ACR Strategies - Increase Church Visitors

IncreaseVisitors - Target a CROWD!
How do we fill our pews?

The Condition of the Church in America - Key Statistics
Compiled by Andy McAdams
• Only 15% of churches in the United States are growing and just less then 5% of those are growing
by conversion growth.
•10,000 churches in America disappeared in a five-year period.
•The number of people in America that Do Not attend church has doubled in the past 15 years.
•No more then 38% of the population attends church at all and that's in the Bible belt. The next
highest is the Midwest at 25%, West 21% and the Northeast 17%.
•The vast majority of churches have an attendance of less then 75.
•In 70 % of the churches in America, the pastor is the only full-time staff person
•Leading church analysts Lyle Schaller, George Barna, and Mike Regele stress the alarming
truth that over 80% of American Protestant churches are in plateau and/or decline.

To accomplish this we NEED more people in the pews!

How do we fill our pews?
INCREASE VISITORS by Targeting a CROWD!

CROWDS – Biblical?
Matthew 4:25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,*
Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
Matthew 5:1 One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples
and sat down to teach them.
Matthew 5:36 He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they
didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 13:34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In
fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
Mark 3:20 When Jesus returned to the house where he was staying, the crowds began to gather again,
and soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.
John 1:15 John pointed him out to the people. He shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking
about when I said, ‘Someone is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’”
Luke 4:42 Early the next morning Jesus went out into the wilderness. The crowds searched everywhere
for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them.
Acts 5:14 And more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and
women.

1
Implement strategies
to close back door.
2
INCREASE the
number of VISITORS.
3
Convert more visitors
to members.
Which CROWD?

Which CROWD is your target?
People who
regularly
attend church
People who
occasionally
attend church
“UNCHURCHED”
People who Do
NOT attend
church

Which CROWD is your target?
Research from Media Audit for the Tampa/St. Petersburg market
among Adults 18+ indicates …
People who
regularly
attend church
People who
occasionally
attend church
“UNCHURCHED”
People who Do
NOT attend
church
= 36% = 34% = 30%
Regular + Occasional = 70%

Target CROWD = UNCHURCHED
Source: George Barna
People who
occasionally
attend church
“UNCHURCHED”
More likely than the norm of
the population to be male, to
have experienced a divorce, to
have more education, and to
have a larger income.
Aggressive, energetic, and
driven people.
They do not attend church
largely because they do not
think it is worth the time and
effort.
Hooks that will speak to them
are notions of compassion to
others, applied faith, love of
children, integrity,
authenticity, and personal
experience.
Focused on the matters they
believe to be important. For
example, God is vital, but the
church is not. They tend to be
material first, spiritual second.
A huge explanation for their absence from church is that they have not been
invited to participate. Successful church marketing strategies will be sensitive to
UNCHURCHED’S needs for control, perceived value and personal touch!

Target CROWD = UNCHURCHED
Source: Thom S. Rainer
People who
occasionally
attend church
“UNCHURCHED”
Survey results; Extremely
Important factors in selecting
church: Doctrine/Theology
(58%), Caring people (53%),
Preaching (52%), Friendliness
(45%).
We found that relationships
were important in bringing the
UNCHURCHED to the church.
But, not the overwhelming
reason as most studies have
indicated.
The formerly UNCHURCHED
are positive about and attracted
to Sunday School. It was this
group that indicated the
greatest allegiance to Sunday
School.
Almost one out of three of the
formerly UNCHURCHED said
they returned to church for
their children.
An important lesson that we learned from the UNCHURCHED is that
churches should try to appeal to the UNCHURCHED person’s altruistic
motives.

How to reach the
“UNCHURCHED CROWD”
Own a cell phone(85%), Cell phone texting (43%), NOT Exposed to weekday newspaper
(55%), Heavy exposure to radio (21%), Heavy exposure to internet (37%), Medium
exposure to Tv (36%), Logged on past month to – FACEBOOK (51%)

Conversations with the
Utilize Facebook, Texting, and Email to invite “UNCHURCHED
CROWD” friends using communications insights from the various
studies in this report. Invites to be personal and include appeals for
Sunday School, doctrine, preaching, “making a difference”, etc.

Social Media …
Do not do social media for social media’s sake. Merely having a
Facebook page or a Twitter account does not help you. In fact, using
social media the wrong way will hurt how people perceive you.
You must add value.
Conversations with the

• He or she has a fresh point of view, but does not try to thrust it upon everyone else.
• Speaks politely and respectfully.
• Tells good stories to illustrate key points .
• Is good at drawing other people’s views out and drawing them into the conversation.
• Speaks intelligently on a variety of subjects, but is not afraid to admit areas of ignorance.
• Avoids trotting out well-worn arguments that have been made time and time again .
• Listens with genuine interest.
Adding Value is like a good conversationalist at a dinner party!
You Must add Value

Facebook Church IDEAS
“Unchurched CROWD” friendly church “page”
• Have conversations that “equip” and “lift-up” people.
• Stay away from “church” terms.
• Assume visitors to your page know nothing about your church.
• Tell stories.
• Post invites as if you were talking to someone in person. Not “You’re cordially invited to.”
• Use video.
• Post messages that can be used by others in your church to send to their friends.
• KEEP IT UPDATED!

