2023 is upon us and I have a question.
As a church planter, what are your plans to start 2023? How you start this coming year will shape your ministry, leadership teams, board, lay leaders and congregation. It will also prepare your heart for broken, and hurting people in your community and across Tennessee.
Are you settling to be an average church--to have average attendance, average worship and average giving? I hope not, because God has a plan!
Let’s look beyond being average in 2023. Remember the impact of your ministry is in God and His Word. You must rely on God! In Matthew 16:19, Jesus makes a declaration to Peter concerning the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. I typically use the KJV or HCSB, but for this one let’s look at the Message version. Matthew 16:19, “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”
In 2023, there is a need to have marketing in your budget. In this digital world, a lack of marketing can be a barrier to the advancing of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Marketing your church is a tool that helps with engaging, branding, and expanding the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. All types of business use marketing to promote their products and services. They do what is necessary to get their products to the consumer. In fact, while traveling each day, advertisements appear everywhere, from billboards to even standard yard signs. Marketing is a way to share a message.
Marketing can help the church to fulfill the mission of the Great Commission. Marketing is kingdom communication that makes your church plant visible to your community and the masses at large. When planting a church or having an internal church reset, keep in mind that marketing is outreach and goes beyond simple good intentions. Marketing the Gospel connects a diverse group of people to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the church.
Marketing is a valuable process because it requires effort, introspection, hard work, planning, commitment, and engagement from your marketing team. It helps your team to begin the visioning process which ignites an energetic fire that can propel your church forward.
As we enter into 2023, let’s take the responsibility to disciple the world as the Great Commission has directed. Marketing creates opportunities to reach people creatively and uniquely in spaces that aren’t typically reached using traditional church methodology. Marketing creates more than name recognition, it creates momentum.
Here are a few ways to maximize your presence:
Know your target audience
Know the messaging you want to convey
Know your brand (focus, mission, core values)
Identify your church culture or vibe
Plug into community events
Connect with a community center or school
Participate in community flea markets (setup a table, be creative and not churchy)
Have short and long term goals
Keep your website updated
Build a social media engagement team
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Dwayne Lewis, Church Planting Strategist
Cell: (615) 519-2222
Office: (615) 259-3034