreach ministry.  Now more than ever, individuals are looking to attend churches that share their values. The Internet can be one of the most valuable and cost effective ways to get your church’s name in front of others who share your passions.  Those others may include the media, civic or community leaders. Don’t back away from helping publicize other noteworthy activities in the area either. Your church’s interest/participation/promotion of those events will register with like minded individuals who will be attracted to and visit your church.  Don’t have a website yet?  Think Craigslist to promote your church.
6. Signage - Whether it is your church sign or roadside signs placed strategically around the area, this is one of the best returns on investments to get your church exposure and thus visitors.  Using your church sign to serve your community is a unique and powerful means of reaching out. Think about announcing community events beyond those that are happening at your church, such as a neighbourhood association meeting or charitable events. Let the community know about the organized activities offered by your church beyond weekly services too, such as day care and youth group events. You can also promote your church by putting posters on bulletin boards and other places to let people know what events/services are available at your church. Posters that are the size of a standard sheet of paper (8 ½" X 11") can usually be posted in a variety of places such as grocery stores, laundry mats, at other places where people gather. Get permission before you put up your posters. Be a good neighbour!
7. Postcards/flyers – In the age of the internet, many wonder if this medium works. Yet for shear cost effectiveness, in your immediate area, either hand delivering or mailing a postcard in a 1 mile area around your church is hard to beat.  What is amazing about dropping a postcard off at a home is the lingering effect as well as the immediate response.  You will see results almost immediately in visits to both your church and your website.  There will be a diminishing return as interest from that postcard will erode over time.  But you will see folks coming to church months after from that initial campaign. That is actually a great thing.  So, by systematic in rotating the areas / neighbourhoods you are covering. And just because you dropped off a postcard in a neighbourhood previously, don’t feel you can’t do it again.  You should always see visitors/interest from a postcard campaign.  So instead of doing 1 large campaign of say 10,000 postcards/flyers all at once. Better to do them in 500 increments a week.  

Don’t feel like you have to incorporate all of these at once.  Learn how to do each one of these and do them well.  On the other hand, you don’t have to have perfected an item to begin on another.  Just don’t try to do too many at once.  Tweak each item and split test results to see which approach works better.

Want to learn more about church marketing? Or did you read something here that you want to discuss more? Perhaps you have a project that you need help on or at least want to bounce ideas off. We are there for you!

We welcome your feedback at Unity Church Marketing. Or follow our tweets on Twitter at http://twitter.com/johnpanico

We think church can and should be more. We hope you do as well!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Panico

With the desire in our society for everything to be bigger and flashier how does that work when we look at growing our church? Does God want us to be like society, building up to church to meet the felt needs of people and to entertain them?

This video talks about what the bible says about church growth:

The quote in the video, in case you missed it, is:

"When I have heard of large congregations gathered together by the music of a fine choir, I have remembered that the same thing is done at the opera house and the music hall and I have felt no joy." Carles H. Spurgeon

And the versus are:

Do not be conformed to this world, but by transformed by the renewing of your mind… Romans 12:2

Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefor whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God… James 4:4

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

The gist of the video is that to grow the church we are to preach the entire truth that is laid out before us in the bible. Not just the comfortable stuff, or the easy stuff, but ALL of it.

Preach the Word, in and out of season… 2 Timothy 4:2

This article presents the concept of ‘church growth’ alongside evangelism mainly in the book of Acts. Whereas the Old Testament depicts evangelism as people coming to God, the Lucan perspective demonstrates that God’s servants will go to His people. Blauw’s thesis is that "a centripetal missionary consciousness becomes in Acts a centrifugal missionary activity…" (1974, 34). In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs looked from pig to man and vice versa but could not differentiate them in the very last page of the text which by extension shows what could happen if the church wants to imitate the world. One cannot replace the methods or the principles that brought church growth in the New Testament in our own era.