Texting Church IDEA
•Engage your church family in the sermon.
Church members can forward text to friends.
•Text bible verses to prepare for this weeks sermon.
•Early following week follow up question to last sermon.
•Few days later text this week’s sermon Bible verses.
More and more people are choosing texting as their means to have conversations!

Email – Sermon Applications
•Email allows for longer conversations.
•Use to keep the sermon alive.
•Develop conversations about the life
applications of the message.
•Church members can forward email to
their friends.

Engage the“Unchurched CROWD”
Using TV Advertising
Church advertising ideas and marketing should be the first thing on every church leaders
mind. When you advertise your church you are not promoting yourself; you are
advertising Jesus to a lost world in need of a savior.
Did you know that the average church will lose more members than they grow by this year?
It may not be because no one wants to visit… they may just not know who and where your church is!

Using TV Advertising
Advertising on cable TV allows
you to focus your message to
people around your church.
Research tells us the following cable
stations are some of the best for
reaching the “Unchurched CROWD.”

Interactive TV
Advertising allows
viewers to press a button
on their remote control
and automatically have
literature from your
church sent to their home.
Using ITV Advertising

A GREAT way for churches to share the cost of TV advertising!
Using ITV Advertising
Press A for South Lakeland Church, Press B for North Lakeland Church, Press C for Winter Haven Church

Your church can buy a
half hour time slot from a
local Broadcast TV
station and air your
church service
Put your service on Broadcast TV

while they are on the go - RADIO
Research tells us talk radio
is a great vehicle for
reaching the “Unchurched
CROWD.” Especially strong
are News talk stations and
Sports talk stations.

When they are on the - INTERNET
Research tells us the
following local web
sites are a couple of the
best for reaching the
“Unchurched CROWD.”

Is Church Advertising
Effective ?

Since 1991, over 10,000 churches have effectively used faithHighway’s church commercials for
outreach. An independent survey found that over 85% of the churches who utilized faithHighway
church commercials showed measurable growth within the first six months of use.
Mainstream churches take a leap of faith into TV advertising Methodists
report a 6 percent increase in worship attendance where ads have run during high seasons for
newcomers: Lent, Advent, and back-to-school time. Some in the church harbor hopes for the
"open hearts, open minds, open doors" message to steer viewers toward a better way of life.
Church announces $2 million advertising push, ‘The Journey’
Aug. 22, 2005
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — The United Methodist Church will begin airing its newest television commercial
Aug. 29, inviting millions of Americans to join in a journey of faith.
The spot, titled “The Journey,” is the newest element of the denomination’s advertising and welcoming
ministry, said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive at United Methodist Communications.
Study: United Methodist TV Commercials Shifting Attitudes About Church; First-Time
Attendance, Worship Attendance Increasing at Test Churches
NASHVILLE � A new research study shows The United Methodist Church�s national
television advertising campaign continues to encourage first-time attendance and build
positive images of the second-largest U.S. Protestant denomination.
Church Advertising is Effective

The United Methodist Church launches $20 million 'Rethink Church'
advertising campaign
NASHVILLE, TENN. (May 1, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — Rethink Church, the next evolution of The United
Methodist Church's "Open hearts" welcoming and advertising campaign, will kick off on May 5
and 6 with major launch events in New York City and Washington, D.C., and other cities
nationwide.
Audiences will see and hear more than $20 million in new advertising over the next four years on
television, radio, print, and in new media, including banner and keyword advertising on major
secular Web sites.
Church television ads prove surprisingly successful
While flipping through the channels on a Sunday morning, television viewers may not expect to see a
message from the Catholic Church amidst the many advertisements filling the airwaves. But in the
Archdiocese of Baltimore, TV audiences are getting a chance to see the Church portrayed in a new
light through a series of commercials featuring Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien.
The 30-second advertisements, which began airing last November, feature a variety of messages
aimed at reaching out to fallen-away Catholics, encouraging increased participation from active
Catholics and educating non-Catholics about the teachings of the Church.
Church Advertising is Effective

If you would like to learn more about how
connecting with the “Unchurched CROWD” could
help grow your church please contact us:
Don Koehler, Founder & Chief Strategist
(352) 363-9682 DonKoehler@acrstrategies.com

ACR Strategies - Increase Church Visitors

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