From an email that came to my church account...
Subject: "The Secret Weapon for Phenomenal Church Growth"
What is this secret weapon? Is it a new church program? Prayer? Starting a new service? Maybe a discipleship or evangelism program?
No... the secret weapon for phenomenal church growth is....
drum roll...
Church signs.
You know, church signs. Like the one out front of your church? What? Never noticed it? Well, if you had one of these church signs, you would. Thousands would flock to hear the dullest of sermons, the most lame, uninspired worship, the coldest of pew sitters... just because of the sign.
From there email: "A church sign is one of the most important investments you can make in your church. It’s hands down the most effective advertising tool you can have.
What can a new church sign do?
Bring in new members
Increase your financial resources
Communicate with your community
Portray and project your church image
Let people know who and where you are"
I wish I was making this up.
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6 comments:
i hope the sign doesn't "secrete" anything.
does it slice? dice? julienne?
cook my breakfast?
wash my car?
wait for it.....
HERE'S YOUR SIGN.
sheesh.
I say that God will send us a sign if he wants us to have one.
A church near me must have invested in one of those church signs... and the sign is "more precious than gold". I guess with how much they must have paid for the sign, it seems more precious than gold.
Well, I don't think you need a slicing/dicing sign.
But I do think a simple something out front saying, in so many words or implicitly, "Come pray with us. Services at 9:30 and 11" makes a huge difference. (On further reflection, the service times section really should be explicit. No way to imply "Coffee hour at 9:30, worship service at 10.)
On a simple, pragmatic level, I'm much more likely to wander into a new church for the first time if I know what time I'm supposed to be a-wandering in. At times, in a new neighborhood, I've laced up my walking shoes on Sunday morning and figured I'd end up in a church service somehow. If I pass your church and it has a sign, telling me your service starts in half an hour, I may well say "OK, this will work." Without a sign, I have no idea if you start in ten minutes or two hours, and I'll keep walking and looking for the next one (with a sign).
Also, I think it sends a message of welcome. A sign is like an invitation. "You may not have joined us before, but you're welcome here." A church without a sign assumes that the people walking through the door already know the basics of how the church operates. It's subtly, implicitly, for those already "in the club." A sign says "Please come pray with us. Here's what you need to know."
And I think that is a powerfully good thing.
Love keeps people there, no argument. But a sign just might get them in the door to see the love.
But the ad was probably talking about a fancy schmancy techno-sign of some sort and that *is* just silly. So my ramblings are pretty irrelevant.
Honestly, I can't believe this created discussion. Sure a church sign is a good thing. But this ad makes it seem like a church sign will grow a church if the church sucks. I just had this vision of a pastor sitting behind a desk... "Oh my, my attendance is down, membership is down, giving is down, we have a terrible community image... what do I do? Oh, I know, I will pay $16,000 for a sign!"
And Brooke, churches would (and do) pay for services like that. There are companies already that do that. I think you ought to test your ideas though. And you ought to create it for the church you are presently a part of. (Okay, that was self serving!) But seriously, look around. If you can find the nitch (spelling?)... it might work.
niche
i was a marketing major so i'm certainly not discounting the importance of getting the message out there. when the email is titled "The Secret Weapon for Phenomenal Church Growth" though, i get a little skeptical. it's not secret: it's obvious. it's not a weapon: it's information.
seriously... phenomenal church growth based on a "secret weapon" sign? i highly doubt it.
sometimes it seems the message gets lost in the mode of communication, instead of being enhanced. just like this email [for me, anyway].
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