Simple Ministry Promotion

(1) Mobilize your membership. The most powerful (and cost effective) means of promoting any ministry is to put it in the hands of your congregation. Before you spend big bucks on advertising, make sure your membership knows about your ministry or event and has all the information and tools (flyers, etc.) necessary to spread the word.

(2) Understand the "One Thing." A ministry that tries to span a wide array of purposes and goals will often fall flat--promotion starts with a clear focus. What "one thing" is an event or program designed to accomplish? Let your promotional efforts feed of that single, most important purpose.

(3) Let God work. It is not the job of ministry promotion to "get people there," or to "fill the pews." Be clear about the role of promotion--to create awareness and interest. Promotion in and of itself will not create involvement in ministry, and certainly it will not change a heart. God, through His Holy Spirit, is working in the lives of those He would have to attend the event or to be influenced by the ministry.

Your best promotional effort will result in widespread awareness of what your church is doing and why. Who will attend? If we are following God's direction for ministry and truly trust Him, then the answer is whoever is supposed to be there, of course.

(4) Follow the breadcrumbs. Any ministry promotion should contain a clear means for potential participants to "take the next step." A phone number for contact, where to buy tickets, who to talk to about involvement--give people the option to move forward. Don't leave people hanging without an easy means to get involved.

(5) Point out unique aspects. Each ministry is unique. Let people know why. What is God calling your chuch to do, specifically? The temptation is often to cast a wide net--a ministry is for everyone. Consider instead casting a narrow net--target those who can most benefit from a particular ministry and work on that audience first.

(6) You can't promote what you haven't planned. Promotion is letting people know what is going on. If your ministry event or program is still in flux, you can only give people "TBA" for so long before they tune you out. Nail down the who, what, where, when, why and how and then begin the thrust of your promotion effort. People need more answers, not more questions.