May I entreat you as you read this blog-vignette with these sobering words: DON’T GO THERE! This is not about politics. Neither is it about the personhood of President-elect Barack Obama. We evangelicals have an insatiable thirst to be conveniently myopic and inhospitable to any sane conversation about ideas or topics without allowing them to be clouded by our own religious and personal proclivities. DON’T GO THERE!
I simply wanted to share with you my amazement over the capacity of Obama’s marketing machine to raise the amount of monies for the primary and presidential campaign in the midst of an economy where some claim we have officially been in a recession since November 2007. Given, this feat is really a part of a broader narrative that is significant. Considering the prevalence of massive foreclosures, loss of confidence in the stock market, endemic suspicion of the credit rating system, moronic lending practices, worldwide collapse of banking systems, volatility of energy prices, and irresponsible reckless spending, yet millions of people contributed modest sums of monies to a campaign they thought was worth the sacrifice.
In a more expanded article that would appear in the Winter edition of MissionStrategy.org magazine, I have listed ten lessons that church leaders and those responsible for church marketing and communication can learn. Here’s my abridged list that would be expanded in the magazine:
- Diversify communication through user-generated content.
- Communicate passionately to people what they care about.
- Sustain lively communication through unexpected incentives.
- Design a simple message that is consistent, relevant, and focused.
- Maximize the opportunities that the social media presents.
- Establish a continued dialogical connection with the market.
- Expand the marketing base to include the overlooked and underserved community.
- Results must be constantly measured and evaluated.
- Tangibalize the intangibles.
- Leverage the broad possibilities of the internet.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
That ten chapter titles to a great book!
December 8th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I believe people will always be much more inclined to spend during an economic downturn, (or certainly at any other time), when their purchase is based more upon emotion than actual need.
Just a thought!
December 8th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Great strategies!! I would love to see how we can biblically align these strategies in regards to a Kingdom application. The success gained was significant indeed.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Ya’ll betta git yo dic shun naries.
I adamantly implore the readers of this blog segment to understand that verbosity merely affirms what the Scriptures teach us, the readers are being, or have been, subjected to pure rhetoric.
The initial blog entry, posted by the site administrator, had everything to do with exalting Obama and celebrating his victory while attempting to imply that God could be happy because the CHUCRH is supporting and Praising one who onthe killing of babies and facilitating the advancement of the Homosexual agenda.
Thank God for the “Evangelicals” who are bold enough to assert their firm stand on Gods WORD. And, I resent the notion that such are “Narrow Minded” (Myopic) and “inhospitable.” We should NEVER by hospitable to sin, regardless of what level it comes from or the color of the skin of the conveyor.
Everything we look at, read or hear should be filtered through the Word of God and when it does not meet the standard, you better wave a red flag.
Obamas win does speak volumes, to some degree, for the progress we have made in race relations. But I seriously question, and am waiting so see, how the Kingdom of God will be advanced. By the way, his recent appointment of an abortionist to the office of Director of Communications is scary, to say the least.
To the Administrator, I agree with you that the “Evangelicals” seem to be posting vehemently opposed to your comments. But, I wouldn’t say they, we, are narrow-minded. But, perhaps just doing what Jesus people do, and that is to examine everything, including self, according to His Word. AND I MUST GO THERE !!
December 9th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Hi Dr. Phillips, it’s your favorite girl in Indianapolis. I absolutely get what you are saying. Plus, thanks for increasing my vocabulary words. Obama ran an effective campaign. The best in history some say. And he spent almost TWO years doing it. His campaign was effective because he had a whole lot of regular everyday working people donating $25 to his campaign. That’s it. The question that should be answered besides being able to raise this kind of money in this type of economy is what was it about him that 55% of the voters wanted to gamble on? Not to mention the number of Christians and Catholics who voted for him given his stance on the social issues. There was something about him personally that people liked in order to come out of pocket like that. How does giving go up in our churches after our pastors preach their messages? What are they saying to us? How are they inspiring us in the pews to want to give and do more? How do they make us care about what’s going on in the world?
December 9th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Oliver,
I understand paragraph one disclaimer, but really paragraph 2 and 3 make the objective point well enough with little need on my part (although I understand your need for it)for this disclaimer.
Parting with Obama as a personality and how he ran his campaign based on your ten objectives is easy for me to do. I think your points mentioned long for a detailed plan in the hearts of many pastors concerning discipleship, holiness presentation in the pulpit and classroom, and the positive exposure of their local church within their local community because some churches are just not seen as safe and fun places in their community due to past strife or whatever.
