Church Marketing

Marketing Jesus

So often we do not hear those two words in the same sentence and i will be honest, the thought makes me want to throw up! Yeah, lets take the maker of the whole universe who created everything and everyone and try to find some way to make him look cool to others. A sweet logo with a cross or two nails overlapping, or throw a tat on Jesus or something. LAME.

But then i was challenged. Or shall i say then i learned the truth. We do need marketing. I heard a message about this and there were some tough questions thrown at me. Like, who do others say your youth is? What kind? Jocks? Band kids? The ones without many friends? The Emo kids? Is it a place that everyone outside your walls knows about? Are you associated with fun? What are you? What do people say?

I came up with this for us: No one knows about us. Which is worse than above. Not only that but it’s not a place that is easy to invite people to, that has very little if any visual appeal, and probably isn’t a great reflection of what this area needs.

You see, marketing for a church is no different then marketing Starbucks, Mt Dew, or energy drinks. If you believe in what you are trying to sell then sell it for all its worth.

So who are we? What do we like? What is cool? Who can we be? Anyone…

For Sue’s Mission Report

Sorry Sue we were in a staff meeting from 130 or so till 630. After that it slipped my mind because I left work.

Here it is:

We went to copperhill TN. July 27 thru August 2.

While there we stayed at a camp and had worship services every night. During the day we would drive into town and work on this lady and her boyfriends house. We built a ramp to her front door, a retaining wall because she live on a hill right next to the street, and we painted the outside of their whole house. We also did some landscaping work and ripped out some old tree stumps. In the late afternoons before dinner and after we enjoyed high ropes obstacles and their climbing wall. On our one free day we also enjoyed the high ropes but we engaged in paintball.

I thought that we achieved almost everything I had hoped we would. As a group we grew closer. Friendships were stronger and also made. The youth did great on our work site as we did everything they asked and did more than expected. We had two kids dedicate or re-dedicate their lives to the lord! On the last day we got to establish a relationship with the people we worked for but they did not want much interaction untill then. Overall I can say I was blessed to go and God blessed me with incredible kids to take! No problems, all laughter and enjoyment.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Life to the Full

I have been wondering upon this verse lately.

“I have come so that they may have life, and live it to the full.”

These are very powerful words Jesus utters.  He uses them right after he references the thief that comes and tries to kill and destroy. So the point is clear, Jesus brings life and its full of joy and blessings and completeness but the thief tricks us into thinking he can bring the same but in reality he is destroying us slowly.

Although, the idea is simple i question if living it out is that simple. It’s easy to see how we can get immersed into materialism, selfishness, advancement, and attractiveness of appearance but denying oneself those guilty pleasures is only half the battle.

Here is the other half. I am a youth pastor and it is very easy to host youth group. I plan a fun game (atleast for some of the teens), throw in some annoucements about our next big thing becuase then i feel like we are doing something, then add a lesson about not doing drugs, serving people, making good choices, or that each individual is important in God’s eyes. Perfect recipe for a good night. Heck lets add small groups to encourage openness and growth and we have created even more of a better experience.

But i see no life.  All that might make a good soup but its not the type of soup that nourishes my soul and give me the energy to actively live the rest of my day, week, or whatever.

I can give lesson after lesson and it doesn’t matter if i spent 30 mins on it or 3 days. About the same thing is accomplished.

Jesus talked about life to the full. That sounds more then just denying the easily seen struggles the world can trap us into.  It seems like there is intentional, relational, sacred togetherness, and passion in Jesus words when lived out.

For youth ministry i don’t think games, a good lesson, small groups, and announcements do it. And its not the easy fix of a cool video, awesome graphic, or inspiring worship music either. its something else.

I don’t know exactly what but i did get some good advice from a Mark Oestreicher book recently called, “Youth Ministry 3.0.” At the end it said to make it simple, go slow, and do less. Which is about opposite of what we tend to think an active Christ centered youth group looks like.

But i made a list of the moments in my life when i knew i was apart of some special group that had life at least when they were together or moments in my life that i could see the LIFE Christ was talking about or just moments that never stop to still my soul.

These five things were almost in every single example i could come up with and i didn’t even see it until i skimmed back through. Of course some were listed under different titles or synonyms but this is what i saw:

1. Togetherness
2. Intentional “moments” created or acknowledged
3. Authenticity or sacredness
4. Growth Opportunities
5. Enjoyment of each other

Now i know they might sound easy or obvious but to me i cant think of any special group or moment i have been apart of that hasn’t had at least 3 of those. And the beauty is that you don’t even have to experience it to see groups of other people that have it. I see it in my fiance’s parents “camping buddies.” i felt it in my Residence Life Staff. I experienced it in my mentoring i received in college, in breakfast’s over poetry i had with two friends on Tuesday mornings, with a small church in Akron, Ohio and a gathering of old friends i see once a month.

In those moments i feel Christ and i know of the LIFE he says we can have to the full.

That’s a little bit about what i think youth ministry needs to be about. More meals together, acknowledgement of the spirit more, be consistent people in each others lives, laughter, involvement in what each other does outside of church, experiential worship together. I don’t know…i might be sending the ship out to the wrong sea but when i think about that stuff i can feel the LIFE and i feel guilty giving the same games, lessons, etc.

Christ calls me to shepherd some sheep and i want these sheep to know what LIFE to the FULL can be.

This lesson i am learning is not just about YM either, which is the beauty of it all because its a lesson for living my life as a christian as well.

Help us Raise money for a Farm

Anyone and Everyone!!!

Please join us in our quest to raise $2,000 dollars to buy a farm for 10 families in Africa or other 3rd world places.

We will be fasting for 60 hours starting January 19th at 7:00am. First 30 hours if from technology and the last 30 are from food.

We really need everyone’s help to raise the $2,000 to buy this farm. So please join us and raise money. Ask Tim Keene or Molly McCully for Sponsor Sheets. Or just donate money to our cause.

Let’s love the poor and lost like God wants us to!