They were filming their life on a daily basis, digital mediums, in new forms, with new tools. or, they might say, “That’s the church that
how they were raising their kids, how they’re A core foundation of faith and values that could was super welcoming!” Those are the kinds
treating each other in marriage, and they’re withstand the intensity of being in a space of things people could think about when they
getting 100,000 views a day. A lot of times like this was so foundational. Churches are all think of you.
these videos were twenty minutes long, and I different, and I happened into this one stream was like, wait a minute, every day people are that taught that God has given us the ability to The
watching their life and they’re learning how to produce wealth. Why? So that we can have consistency. You should create a brand identity
live. Jesus said, “Go into the world and make resources to make a difference in the Kingdom. with a memorable name, logo, and color
disciples, teach them everything I commanded,
visuals
matter,
they’re
helpful
for
scheme. Even more so, a great question that
teach them how to live, teach them how to live [WM] In the Church Marketing with YouTube every church leader should ask is, “What makes
according to God’s way of life.” video you said, “Good marketing won’t make us different?” Different is better than better.
up for bad content!” What are some of the key I don’t mean different than Papa Murphy’s, I
At best, Joel Osteen or Rick Warren get to pour content creation mistakes you see churches mean different than other churches. This really
into someone’s life for thirty-seven minutes, one making, and what are some of the easy fixes if gets church leaders uncomfortable sometimes
day a week. But these YouTube creators are any you could suggest? because they’ll say, “Well we’re for everybody,
teaching people how to think about life, sex,
because all people need Jesus.” Actually, not
morality, and all this type of stuff, and I was [Sean] I love that you asked that! One everyone is going to like your church. It’s not for
like, there are no Christians here. These days definition of branding is, “What do people think everybody, but it is for some people. There are
it’s a little more progressive I think, those walls about when they think about you?” What do groups of people that you’re probably graced
have kind of been torn down. But were talking the Google and Yelp reviews for your church to reach. The modern church is shrinking and
about over a decade ago, we were all about say? Do you even know? Have you checked? is losing influence in culture, so you might want
huddling in the church to pray and if you were a Do you even have a Google and Yelp review to be considering a rework of your strategy,
businessman your job was just to make money strategy? If you don’t you’re not being as wise without compromising biblical values. You’ve
and give it to missionaries. as a serpent, because wisdom in the modern got to adapt to culture.
era would have you understand that those are
It’s a huge blessing that Mike Fillmore, the the tools people are going to be using when [WM] If you went back to serving as the
Lead Pastor at the time, was so progressive. they look for you. So, your brand could be, Director of Communications at a church, how
He came into town and was like, “There’s this “That’s the church whose building and decor would approach that position today?
new thing called Twitter” and we all thought seems extremely antiquated...” or, “That’s the he was nuts. We were literally like, “Tweeting? church whose greeters seem like they’re more [Sean] I would sit down and ask, “Who is
So stupid!” (laughs) It’s really possible for your interested in talking with themselves than in my church? What are we willing to do,
small town to make you small minded. It’s also talking to me...” or, “That’s the church whose change, give up, or painfully acknowledge
possible for your small church to make you kids program seemed kind of unsafe and I is a bit antiquated?” Then I would ask, “Do I
small minded. You need to get out of your box. don’t know if I want to drop my kids off there...” want new people to come to my church?” The
I was so thankful that I was challenged because
it really was the tool of the future, and it really
is a tool to meet people. The first YouTube
channel I ever managed was in 2007 for my
church.
My conviction and belief to this day is that a few
years of an internship at a local church, or a few
years equivalency of a Bible college, is critical
to getting the right kind of theological character
and world view for the future. To be honest, I’m
in this place because of what we were seeing
in our youth group and learning to become a
communicator. Ultimately that’s what all of this
is, communication. It just happens to be over
166
November 2019
Subscribe for Free...