This means that there is a cynical attitude forming in the hearts of American Christendom towards those around us. To further prove this point, the Barna Group reported on the people responsible for the lower demographic as:

Two-thirds of evangelical Christians (64%) and three out of every five Hispanics (60%) embraced that position, making them the groups most convinced of the shift in America’s default faith… People who said they are politically conservative, however, saw things differently than did the rest of the country: a slight majority of conservatives claimed that Christianity remains the natural choice of most Americans.

My question is simply why?

What has changed? Christians still make up three fourths of the American population and yet a vast majority of evangelical Christians don’t seem to believe that offspring born in this country are naturally inclined to be Christian?

It could be due to the emphasis that the evangelical arm of the faith has placed on a personal decision to become a christian. Yet I don’t think that is accurate, I wonder how much of it stems from the preaching and message we hear? Yes there are a lot of non-Christians in America (25% or roughly 75 million people).

What do you think? Are Americans likely to become Christians?

Source: Barna Group Report
Image St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Saquan Stimpson/monstershaq2000

Everyone hopes that the ministry they lead will have an effect on influencing the lives of those they are ministering to. It is at this point that the church holds up the importance of community to bring about these changes. More and more we are learning empirically that intimate friends improve ones health and well being. This then becomes our goal; building communities of intimate friends.

With so much technology out there, how should we go about utilizing these tools for those we are ministering too?

I want to start by displacing a common marketing myth, that it is all about branding. While I don’t discount the importance of branding (just one journal article on the effects of branding on consumer behavior – Chicago Journals) we are beginning to experience a huge shift away from the traditional model.

The Two Marketing Models

The traditional model has revolved around getting their logo/brand (not always synonymous) in front of your customers. This has led to the advertising industry which has heavily focused on print, television, and product placement to create interactions with their customer. While this model will likely never completely go away, it is on the decline.

The new model acknowledges the root of the traditional model of an interaction with their customers. With the advent of truly interactive mediums, mainly on the Internet right now, we can return to that root and create meaningful interactions with those we are ministering too.

The Problem

There is always a hesitation when it comes to the Internet. The fear that the relationships are superficial and that change can be faked. While those are valid concerns, they are (I believe) out weighted by anyone who is genuinely desiring to be closer to Christ. Our job is to be focused on those people in any work we do online.

Upcoming Posts

When talking about platforms to use the list seems endless, and it is growing everyday. Our series will touch on the major players in this online realm:

• Blogging
• Podcasting
• Video Sharing (YouTube, Google Video)
• Facebook/Myspace
• Twitter (micro blogs)
• Photo Sharing Sites (Flickr)

We’ll also look at a few relevant concerns about extending your ministry onto the web:

• Managing your Online Identity
• Healthy Relationships/Boundaries
• Time Management

If you aren’t subscribed to our feed get signed up now to make sure you don’t miss any of the coming articles in the series.

He believes there are 4 myths that churches buy into when trying to reach out and presents his reasons why they moved away from them. Also lists four ways they are drawing the unchurched in, like “Let them ask questions.”

Check out the very interesting reading. Gateway Country

It was surprising to me how relevant the article still is over seven years later. What are your thoughts?

Hat Nod to ChurchMarketingSucks.com (link).

Same old goals get the same old excitement.

Ever notice how excited people get about anything new. They talk about it and want to be a part of it if they can. Most often for us this happens vicariously because these new things are distant to us personally. These new things generally consist of new TV programming, relationships in our peers, or a new gadget that comes out.

There are websites, magazines, and multi-million dollar industries revolving around each of these because they feed off our human excitement about something new.

So what happens when we aren’t new anymore?

One probably many non-profit organizations face on a regular basis is going stale. The freshness that exists around new things fades when organizations get older. It is this reason NGOs try to make the most of their first year or two.

We can’t be new and young all the time, and there are benefits to being established (especially for fundraising). So how do we go about keeping this excitement?

This isn’t going to be rocket science.

Think about the organizations that you’ve been a part of and ask this question, when were you most excited about that membership?

Chances are they had a purpose or goal that you were really excited about. I remember the first time I found a great photo sharing website (flickr.com) and I told everyone about it because I loved sharing my photos with friends. A few years, and thousands of photos later, I’m still a member of the site. Though not as active there as I once was.

So aside from being new, what are some things that cause excitement?

• New Growth
• New Programs
• New Staff
• New Facilities
• New Publicity.

While our underlying goal is to see new growth (both in members, exposure, and our ability to reach our stated goal) and since facilities and new staff are so costly, this leaves the remaining two options to discuss.

There are many ways to even blend new programs and publicity together. Often the local media are looking for feel good news pieces and this is where we step in. If you don’t know them, try having lunch with someone from the local newspaper to share with him what your organization has been doing. Or even better, something new you are just starting.

These new (or reinvented) programs will spring up from your organizational goals. The more focused your mission statement more effective these programs will be at reaching your stated goal. Pair that with your more relaxed management and culture of innovation and your organization will come up with concepts and programs that people want to hear about, and be a part of.

What have been some ways that your organization has built excitement?

Leave a note in the feedback!

Additional Resources

Images: Strawberries by *clairity*, Science Experiment Gone Bad by Bethany L. King, and Box Lunch by jurvetson