Does Your Church Need
to Promote Itself?
You do more promotion in your church than you think.
Promotion involves anything that affects how people view your church--from
the appearance of the building, to the church name, to the look of the
Sunday morning bulletin, to the way the pastor comes across in speaking
to a local service club.
You probably have a sign on the church lawn. That's telling passers-by
something about you--not only what's written on the sign, but the appearance
of the sign itself (Is it old and faded? Brightly lit?).
You do promotion in many other ways. Flyers about VBS. A radio announcement
about a special event. A mention in the Yellow Pages. Letters and visits
to first-time attenders. Your website. Anything you print--stationery,
newsletters, brochures, business cards, flyers, electronic slides, web
pages--are aspects of church promotion.
Everything you do makes an impression of some kind. Promotion deals with
leaving good impressions.
This "Plain and Simple Church Promotion" guide
provides some practical information and tools for getting the word out
about your church. It's for people who want some information about aspects of
promotion, rather than a comprehensive treatment of the subject--perhaps
because they have neither the time nor the interest in becoming an expert.
This guide aims to impart a basic understanding of church promotion and
the techniques and tools available. It focuses on do's and don'ts, practical
tips, step-by-step instructions, pros and cons, and lots of bulleted information.
It's for pastors and other church leaders who want to know some, but
not all, about these many areas of church promotion.
Steve Dennie has spent the last 25 years as Communications
Director for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ denomination.
In that capacity he has produced all kinds of publications, edited
and designed magazines and newsletters, written several books (six
books total), helped film and script videos, and designed several
denominational websites. He has also conducted seminars on writing,
design principles, and other aspects of church promotion. He holds
a Communications degree from Huntington College (Huntington, Ind.)
and a Masters in Public Relations from Ball State University.
