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Does Marketing Belong In Ministry?

Written by: Hugh Breland

Why are so many churches content with being culturally irrelevant and creatively archaic? If you train someone to be irrelevant, they will be. If someone is given archaic ideas for presenting relevant material, the material will no doubt be perceived as boring and outdated. Seminary is not the cause for antiquated portrayals of a pertinent message; however it can be a prominent contributor to waking up a sleeping giant.

The fact is millions of dollars are spent each year to fill our minds with immoral images, our children with sugar charged & fat loaded foods, and our homes with more stuff to keep up with the Joneses, and yet many church youth programs are mind-numbing and the church around the corner from the seminary hasn’t grown in twenty years. If we want to change the course of history, we must learn from the past and take strategic steps in the present. Appreciative of those who came before, progress will be made because we stay on the cutting edge not because we squeeze tightly to tradition. Recognizing too that positive and productive relationships are essential to the life of any church, outsiders must find it easier to say “yes” than “no” as they walk by kicking the tires. For example, a fifteen-year-old student-athlete must be excited to invite his friends, not embarrassed. While at the same time, a forty-nine year old mother of two should feel comfortable inviting her business colleague that recently went through a divorce. The future is bright if we prioritize properly and discard anything that could derail our vision.

Strategic marketing provides focus – a focus on what is most important. It helps to bridge the gap between knowledge and success. Instead of “sheep swapping” with other churches, a creative and compelling plan is designed to reach people that have no church background.

W.W.J.D.?

Jesus was strategic. Do you perceive Jesus as inefficient, disorganized, and unintentional? If Jesus were in “corporate America”, do you think he would be a failure or a raging success? It is obvious that Jesus was intent on accomplishing his goals, that he was deliberate in choosing his disciples, and that his daily tactics lined up with his ultimate plans.

Jesus was creative. The word pictures that Jesus drew for his audiences evidence his creative thought and attention to innovation. Creativity is compelling. Just as it is essential to spend exhaustive hours learning the message, it is vital to design captivating presentations. God is the ultimate creator – simply look in the mirror and realize He designed you to be creative too.

Jesus was relevant. Though he did not waiver in his message, Jesus made sure that his presentation was relevant to his audience. There is a difference between theology and methodology. As a minister, it is imperative to identify your theology and fervently stand by it as you share it. Seminaries across the country do a phenomenal job teaching students theology. However as it pertains to methodology, the way in which theology is presented, there is a disconnection.

The fruit of seminary is seen in the growth of churches around the globe. Yet as I step into local church after local church to observe their day-to-day and weekend-to-weekend operations, there is a lack of creativity and relevancy. The training ground for tomorrow’s church leaders must align itself with forward thinking methodology. Remember, the piano was cutting edge at one time – let’s create new and exciting ways to reach people! God-centered people with God-given creativity can implement God-sized plans that produce God-blessed results!

About the Author

Currently the CEO of GoLo Sport, Hugh Breland is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant - known for his creativity and innovation. Prior to entering the business world, Hugh was a young adults pastor at one of the largest churches in the country. For more information on Hugh and GoLo Sport visit www.GoLoSport.com

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