Okay, Honestly, Does Your Church Have Clean Restrooms?
by Chris Forbes
Free tips for getting the word out about your church from the Ministry Marketing Coach
Clean restrooms may not sound like a part of ministry marketing, but it is. So are clean classrooms, sanctuary and grounds, and the absence of strange odors in the building.
Marketing includes every contact your church has with people. It is so important that you keep all of your facilities clean. A clean restroom says a lot to a family. If a restroom isn’t clean and well-stocked, it sends a wrong message to people. Many times churches don’t take that extra effort to really clean and polish everything in their church. Don’t let the church become cluttered and dusty. Keep it clean.
Don’t stop with how clean the church looks. If your church smells strange, musty or unclean, it, too, will run people off. Many new deodorizers and cleaners can help put the shine back in your facilities.
Walk around outside your church, too. How do the grounds look? Are the gardens kept in good condition? Are weeds growing up through the sidewalks? What is the condition of the paint and windows? Do they look like they need work?
Take a walk through the streets where the people you want to reach reside. Notice the care they take with their homes, lawns and gardens. When they come to the church and see the unkempt lawns, and come inside and find a dirty, strange-smelling church, they may feel you don’t pay attention to details. And, they may not come back.
Little things do matter. Visitors notice things more than you realize. You may be oblivious to the problems because you’ve become immune to your surroundings. The problems may not be noticeable to you, but visitors will notice how things look and smell.
Before advertising outside the walls of the church, be sure to check it inside and out. Remember that appearance is a marketing tool within itself. Church facilities should be spic and span.
Action Point!
Because you are used to the way it looks and smells invite another person who doesn’t attend your church to look around. Then ask them what kinds of things they found that you can take care of. It could be ceiling tiles that are broken or missing, stains on the wall, the smell, landscaping. Get an honest outside evaluation of the look and feel of your church.