TYPES OF CHURCH GROWTH

1. Internal : This is the spiritual growth of Christians. Right relationship is established with God and man. Many Christians quote John 3:16 which demonstrates God’s love for man without taking into consideration I John 3:16 which focuses on man’s love for his fellow man.

2. Expansion: This is accomplished by the evangelization of non-Christians within the area of the operation of the church or ministry.

3. Extension: This is the growth of the church by the establishment of daughter churches within the same general homogeneous group and geographical area.

4. Bridging: This focuses on the establishment of churches in different cultural and geographical areas.

CHURCH GROWTH : WAYS TO INCREASE

1. Biological growth- children of existing members who come into the church.

2. Transfer growth- members of one church who unite with another church.

3. Conversion growth- the coming into the church of people of the world who are converted by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Evangelism: Evangelism in Acts is the communication of the good news of Jesus Christ through verbal proclamation and lifestyle witness, with the intent of leading a person or group to salvation in Christ.

Church Growth: This is the quantitative and qualitative development of the church. It is different from ‘swelling’ which is common and dangerous in the contemporary church. The African Church is dismissed as a mile wide and an inch deep which implies that other parameters other than numbers account for church growth. Church growth could also be seen as an application of Biblical, anthropological, and sociological principles to congregations, denominations and their communities in an effort to disciple the greatest number of people for Jesus Christ. Believing that it is God’s will that His Church should grow and His lost children be found, church growth endeavors to devise strategies, develop objectives and apply tested principles of growth to individual congregations, denominations and the worldwide body of Christ.

Church Growth Eyes: This is a characteristic of Christians who have achieved an ability to see the possibilities for growth and to apply appropriate strategies to gain maximum results for Christ and His church.

Church Growth Principle: According to McGavran and Ann, this is "a universal truth which, when properly interpreted and applied, contributes significantly to the growth of churches and denominations. It is a truth of God which leads his church to spread his Good News, plant church after church, and increase his body"(1977, p.15).

PRINCIPLES

1. Prayer or Spiritual Warfare

Prayer is indispensable to church growth. John Stott comments that following Jesus’ ascension, the prayers of the disciples had two characteristics which "are two essentials of true prayer, namely that they persevered, and were of one mind" (1990, 10). The principle of unified prayer, or prayer with one mind and purpose, is a thread that runs throughout Acts. Luke’s initial description of the 120 (1:5) shows that they followed Christ’s command to wait for the Holy Spirit by obediently praying as a group WITH ONE MIND. See also Acts 4:18 (Sanhedrin); Acts 12:5 (Herod); Acts 11:11 (Peter’s rescue).

2. A clear and unique vision

In the King James Version, Proverbs 29:18 is rendered, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". Vision is God’s dream of what he wants to accomplish in and through our lives and the lives of our churches. Several churches have vision statements they never use. What God blesses with success in one place is not necessarily His plan for any other. Every growing church has a sense of unique vision and purpose – a clear sense of direction. The church planter and the laity share a common vision for what God wants that church to accomplish. In most cases, the church planter and the people can clearly describe and articulate their vision. This gives the people a sense of direction. They are moving toward an objective. They are not merely existing.

3. Leadership

A vigorous growing church is catalyzed by dynamic leadership that draws the entire church into action. For the church planter to function as a good leader, s/he must have certain specific character qualities and carry out certain specific leadership responsibilities. The church planter must truly desire growth for the church and must be willing to pay the price in hard work. The leadership must lead the work to organize the mission, set goals, develop plans, and mobilize the people to accomplishment. S/he must be creative, innovative, and assertive with regard to the vision and mission God has for His work.

4. The recognition and importance of the laity

The people of the work must be equipped to discover and use their gifts. They must be ready to assume new responsibilities and willingly hand over various leadership positions to other new people as the church continues to grow or expand.

