Is Church Marketing Biblical?

Not sure if church marketing is the way to go?

We understand.  In fact we’ve wrestled with the same question ourselves. For the ministry-minded it’s uncomfortable to view evangelism from a marketing perspective – and rightly so, after all we’re not selling Jesus.  However, we are compelled by scripture to effectively connect & communicate with our world – for the purpose of sharing a message. Mark 16:15 Luke 14:23

Church Marketing ( connecting & communicating > convincing )

Traditionally marketing is about convincing an audience to buy something, but effective church marketing is more about really connecting & effectively communicating with the audience.  Connecting is more than simply drawing attention to ourselves momentarily, and communicating is more than just stating some facts.  Jesus’ own life & ministry is a shining example of how to effectively connect with people and communicate meaningfully.

Jesus made a personal connection with people when He spoke to them.  As the King of Glory robed in flesh, He has quite an advantage on us, but there is much we can learn from His earthly ministry.  Whether to His disciples or the multitudes, Christ often spoke in parables – stories relevant to the lives of His audience. In doing so He effectively engaged His audience & conveyed His message at their level of understanding.

Paul became ‘all things to all men’ 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, and with-out compromising the Gospel, was able to truly connect with his audience.  A master communicator, Paul frequently referenced scenarios right out of his audiences daily lives.  Leveraging those experiences, Paul weaves spiritual concepts into secular metaphors that are engaging & evocative, so much so that we can relate to them even today.

So, while church marketing isn’t called out among the five fold ministry, we do have clear mandate in scripture to connect & communicate, and we have some fantastic examples to follow as well.