SermonView Newsletter May 2008

You are viewing an archived version of the Sermonview Newsletter. View the current edition.

VISUAL PREACHING

Myth Busters: The Truth about Church Communication #6

Myth #6: Madison Avenue marketing works because they throw billions of dollars at persuading people that they need things they don’t have.

The Truth: People have real needs. Advertising works because people are persuaded that a product or service will meet a real need.

The Facts: Humans have many true needs, like the need for food and water, for shelter and safety, for community, for success and recognition. Marketing professionals intentionally strategize about how to “position” a product to meet one of these deep needs. Once they decide the product position, every nuance to every communication about the product points to that position. Some advertising, obviously, appeals to the “carnal nature” of the human heart. Yet a lot of it is directed at real, deep-seated needs, like the need to belong, the yearning for love, the hunger to grow and become more than we are. These are good desires that God has placed in our hearts.

But the deepest desires of the human heart will never be filled with things, and they cannot be met with relationships that are bought with cash. God “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecc. 3:11), and our deepest needs are only satisfied as Christ lives in our hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17).

The Solution: God placed His Church on earth to draw people to Him, so that He can meet these needs through His people. Too often, church communication is focused on the needs of the church, rather than the needs of those God has called us to reach.

With that in mind, here are three steps to a needs-based approach to ministry.
  1. Understand the basic needs God has called you to meet. People don’t need a church to attend; they yearn to be accepted in a community that knows them and loves them. For younger generations, the idea of “authentic living” is more important than putting on the false front seen so often at church activities. In the inner city, many simply need a nutritious meal and a safe place for their children to play. Pray with your leadership team for insight into the people God wants to draw into your local body of believers. Then write those needs down and prioritize them.
  2. Work to create an environment where those basic needs are met. Once you have identified the needs your church is called to serve, encourage people within your church to look for ways fill the specific need within the church and the community. Focus your ministry events around educating, encouraging, and invigorating your church members to actively seek ways to serve their community with this common goal. And invite your community to participate in events that teach them healthy ways to seek fulfillment within their lives.
  3. In all your communication, speak to the need, and offer a solution. God wants to fill every need He created us with. Many of us found Him while searching for answers to our own insecurities or inadequacies. So when we speak to our neighbors and community we need to stay focused on their needs and their longings. Make sure every point of communication engages a core need—a need that they themselves recognize—before introducing a solution.

We’ll end with a simple, general example. If you believe God has called your church to be a place where people feel like family, then make sure the environment and the culture really do feel that way to first-time attendees. Then rather than inviting people to church with the line, “Come to Prairie Community Church services at 9am and 11am,” consider something like, ”Come find a family with us at 9am and 11am this weekend.”

We’d love to hear your story. What kind of needs has God invited your church to meet? How are you doing it? Drop us a quick note, at info@sermonview.com.

© 2008 SermonView. All rights reserved.
SermonView
2903 NE 109th Ave. Ste. D, Vancouver, WA 98682 (360) 567-3400