Branding: A powerful tool for Church growth
https://37bloggers.blogspot.com/2016/07/branding-powerful-tool-for-church-growth.html
Branding: A powerful tool for Church growth
Before
you close your mind and dismiss this article as an unholy intrusion
into the divine subject of Church growth reserved only for the 'called',
please answer these questions honestly.
Today, I want to talk on a topic some say might be misunderstood or seen as a sacrilege, but I dare to.
Let
us get down to business. Before we talk on how branding can help
churches grow, I want to lay some basic ground-work so we can understand
what the concept of branding is.
What is a brand? A brand is the idea or image of a particular product or service that creates a
connection in the mind of customers, through different elements such as: name, logo or slogan of the group or in this case, the church that is projecting the image or idea.
Now that we understand what a brand is, the next step is to throw more light on the concept of branding.
Branding
is the process of marketing the idea or image with the aim of making it
recognisable by the general public. It also stands the organisation out
in the midst of many brands providing the same service or selling the
same product.
The
Church has for so many years relied on God, the angels and the Holy
Ghost to make the work grow, which is good, but more effort should also
be put into branding.
If God did not want us to think and generate ideas, on how to improve things, he would not have given us a brain to think.
For
the avoidance of doubt, growth in this context refers to your
membership strength, ministry media reach, financial ability and
exposure.
A prominent man of God said "Data
shows us the results of what we are doing, wisdom tells us what to do.
God's wisdom & data mining are not at cross-roads. If you are doing
the right thing i.e following the path of wisdom, the data will indicate
it because wisdom is justified of her children."
Well, before I continue, let me appreciate the men who studied everything about theology, Greek, eschatology and the rest.
In
Peter's voice: I want to say Greek, eschatology, theology have I none,
but such that I have, write I to you this day for your benefit.
Back
to the matter. The concept of branding and Church growth might sound
alien to many preachers, but before you close your mind and dismiss this
article as an unholy intrusion into the divine subject of Church growth
reserved only for the 'called', please answer these questions honestly.
1. Are you truly happy and satisfied with the current number of people in your Church?
2. At what rate are you growing?
3. Would you like to grow and have more members?
I
know some spiritual folks are saying where is branding written in the
scripture? What kind of blasphemy is this? Here are some scriptures to
show you God wants you to brand.
Ezra 7: 27 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Remember branding stands you out).
Isaiah 60: 15 (MSG) ...But now I’ve put you on your feet, towering and grand forever, a joy to look at!
If
you take an objective look at your Church and you desire to grow in
your membership strength, this article will help you, otherwise, thank
you for reading this far.
Over
the years, I have researched the churches that have grown exponentially
and I have noticed that the same thing stands out, though their method
of application might be different.
Dear
sir, this article is not going to go into whether the Church is
spiritual, of if the growth is carnal or diabolic. My main aim is to
point out how branding can help Church growth.
Over
the years, I have noticed that these four principles or rather brand
points have popped up whenever I study any Mega-Church, as they are
called.
1. The Message: This
is a dicey place to start with, because most preachers hold their
message dearly. Which is good. The message of every ministry is core
part of its brand identity, and while this is not trying to change that,
it is important to take some things into consideration.
Are your members beat down or impacted by your message? This is important because they are your brand ambassadors.
Do they understand you? Is there room for them to ask questions?
Is your topic relevant to the challenges we find ourselves in? Or do you say Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever?
How does your message solve their career challenges, peer pressure, marital and sexual issues?
How does it make your members stand out in this challenging economy and in the work place?
Are
the bible principles you share, broken down in a way that they can
relate it to their problems, or do you just talk about Adam, Eve, the
Garden of Eden and the apple, without giving real life examples?
Your
message will show in the lives of your brand ambassadors and if it is
not positively impacting their lives, nobody will want to follow them.
Let
your message meet the needs of the people or the locality you find
yourself in. This is not asking you to water down or change your divine
mandate from God.
It
is asking you to apply data with God’s wisdom. Do an anonymous
questionnaire about your message and you will be surprised by the
results.
2. The Music: Don
Moen, the renowned gospel artiste once said that wherever there is a
great move of God, the people are singing the right songs.
The
right song in this context, are the songs that minister to, and uplifts
the people. There is a difference between singing and ministering, and
this depends on the word-meal the singers are getting.
This is why your message is key. Beat down people can never minister life, no matter how they sweat and cry on the stage.
You can only give what you have. Your singers should be taught the process of ministration.
It
is a process and it can be learnt. Jesus himself went through a
process. Some people go to Churches on Sunday, just because of the song.
Well, you might dismiss it and say they are babies, but yes! Jesus asked us to be like children.
3. The Man: Hmmmmmm!
The Man!! The Man!!! The Man!!! Follow them who through patience have
obtained the promise. You are only as successful as the people you meet
and the books you read.
Your understanding of the needs of your customers and how your product meets those needs matter.
Your
communication, dressing etc all forms a picture in the mind of your
clients (members). Read books outside your area of expertise
(preaching).
One
Man of God once said he studied the way Americans run their political
campaigns to get ideas on soul winning. Read books on customer service
etc.
4. Method: This
is the simplest part of it all. It involves your Church environment and
how comfortable it is. How well decorated is the venue? Is the sound
system clear? What is your official colour? Do you preach the
everlasting gospel that lasts for hours? How well do your ushers and
staff treat and talk to people? Are the seats neat? Are you audible
enough?
Nobody will like to eat in a dirty restaurant no matter how well the owner cooks. You are cooking spiritual food.
The
methods are just the tiny Ts and Is that need to be crossed and
properly dotted to give your members a unique worship experience.
I hope I have succeeded in convincing you, and not confusing you, that branding is a powerful tool for Church growth.
Thank you for finding time to read.