5. Strategic Planning

The idea is to develop ongoing strategies that will help achieve the mission of the church. These should move the church toward realizing the accomplishment of its vision. With specific instructions from the Saviour, the apostles established a strategy to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Nehemiah positioned his people in areas of interests. Paul went to the synagogue and then the agora which was both a market place and centre of public life (Acts 7:17). A good church website can help your church to grow. Unfortunately there is an on-going war in this technological age: Technophilia vs. Technophobia. Many Rip Van Wrinkles exist in contemporary times. Several church leaders are yet to realize potential of a website for church growth. Yet a church website, specifically designed to reach outsiders, integrated with other appropriate outreach strategies, could be a major key to drawing non-Christians to your church.

6. Life Development Groups

This could be stated as the principle of assimilation. Perhaps the most important aspect of this principle is that the church must be structured in a way that develops an organizational base for growth. The larger the base, the greater the possibilities for growth. Life development groups provide a critical function that facilitates a church’s growth e.g. Sunday School groups, Youth Fellowship, Ministries (Men, Women, Youth, Children) etc.

7. Indigenization

Paul and Barnabas left the indigenous churches with leadership that would provide the direction after the apostles departed. Though the forms of church government vary in the New Testament, they appointed elders to continue their leadership roles. The elders were within the church ("in each church" Acts 14:23) completing the indigenization process.

8. Open Gospel

In the early church, some regarded Christians as Jews who have received Jesus as the promised Saviour. Consequently, any Gentile desiring to become a Christian must first become a Jew. This ‘closed’ gospel was a major concern for Christians like Paul. The Jerusalem Council became a pivotal point in the history of the early church. Neither circumcision nor adaptation to the Jewish community would be a requisite. Christians today should discover the same attitude to the unbelieving world. Is the gospel open today, or does it carry the baggage of cultural expectations, idolatry of tradition etc? One should not necessarily become a member of your tribe before he is a Christian.

9. Follow-Up

The mission of the church is to win souls. Therefore, evangelism is not treated as a single principle since that is the primary mission of the church. The related concept of ‘follow" is crucial for young Christians. According to Acts 15:36, "some days after, Paul said unto Barnabbas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do." Follow-up could be regarded as a motherly instinct. It is a deliberate focus on young and new believers for the purpose of spiritual guidance and counseling.

10. Discipleship

According to John Wesley, leading souls to Christ without a discipleship programme is to beget sons for the devil. Church growth is enhanced when each member becomes a part of the body (Eph. 4:16; Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor.12:12-22 etc.) and is endangered when they do not identify with the body. What we have learned must be committed to the faithful to teach others also. The importance of Bible Study, Sunday School Classes etc. cannot be overemphasized.

11. Sovereignty (Supreme Authority of God)

Despite the abundance of conflicts and setbacks in the early church, Luke communicates clearly that God is the final victor. Acts, in one perspective, is a narrative of the sovereign work of God in the midst of external and internal forces that would thwart any ‘normal’ movement. Though we are the vehicles to communicate the Gospel, our strength and power come from God. He gives the increase after the ‘planting’ and ‘watering’, He makes every thing beautiful, not in our, but in His time. One sows, another waters but God gives the increase. The clay does not question the Potter’s intent.

LIST OF REFERENCES

Blauw, J. The Missionary Nature of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

McGavran Donald A. and Winfield C. Arn. Ten Steps for Church Growth. New York: Harper and Row, 1977.

Stott, John. The Spirit, the Church and the World. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity, 1990.

Wagner, Peter C., ed. Church Growth: The State of the Art. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986.

AUTHOR SIGNATURE

Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Harding

Recently his church has been going through a process of consultation and assessment. They brought in an outside group to do the assessment, which consists of three parts:

1. Compiling Information about the church
2. A visit and interviews with groups within the church
3. Presentation of recommendations for the church

As you look at growing your church and being effective at what God is calling you to it is important to look at doing things like a church assessment. Assessing yourself internally is important, but it is also important to allow other Godly people to speak into the life of the church and it’s people. This should help your church to achieve God’s plan for your church and help it to grow.

