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