Evangelism is not Marketing

I've been studying and learning from church planters and church growth experts for a little while now, and I've seen a trend that I find a bit disturbing. Often, churches will divert a portion of their budget toward evangelism, but the money is spent on marketing. I've got no problem with a church spending money on marketing, and I think it's a great thing to do. I also think it's an easy mistake to make, because church marketing is evangelistic in nature, but it's not evangelism. Attractional vs. Missional Churches operating under an "attractional" model often fall into this pattern. The attractional model tends to live by the motto: Come check us out. You can meet God at our church. To an extent the attractional model is still working in the American church. People are still looking for a way to connect with God, and the older generations in particular still recognize that the church is the place to find God. Sometimes "seekers" walk in to a church, and have a spiritual encounter that leads to their conversion The "missional" pattern is more outward focused, often emphasizing reaching people where they are, and empowering the people to take the work of the church outside the church walls. Their motto is often: Let's get out there where the people are, and introduce them to God. The missional church has its challenges, but tends to be more active in social justice causes, and tends to be more effective at reaching the younger generations. The missional church sees fewer "instant" conversions, and more "gradual" conversions as people walk through a process of giving their heart to Christ. My observations tend to indicate that many of today's churches are currently a mix of both, struggling to be "missional" while riding the wave of "attractional" ministry as it starts to taper off at the shoreline. Evangelism Dictionary.com defines it this way: e⋅van⋅ge⋅lism /ɪˈvændʒəˌlɪzəm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-van-juh-liz-uhm]–noun 1. the preaching or promulgation of the gospel; the work of an evangelist. 2. evangelicalism. 3. missionary zeal, purpose, or activity. I would agree that the work of evangelism is not distributing flyers, or purchasing Google Ads, or TV spots, but rather the act of sharing the gospel with someone. Many distribute tracts... which is another blog post for another day... Some go door to door. Some do acts of kindness, washing cars, buying gasoline, and handing out sodas or bottled water with the express purpose to explain that Jesus is the reason for the act of kindness. Some build relationships with people, inviting them to church, talking about the difference Jesus has made in their lives. Evangelism can happen in any number of ways, and certainly, a church's marketing presence can assist in the process. As people are doing acts of kindness, going door to door, handing out leaflets, building relationships, it helps if the people they are trying to reach have heard of their church, or if they have some kind of material to give them to draw them to the church building. But the key is in remembering that it's the job of the people to do the ministry. The Great Commission was not just for pastors. It was for believers. Let's not get sidetracked into thinking that if church people invite their friends to church so they can hear a "paid professional" share the gospel that our evangelistic work is done. Evangelism (preaching the gospel) is meant to be done by all of the church. The pastor's job is to equip his people to do this work. Sure, he can preach about salvation, and even present an opportunity in his service for people to surrender their hearts to Christ. But his job is to "equip the saints for works of service"- His job is to send people out... to send the church (the people) on mission. Marketing As long as the attractional model is still working, people will be looking for a church to go to. Who knows how long it will last, as our post-modern culture emerges and evolves into its next phase! Marketing is how you can position your organization in people's minds. It helps you communicate that you are an organization that cares about people, that you are provide opportunities for people to connect with God, you can use it to promote events, sermon series, or anything else. There are a number of things that your church can do to get the word out, and a number of marketing techniques. I'll post about a lot of marketing ideas over the next few months. I think the words "church marketing" leave a bad taste in people's mouths, because it sees like it "cheapens the gospel"... and churches that market and advertise can be seen as "too commercial" That's why it's so important to separate it from evangelism. It is not the same thing. Evangelism is a personal thing. Marketing is an organizational thing. Marketing is about creating a positive image for your church in the community. Marketing is about offering your services and values to the general public. Marketing is about attracting people to come and check out your church. Evangelism is about building friendships with those people that walk in the door, and the people that you meet on the street, and letting your personal relationship with God steer that person to their own personal relationship with God. Don't confuse them.