My only question here is how do we help churches achieve objectives 5-10 in a better more effective way? I’d love to explore that with Mission Strategy.
December 9th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Good observation Jack! The expanded article in the next issue of MissionStrategy.org Magazine would expand on these ten lessons I have listed.
Thanks again!
December 17th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Hi all,
(MY DISCALIMER: read the whole post or not at all please. If you stop at the first paragraph I promise you a really bad mood and day)
Of the three mass marketing attempts of what would become Christianity and let’s face it that is what this post is about, marketing, as related in the 4 Gospels not one was a success. The Sermon on the Mount ends with the people being astonished at Jesus’s teaching with not hint of “and there were added many numbers to the disciples that day” etc. The feeding of the 5K was a total failure because the people wanted to crown Jesus’ king right then and there according to John’s Gospel. Obviously he failed marketing 101 before comming on down. And finally in the account of the three thousand fed he didn’t even garner any accolades at all from Matthew or Mark.
Now I am in no way saying Jesus was a failure, but I am saying that trying to “market” the Church is so 20th century and modern! It didn’t work for Jesus or the Apostles, it didn’t work in the late 20th c., and it certainly will not work in the 21st c..
We are living in a time that is increasingly becoming Post-modern. Obama and his team knew this and leveraged it to hilt to get a person that has no personal core system of belief to guide him (in the modern sense) elected as POTUS. Post-moderns do have a core system, but it’s not what we are commonly used to and definately not a subject to discuss in this post (feel free to e-mail me at roeddog@hotmail.com for comments or lively discussion on post-modernism, or don’t its up to you)
Dr. Phillips I do agree with most of your points, obviously I disagree with your premise on which you make them.
1. Definately down with this one! Post-moderns (PMs) want and need to be heard and not just force fed what we say from the pulpit or SS.
2. I love this one best. I’ve heard for the last 35 years what I’m supposed to care about from the pulpit I call it the “God can, God will, God does” syndrome. I’ve changed it to “God can, God will, God IS” caring about the things I care about and want to be engaged with me in them. (hmm could this be the reason I didn’t get a good grade in preaching II? I didnt follow the 3 points and we’re off to beat the Baptist’s to lunch format ;p) Stop telling me what I’m supposed to care about and address those things I actually do.
3.TBH, I am not quite sure what you meant here. I took it to mean jump on and use whatever good thing comes out of your dialogue, especially if you were expecting a different result go with what you have; be flexible.
4. Sorry, cant get on board totally with this one because it eventually defeats #2 at some point.
5. I’m a computer/gadget/electronics geek at heard, ‘nuf said
6. Drop the market and add …with those you engage with in your life and culture. Both your statement and my addition requires one to be socially, communally, and most importantly spiritually aware of the world about them.
7.Again, drop the marketing and just get back to the roots of the COTN, was this not our so-called target audience when we started?
8.I’ll give you this one, but it’s still a marketing strategy
9.Love it! No one said being a Christ-follower was going to be easy. Tangibles don’t necessarily have to be something physically touched; it can also be a feeling, emotion or thought too remember.
10. See response to 5.
Just my $.02.
In His Grace
December 17th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Jeff, I sincerely thank you for responding honestly to my blog. You have reflected on the purpose of the blog — to be a place for the exchange of views and stimulating conversations. I would be interested in your response to the expanded version of the blog that would be available on the MissionStrategy.org Magazine.
Thanks for fraternity!
December 19th, 2008 at 5:35 am
I agree with Oliver that the Church (Body of Christ) can and should learn a lot from Obama’s campaign strategies. However, too many Christians’ perspectives are clouded by their so-called convictions which are often merely prejudices against anyone or (denomination) who does’t believe like they believe. Some Christians are so “Heavenly-minded” that they are no “Earthly-Good” which often is perceived by the world or non-believers as a “Holier-than-thou” attitude.
The Bible tells us we should be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, and he who is wise wins souls. Whatever it takes to win a soul for the Kingdom should be our priority and put aside who’s idea it is. We need to look past race, ethnicity, and petty (political) differences to see how we can minister to the hurting, oppreseed, and lost. Oliver gave us the warning at the beginning, “Don’t Go There” because he knew that some Christians somehow have forgotten that since Jesus one day looked beyond their faults and met their needs, we should do the same for others.
Let’s try spend more time building bridges with the lost instead of pointing fingers and building walls! When it’s all said and done, we can always learn from others…including sinners or people who we disagree with.
Don’t be so quick to judge because there are a lot of people who will make it to heaven who “We” may think aren’t saved, and everyone who is talking about Heaven…ain’t going!”