Here are four good reasons to get an assessment of yourself and / or your church:

1. It helps you to see more clearly your strengths and weaknesses
2. It can help you to see your blind spots
3. It can help to give you direction
4. It will help you to grow

Kevin expands on the idea of getting a church assessment over on his blog, and you can read his thoughts and experience with it here.

Some of the points about church growth that he makes in the video are:

1. Select your church greeter carefully
2. Use your 4th grade boys as greaters, after they have 2L of Mountain Dew and A Shot of Red Bull.
3. Use score cards to judge the pastors sermon (like in the olympics)
4. Make farm animal music if the preachers sermon goes over 30-minutes
5. and many more …

Although the video was rather humorous the part about who you choose for a church door greater is pretty important. We can look at that more in a future post.

I have attended many different churches over the years and have found that not all churches use welcome cards or visitor cards. By welcome and visitor cards I mean the cards that allow a visitor to fill in their details if they want to know more, or if they want to be contacted.

The most basic of these cards, which are also the least imposing, ask for the visitors name, phone number and more recently e-mail address. Some of the more detailed cards can also ask for prayer requests, what information the person is interested in, marital / family status, address and more. My personal preference is a card that sits sort of in the middle, with all the details on the basic card, plus a section for prayer requests and possibly asking what sort of information the person wants to know. The additional information can always be found out later.

I reckon that a lot of the time the person who fills out a card is not a new visitor. They are often a person who has attended the church a few time, and now is ready to learn more and want to engage more with the church. Well, at least that’s how I have always used them.

Follow Up is Key

One of the keys to making the best use of your welcome and visitor cards is to follow up with the people who fill them out. If you don’t follow up on them then the cards are really not even worth the paper they are printed on…

A few months ago I attended a church with some friends. I filled in the visitor sheet because I wanted to learn more and they had the option to join the pastor for a pizza lunch. I had been following the pastor’s blog for a while and thought I would be really interested in learning more about the church and the pastor.

Unfortunately there was never any follow up from that church. I had to wonder if the lack of follow up happened often and how many people were never able to connect at that church and went searching elsewhere.

The visitor card or welcome card can be a key tool that you use to connect with people new to your church. If used incorrectly though it can isolate and actually push people away.

Below is a guess article by Shane Boyd about the importance of writing down our goals.

Hey Pastor – Write Down your Goals, by Shane Boyd

If you are like most people, than you have goals. If you’re the Preacher of a church than you probably have goals regarding new members and your over all growth. But what do you do with those goals?

You see, goals are written down on paper. A goal that is not written down is not a goal, it’s a wish. Like you, I have goals. I write them down on 3 x 5 index cards and I read them at least 2 times a day. (morning and night). This helps me to stay focused on my goals.

Here is an example of a goal you can write down and use. “your church name will have 45 new members by December 31st 2008? Read that goal (in your head and out loud) at least two times a day. Your sub-conscious mind will begin to work on this for you. Trust me.

Pray continually about this growth (and the exact number). Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you:seek and you will find…” Ask God specifically for that exact number of new members by that exact date ( you choose the number and date). You need to focus on your goals, and here is why. What you focus on expands. What you focus on expands.

If you write down your goals, read them morning and night, pray continually about those goals, you will hit your mark. And don’t forget. Aim high. Have BIG goals. We have a BIG BIG God. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 “…but with God things are possible”. If you work on your goals and read over them daily, you’re going to have the “Breakout” church you know you can have.

If you need help with goal setting, just send me an email at shane@growingchurchesforHim.com and let me know how I can help.

God bless,

Shane Boyd Growing Churches For Him

About the Author

Shane is an Outreach Consultant for churches. He helps churches grow using Biblical principles. He is the owner of Growing Churches For Him. Shane has written articles, FREE reports and developed products for churches to help churches grow. Vist his site for more details at www.GrowingChurchesForHim.com

Here’s a great video by Rick Warren, a pastor from Saddleback Church.