If I had to put together a list of books that any church planter should read before launch, Purple Cow by Seth Godin would definitely be on the list. For that matter, if you're going to launch or lead anything, you need to read the book. It's that good.
One of Godin's key points is that traditional marketing is dead. Traditional marketing says, "Create an ordinary product and combine it with extraordinary marketing." The reason it's dead is that people are so bombarded with messages and markets are so saturated that ordinary doesn't get attention and therefore, doesn't get market share.
Purple Cow says, "Pour your money, time, and energy into creating a remarkable product and trust people to talk about it." People naturally talk about whatever is remarkable.
Nowhere is this more true than in church world. In Greenville County, like a lot of other counties in the South, there seems to be a church on every corner. How then does a new church get people's attention?
Godin contends that it is a mistake to try to market to everybody. In church world, that means it's a mistake to try to be all things to all people. Why? When you try to be remarkable to everybody, you're remarkable to no one. Hence the rise and fall of "blended" worship...whatever that means. Or, a "contemporary" service and a "traditional" service, whatever they mean, at the same church.
The trick to being remarkable is finding your niche. It's hard work, but it can pay off big time. Figure out who you are uniquely designed and equipped to reach and you have answered a ton of other questions. Finding your niche determines which area of family ministry gets the most resource, what style of music you play, what kind of graphics you use, what environments you do and don't do, where you locate, etc.
We started drilling down deeper on this question in our all-staff meeting on Monday. We had already sliced the market thin, but now we're slicing it even thinner. The smaller the niche, the better the chance at being remarkable. We have some work to do to be remarkable and finding the smallest possible niche is the first step.
What's your niche? Take a look at your community and figure out the wide-range of who's there. Start slicing it thin until you can't slice it any thinner. Then, go after that niche with everything you have and watch what God does!
Right on! This one element will make or break a church. Great post.
Posted by: J.R. Lee | November 15, 2006 at 08:21 AM
Great thoughts, Jay. I've been reading for awhile, but this is the first time I've commented. I'm from an Acts 29 (Driscoll's church planting network) church in Houston, so I can relate to the "church on every corner" thing.
I think a lot of times church planters feel guilty about having a clear, focused ministry target. They think that if they have one, they're ignoring other people. The truth is, when you narrow the focus you become better at being who your church is, and that is good for everyone - even people not specifically in that niche. We've seen a broad range of ages and lifestages coming to Kaleo, but not because we've changed who we are. In fact, like you guys, we're working on becoming even more focused.
Good stuff - thanks for always making me think.
Posted by: bill streger | November 15, 2006 at 08:33 AM
GREAT Post!! As a guy in the trenches (again) planting a new church, I totally resonated with this today. I wish I would have read this 4 years ago...it would have saved me a lot of headaches and heartaches! :>)
My church planting story totally supports your analysis here. At my first church plant launch we sent out (because the "experts" said we should) over 35,000 direct mail pieces, 4 times, to announce our opening. The good news: we had 425 at our launch. The bad news: I spent A TON of time over the next two years running off the majority of this initital crowd. Why? Traditional "shotgun blast" marketing will attract a crowd...but it usually attracts first the disgruntled and unhealthy people from other churches. I might as well put a billboard out that said, "if your a dysfunctional Christian and hate your current church, please come here." People didn't come because of our vision, but because of the thoughts of "greener" church pastures. Thank God we survived this mistake.
What's amazing to me is that this marketing strategy is still being encouraged and advised with most of the large church planting organizations. Like you, I don't get it.
Great Post today Jay-boy!! Good thoughts.
Posted by: Eddie Johnson | November 15, 2006 at 10:35 AM
Great post Jay!
Posted by: Bob Franquiz | November 15, 2006 at 06:55 PM
Hey Jay! Right On! This is true for established churches, too. We are are constantly taking steps trying to narrow and simplify who are and what we are doing...so people will say, "I want to come back." So, we can be engaging to people. I am going to print this out and give this to a few of our key staff guys tomorrow as we are gathering to have one of those reframing and clarifying discussions.
Keep Chasing the Lions!
Posted by: Jason Stewart | November 16, 2006 at 12:32 AM