Take it on the Road
by Chris Forbes
Free tips for getting the word out about your church from the Ministry Marketing Coach
Get out the road maps and call the auto club, it’s time you and your ministry team took a little road trip. Why not go and visit some other churches? Visiting other churches can be an effective marketing research tool. Wherever you can, learn what others are doing and why they are doing it.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” In the way other people can sharpen your character, other churches can help sharpen your ministry.
Visiting another church helps sharpen your ministry by making you aware of things you didn’t know you needed. Learn to see things in your church from the perspective of an outsider. A visit might even jog your memory about changes need to make in your own church.
Many times, ministers are unaware of the image their church or ministry is casting, because it is familiar and they’re used to it. Others can teach you thousands of great principles through your observations and conversations with other ministries.
This doesn’t mean imitating other churches. Let your own strengths shine. Too often, people look to other churches for programming ideas they can transplant to their ministries. Instead, look for principles you can adapt and apply in your church. After all, your church has its own context and personality. Your ministry needs to be a fit for the place you minister.
No one has all the answers. Therefore, become a life-long student of ministry excellence. Getting outside your own church walls will help you get a new perspective in your ministry.
Be willing to share your insights with others. Your good ideas may be just the thing to help another church make more impact in their context.
Action Point!
Try to take some time away from your own ministry, even if that means taking a Sunday off. Visit another church somewhere and get another outlook on how people are doing ministry.
