Nothing like a bad poll question to spice up the beginning of the week. Perhaps I should have asked something like “This site is named Church Marketing Sucks. True or false?” Good question or not, here’s what you said.
81% of you don’t skip a Sunday under any circumstances. The faithful majority, if you will. Do you never skip because you’ve done it, and it’s failed, or you’ve just never tried it? Check out cancelchurch.com for a story of one church where it worked. There’s also our story about a church that quit for the summer.
As far as the rest of the answers go, 10% of you skip a Sunday every now and again. You look to spice things up, build some momentum or get some rest. Have you had success doing this?
3% of you skip a Sunday sporadically, but more than once or twice a year. I’ve heard great stories of churches doing this before, but it becomes a little tougher as your church grows.
2% of you meet more in small groups than a large group. I’d assume you guys are in networks of house churches or things as such who get together to worship and celebrate every now and again. A viable alternative to mainline churches for many people.
4% of you are church skippers. I’m not gonna bust any chops over that here; we’re glad you’re checking us out and seeing how church marketing sucks; best of luck in figuring out a solution to the problem.
This week, we want to know what you think of franchising church.
Illinois
October 10, 2007
I live in Bloomington, IL. Life Point Church is held in our neighborhood grade school. Not far from our neighborhood is a huge billboard sign that screams, “Church does not SUCK!” Below the title is the name of our grade school (because the church meets there). I am a Christian and the billboard message offends me. It offends my 12 year old daughter. She was upset by it. The ad brings about a negative feeling- not the motivating feeling that I’m sure the church is wanting. Our school PTO is embarassed and upset with the billboard and is looking at having the church removed from using the school. We don’t use the word “SUCK” in our family. To us it’s a curse word. The marketing goes over the line and is more than just “edgy”. I came to this site because your web address is on the billboard. I and others are contacting the local Life Point church to express our disappointment. Be a light unto the world.
brad
October 11, 2007
Oh man, that’s got to be the irony of the day. Well illustrated, Illinois. You can’t advertise by association with negativity, unless it’s: “Now 17.5% less judgmental!” Surely this massive billboard doesn’t actually belong to CMS — does it?
The discussion of the word ‘sucks’ has been done to death — I think the point is that it’s a culturally appropriate term.
Now steering back on to the topic of this post, I don’t miss many of our services. I’m starting to want to though — I want to be exposed to fresh stuff that I could offer to our congregation.
kelly
January 12, 2008
come on!!! We are all wanting something better than our everyday life. Some of the un-churched need that billboard. Do you call yourself a son of GOD????