In Spend Less, Reach More: A Pastor’s Guide to Reaching the Most People for the Least Amount of Money, David Jones takes a rare look at marketing and its costs. Plenty of books out there deal with marketing on a philosophical level or even offer somewhat practical solutions. Those are nothing compared to the details you’ll get in Spend Less, Reach More.
After a run-down of marketing strategy and philosophy, David gets right to the meat. “If I have [X] people and [Y] dollars, where should I put my marketing money?”
He hits all the aspects of a marketing budget–search engine optimization, bulletins, radio commercials, television commercials and more. In 80 pages, Spend Less, Reach More minimizes fluff and gives you a primer of all you needed to know about marketing and how to set your own budget. It’s a great read for anyone involved in setting your church’s agenda for marketing.
I didn’t necessarily agree with all of David’s marketing philosophy or prioritization of various media, but as a long-time church marketer, he’s certainly an expert in the field. The book is affordable and insightful. At the very least, it should get you thinking more about how you’re allocating your marketing budget, and at most, it could be the marketing plan you need to lead more people in your community to Christ.
More from David:
- Spend Less, Reach More, the web site
- Marketing Ministries (Warning: music and sound effects will come from your computer when you visit this site.)
Tina Burrows
September 12, 2008
As a former Creative Director at a church in North Carolina and someone who has worked with David Jones first hand, I wish he had written this book sooner! I have used many of his suggestions in ministry and seen great results growing a church.
Bill Wolfe
September 12, 2008
I got to play golf with Dave today. In addition to being a great golfer, he’s a great marketer. Go get the book and read it.
A.B. Dada
September 13, 2008
I’ll pick up the book today if it’s available at Borders. But I feel I may already have some disagreements, if the book’s primary focus is on money.
Money is never an issue for any church, even if the people working/volunteering there think it is. Money is always available because money is always wasted in efforts that do nothing for the community or the congregation. I’ve audited a few “broke” churches and have seen that money isn’t the problem.
The biggest problem for any church, or even business, is time. How a person’s time is spent in the ministry is usually the biggest block to efficiency. As I’ve said a million times before, the Church (the big picture) wastes an amazing amount of time, not money, doing duplicate work that other parts of the Body are also doing. We’re not “The Church of Chicago” we’re “one of the many churches of Chicago” and all of them are spinning their wheels, doing the exact same work over and over, wasting the efficiency that a cohesive Body should have. It’s like brushing your teeth 4 times: once with each hand, and once with each foot, because none of your limbs know what the other has done to keep those pearly whites just that.
When I hear people complain about money, I just slap my head and move on. It’s never money. It will never be about money. It’s always about efficiency and the maximized use of time in an area where you can do your best. If you have to do something badly, then you’ve wasted your time and you’ve wasted God’s Gifts to you. But that’s why we have denominations and competition within the Body: people don’t care about time, they care about money. When you find others to do something better than you, you can focus on your gifts, and the problem is solved.
Look beyond the dollar signs (and that’s coming from a hardcore capitalist).
A.B. Dada
September 13, 2008
I’ll pick up the book today if it’s available at Borders. But I feel I may already have some disagreements, if the book’s primary focus is on money.
Money is never an issue for any church, even if the people working/volunteering there think it is. Money is always available because money is always wasted in efforts that do nothing for the community or the congregation. I’ve audited a few “broke” churches and have seen that money isn’t the problem.
The biggest problem for any church, or even business, is time. How a person’s time is spent in the ministry is usually the biggest block to efficiency. As I’ve said a million times before, the Church (the big picture) wastes an amazing amount of time, not money, doing duplicate work that other parts of the Body are also doing. We’re not “The Church of Chicago” we’re “one of the many churches of Chicago” and all of them are spinning their wheels, doing the exact same work over and over, wasting the efficiency that a cohesive Body should have. It’s like brushing your teeth 4 times: once with each hand, and once with each foot, because none of your limbs know what the other has done to keep those pearly whites just that.
When I hear people complain about money, I just slap my head and move on. It’s never money. It will never be about money. It’s always about efficiency and the maximized use of time in an area where you can do your best. If you have to do something badly, then you’ve wasted your time and you’ve wasted God’s Gifts to you. But that’s why we have denominations and competition within the Body: people don’t care about time, they care about money. When you find others to do something better than you, you can focus on your gifts, and the problem is solved.
Look beyond the dollar signs (and that’s coming from a hardcore capitalist).
Jim
September 13, 2008
Early church:
Travailing prayer
Forsaking of sin
Openly preaching the Gospel of repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Selling posessions
Giving to the poor
Turning the world upside down
Pulling down satans strongholds
Being rejected and even martyerd
American “church”:
Play golf, live at ease in Zion
Watch filthy television shows
Love the things of this world
Build pretty buildings
Be relavent
Preach non-offensive sermons
Production quality dramas to attract seekers
Buy books that helps maximize our cash so we can bring more people into our religous pool of lukewarm vomit
-www.fleebabylon.com
joseph
September 14, 2008
wow, Jim. i’m so convicted. you totally changed my mind in 26 seconds. i feel so stupid…
Jim
September 15, 2008
Joseph-
Conviction can only come from the Holy Spirit, as can salvation. That is why church growth and marketing movements mainly produce false converts who have a form of godliness without power.
