Eric's Blog

ChurchMarketing 101

This is a must read for pastors. Don't let the title fool you. ChurchMarketing 101 is about the message you are sending to the community and to the guests that God sends through your doors. It will help you focus on finding out who you are and who you are best called to reach. Here are some quotes...

• "You have to first become the message you communicate."

• Questions you need to answer: "How do you want to differentiate yourself from other churches? How do you uniquely meet the specific needs of your community? What type of people are most at home in the church you have-what type fit best in the church you want to be?"

• "It is your challenge to reach people where they are and to create the atmosphere of love and joy that people hunger for."

• "We must be sure that we are not creating stumbling blocks because of our inability to relate to and adapt ourselves to the needs and understanding of the lost."

• "The first church visit is quite possibly one of the most vulnerable moments in the entire lives of unchurched people."

• "If your church is not relevant, a video clip, multimedia presentation, or catchy sermon title will not solve your problem."

• "How can we reach those outside our walls if we don't spend time with them?"

• "Increase its value (your church service) and people will feel they are missing something if they stay at home."

• "An atmosphere that fosters growth is an accommodating one, not a self-focused one."

• "Methods are not universal-principles are."

• "Unless we can connect with people on the level they feel they need, we cannot introduce them to their real need."

• "People will flock to where they feel comfortable and compatible."

• "Relevant excellence in the details is powerful and the essence of creating effective atmospheres."

• "The bottom line is that strategy and planning are fundamental to church growth."

• "Know the kind of church you are called to be and the people you are called to reach."

• "God calls us to be many things, but being comfortable is not one of them."

Great book, thanks Richard for giving me so much to chew on.

Leadership Convergence with Mark Batterson Part Two

In session two of the Leadership Convergence Mark talked about sermon branding. Here are "Seven Steps to Sermon Branding" he listed...

#1 Come up with a series title

#2 Create a series logo

#3 Design a series evite and invite

#4 Brainstorm Big Ideas

#5 Shoot a Series Trailer

#6 Design a microsite

#7 Add Sermon Props

For more details on each one of these steps go to this post on his blog.

If you are a media/graphic person and would like to help create some of these sermon "helps" listed in these steps then please leave a comment or email me and let me know.

Blog Name Contest

OK, here is the deal. Eric's Blog don't get it. We need a name that represents me and my heart. The interest listed on the about me page may help because that will be what I am blogging about. The biggest rule is that it must be creative. Please inform all New Lifers about this and let's see what we can come up with. By the way, you do not have to be from New Life to submit a name. Let the games (names) begin...

Making Vision Stick

Making Vision Stick is a small book with big ideas from Andy Stanley. I have read several books from Andy and every one of them has been helpful with ministry ideas and strategy. Here are a few quotes from Making Vision Stick:

• "Vision does not stick without constant care and attention."
• "It is up to each one of us to make sure there is alignment between the activity and the vision of our enterprise."
• "If it's a mist in the pulpit, it's a fog in the pew." -Howard Hendricks
• "If the vision is too complicated for people to embrace, nothing changes."
• "Every vision is a solution to a problem." "What is the need or problem my vision addresses? and What will happen if those needs or problems continue to go unaddressed?"
• "To make vision stick, a leader needs to pause long enough to celebrate the wins along the way."
• "What's celebrated is repeated."
• "Vision, not people's random ideas, should determine programming."
• "What people complain about communicates their understanding of the vision."
• "We pray for what we are most burdened for"

Wow, those last two are very powerful. Read them again and let them sink in.

Top 8 Books for Church Leaders

Here is a list of the top 8 books for church leaders as recommended by Nelson Searcy and Roy Mansfield. Click on this link to take you to the list now. On my desk from this list to read next is, "15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors." What would you add to the list as a must read book for church leaders that you read from last year?

The W.O.R.S.H.I.P. BRIDGE

This is from Ed Young's book "The Creative Leader." An acronym for worship that expresses the importance of the Sunday service.

W: Welcoming - Does your church have a welcoming environment that helps people overcome fear?

O: Organized - Creativity emerges from order.

R: Relevancy: - What difference does this make in peoples lives?

S: Sensitive - Are you sensitive to your guest needs?

H: Hour - You service should be one hour.

I: Inspirational - Our services should be motivational and inspiring.

P: Promotion - Promote what influences and affects the most people.

Let's talk about H: One Hour. What do you think about that? How long do you think a Celebration service should be: 1 Hour    75 Minutes    90 minutes? I would like to know what you think.