Preparing the Way

Benjamin Franklin probably said it best: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Proper prep work, as anyone knows who has ever cooked a large meal or painted a room, can make a huge difference in the final results.

Two years ago we started to talk about developing a major marketing campaign to grow the church, and realized that we needed to do some prep work first. We didn’t have a clear identity to communicate, our music program had collapsed on Mary Lou’s retirement, and our facilities were suffering from deferred maintenance. Since then, as a congregation, we’ve identified our strengths. We’ve upgraded our communication vehicles. Bill Gleason, Kelsey McKee, and Sherrill Tyacke have revitalized the musical portions of our worship services. We’ve made our facilities safer, more accessible, more water- and energy-efficient, and more attractive. Now the prep work is done, and we’re circling back to resume those conversations about growing our membership.

The participants in the May 13 brainstorming session confirmed that as we seek to expand, we want the church to be characterized by diversity, inclusion, involvement, and education. So, although our marketing efforts will continue to target church-going seniors in our immediate area, we want to welcome others, too.

Does this mean we expect the demographics of the church to change dramatically? Well, no. For one thing, our name is First Presbyterian Church of Sun City. That alone, as several people pointed out, should keep us from being overwhelmed by 20-something couples with preschoolers. On the other hand, we want to be more visible both inside and outside Sun City itself. After all, we already have church members who live in Wittmann, Surprise, and Tolleson; who says potential new members have to reside within walking distance?

We want to be open to whatever opportunities God offers us.

This summer we will be developing and implementing a formal marketing plan based on the most effective and efficient ways we can find to publicize the church. The brainstorming session, the recent Commission meetings, and the Memorial Day cookout all generated animated discussion and many suggestions as to how to accomplish this. We’ve had general support for amending the church’s mission statement. The Session has decided to keep the gates to the courtyard open during office hours to create a more welcoming atmosphere. We have agreed to try new ways to target potential members, including sending mailings to new residents, personally contacting regular attendees, and generating wider publicity for fellowship events. Additional suggestions continue to roll in—if you have any, please send them to me.

In the meantime, though, remember what I’ve told you before—THE most effective (and least expensive) way to grow a church is by word of mouth. A number of studies have confirmed this; here’s an example:

We found that almost four out of ten of the formerly unchurched indicated that family members were important in their choice of a church. Another one of four said that relationships other than family members brought them to church. That means that 73 percent (48 percent plus 25 percent) of those we interviewed told us about the importance of a relationship in their choice of a church. (Thom Ranier, Keys to Attracting the Unchurched)

Have you been spreading the word?

~Beth Mabee