-Jim
Lex
September 15, 2008
Wow. Apparently I’m living in a shade of gray that doesn’t actually exist. We’re either the first century church or we’re consumer Christians, huh? I wonder, then, about all the pastors and church leaders I know who live in the 21st century but don’t play golf, watch offensive television, or preach weak sermons. Where are they, Jim, in your polarizing, completely un-constructive view of the body of Christ?
Where ever they are, I’d rather be with them, trying our best to reach people in this century for the kingdom of God, than pointing fingers and making assumptions and criticizing. Even if it means we make a few mistakes.
Because sure, sometimes local churches and church leaders spend time and money on inefficient programs or marketing efforts that just don’t seem to get anywhere. But is that because they’re bad stewards who don’t know how to organize their time? Or is it because they’re passionate to reach people in their communities and sometimes programs just fail? I’d rather be with the guy who is willing to make a few mistakes if it means moving forward.
Dave Jones
September 15, 2008
Lex,
Thank you for standing up to this ridiculousness. I have been watching these comments and it absolutely blows my mind how some people are against marketing the church or their ministry, these comments are not about my book but about marketing in general.
The bottom line there are over 3,000 impressions a day being created by secular companies experts predict there will be over 5,000 impressions a day by the end of 2010. Where is your ministry going to be if you don’t create a solid vision and broadcast that vision to the people who can help carry out these goals of the vision. The answer is….. nowhere, thats where.
Every week we get calls from ministries around the globe, with either limited funds or a modest budget.They want to be good stewards of their budget and share the gospel in the most effective outlet by creating a media plan or simply broadcast their message in the most effective manner.
I am a former pro hockey player who got an “B” in english the second time around, so when God put this book in my spirit I was only being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Sorry guys, yes this book Idea came from God himself, I prayed fasted and prayed some more about writing this book, in fact it took me over 3 years to write because I didn’t want to do it.
Now I feel so humble that i was able to be used by God. I have had nothing but great responses from ministry leaders and Senior Pastors around the country.
Dave Jones
September 15, 2008
Lex,
Thank you for standing up to this ridiculousness. I have been watching these comments and it absolutely blows my mind how some people are against marketing the church or their ministry, these comments are not about my book but about marketing in general.
The bottom line…. there are over 3,000 impressions a day being created by secular companies and experts are predicting there will be over 5,000 impressions a day by the end of 2010.
Where is your ministry going to be if you don’t create a solid vision and broadcast that vision to the people who can help carry out these goals of the vision.
The answer is….. nowhere, thats where.
Every week we get calls from ministries around the globe, with either limited funds or a modest budget.They want to be good stewards of their budget and share the gospel in the most effective outlet by creating a media plan or simply broadcast their message in the most effective manner.
I am a former pro hockey player who got an “B” in english the second time around, so when God put this book in my spirit I was only being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Sorry guys, yes this book Idea came from God himself, I prayed fasted and prayed some more about writing this book, in fact it took me over 3 years to write it because I didn’t want to do it.
Now I feel so humble that I was able to be used by God. I have had nothing but great responses from ministry leaders and Senior Pastors around the Globe.
Jason
September 18, 2008
I’ve known Dave for over 10 years, and this guy is only following the leading of the holy spirit and showing pastors how to be the best steward of their money. Time is money, and we need to treat it just the same, especially if you are trying to reach a culture that is dominated by mass media to share a story that has eternal consequence.
Phil Bransom
September 24, 2008
Thanks Dave for the insightful book. I read it cover to cover.
It’s amazing how many people can have opinions without ever having cracked the cover. I guess a book is judged by it’s cover. (unfortunately many people are treated the same way… hmmmm)
This is a solid book with usable ideas. Having been a media director at a large church for 5 years, this book would have been extremely helpful. It gives some solid foundations to begin with.
It is like a dinner buffet. You take what you want and leave the rest. I don’t like lima beans but that isn’t going to stop me from the salad bar. I leave the lima beans off my plate.
This book should be in the hands of every single pastor, media director and board member. Read it, use what you need, leave the rest.
Sheila Branscombe
September 27, 2008
I haven’t read Dave’s book but it sounds like it would be helpful. In response to Bill’s comment, I would agree that there is tremendous economic savings if churched acted like The Church. A great example of this is a group of local churches in a small town who alone could not afford a youth pastor, but together could. They also linked with a local First Nations community for funding and had the youth pastor connect with First Nations youth. Now that’s stewardship!
In addition, I also agree that churches often inadvertently market to christians which fuels transfer growth and christian consumerism, and does not attract the unchurched. But I don’t agree that churches have money. I belonged to a very lean budget church that accomplished alot but still went belly up. The money only came in from some of the body but when the body found something better for them, less work etc, the money left too.
Making mistakes is one thing; running on a hamster wheel is another.
Dave Jones
January 14, 2014
Great comments.