06 Nov, 2009
Is Community Involvement In Your Church Marketing Plan?
Posted by: admin In: Community Outreach|church brand|marketing|promotion
Have you thought should be more involved in the community, but didn’t know where to start? Perhaps your church isn’t able to fully take on some community projects because they are just too large in scope to do so. That is understandable…to a point.
“Any way we can show people inside or outside the church that we love them is a mission,”
How your church reaches out to others is a critical component of your church brand. Your churches ability to reach out and help in the community is probably an indication of how well your church is growing or not.
If you don’t have the financial or human resources to take on projects, perhaps you could do what Rev. Susan Taylor’s church does it. Good deeds are proof of God’s grace, Taylor said, especially when showered upon others.
Taylor joined a community resource team as a representative from her church, learning about the various initiatives they could take part in based on existing needs in her area.
“This was a chance to listen,” she said.
Different church groups started adopting different causes. Shoe boxes were filled with school supplies for the area’s poorest children. More members joined the long-serving Meals on Wheels volunteer group, which was able to sponsor an additional day of meals and delivery. A mission trip to Mexico is planned. Even children have joined in, competing this summer to see who could give more. The boys’ group claimed the prize – “building an ice cream sundae on the pastor’s head.”
It is all doable!
The area where I think many churches miss the mark is what Rev. Taylor did differently. Her main objective was to coordinate all their efforts, encourage more members to take part, and therefore do more for the community.
She put up an objective for the church and ALL ministries as well as members were pointed in that direction. Too many churches let their ministries do whatever they want. And while having a myriad of ministries is perhaps a good thing, it really doesn’t help to build a good church brand or a cohevsive church experience.
Read the story here: Church, pastor have a plan for helping others
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We think church can and should be more. We hope you do as well!