Branding and the Church of Christ

[williamjackson]

Branding and the Church of Christ
by William Jackson of Westside Church of Christ
Jacksonville, Florida

Sharing the #gospel is a mission for all Christians,
to proclaim you are a Christian is not enough, sharing
your faith with others and the goodness of God
displays the seriousness of a Christian life and faith.

In the era of digital communications with wireless
connectivity and satellite/microwave signals that allow
for global communications, Social Media platforms that
can connect people instantly and over great distances
and entertainment enhanced by special effects and
orchestrated music. Technology influences global
communications that make the postal service antiquated
and inefficient in some capacities.

Technology is an integral part of our lives, begging
for our attention and increasingly incorporating into the
fabric of personal interaction and engagement. Before
we call we text, before we get to know people we use
Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr to base our judgments,
opinions and allow these to guide our friendships. What
if Jesus did this to us?

Businesses, corporations and organizations are using
creativity and innovation with technology to get noticed
and share a message that is unique and attractive. The
Church of Christ must Brand itself in the world to build a
unique digital foundation, but in order for the Churches of
Christ to grow it must invest in itself first.

Branding allows for the opportunity to stand out, to show
commitment and make a promise of unity and long lasing love.
When making a promise the Church of Christ is letting people
know what they have to provide a benefit, something eternal
not just for 60 to 90 minutes. Attracting those that believe
what you believe is important. This potential to give something
eternal is a hard choice to turn down and deny if you're not part
of the Body of Christ.

Ministry is a dynamic humanistic belief structure. It is based on
faith, something that is not seen. The ability to Brand the Church
of Christ means clarifying who and what the Church of Christ is
and why people should be members of the Body of Christ.
The Church of Christ must be authoritative and honest in its
doctrine. Applying "Gods Plan of Salvation," sharing this
information must start within the ministry, shared and
integral into the lifestyle of being a Christian. Branding is not
just a logo it is a process that grows and expands. It builds a
following if executed and managed right. Words precede it so
others seek more information.

Understand the Brand is to understand that our Brand
(Church of Christ) is a promise, a statement that is deliverable
and achievable. The Brand is clear, concise, honest and
balanced for everyone. The Church of Christ Brand is based
on a foundation of Love – "God so loved the world that he
gave his only son" John 3:16 KJV.

The power of Love can be found in Deu. 6:5 "And thou shalt
love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy might." The Branding of Love is wired
within us, within the Body, the Church of Christ possesses a
love of everyone just as God loves so do the members of
the Body of Christ.

The Church of Christ if run like a business and often managed
as such is "optimized" in a sustainable Brand that is growing
and Marketable. The very service or mission is to "Save Souls
and Keep Souls Saved." The delivery is through sharing the
gospel by ministry (service and teaching). Keeping the
Brand at the core and the foundation helps the church
maintain its promises just like with any business keeping
promises is important and vital for survival.
The leadership in the Church of Christ is always on display
and are the role models that the congregation (Body) watches
and follows. If the leadership embraces the Brand (promise)
this is the union that bonds everyone. The foundation of that
bond or union is Jesus.

Since Jesus is the impetus the Brand can be taken out of the
Church, just as this blog will spread to share this information
the Body shares its faith with the community. As members of
the Body it is up to all of us to use our gifts, talents and abilities
to share the Word of God. Hiding it means that we hid Jesus
from the world around us and renders his power, his love void
and powerless. The Brand is that message that can be leveraged
to show unity and solidarity.

The knowledge and maturity of God's Plan for Salvation is followed
unlike a business that sees the success of its Brand through profits,
the Church of Christ finds success in Saving Souls and Keeping Souls
Saved. Building the Kingdom of God through effective and transformative
Branding and a Marketing strategy of eternal life.

The "Plan of Salvation" is placed before that individual and
because of the actions and commitment of the Body that person
makes a personal commitment to accept the love of Jesus and
follow the Plan, to be baptized and start a new life in a new
beginning in the Body of Christ.

This blog was based on "Brand Building from the Inside Out,"
by Jennifer Holland, Arbus Magazien 2014 March/April
Adapted to the Church of Christ by William Jackson of
Westside Church of Christ Information Technology Ministry and
Social Media Visionary

To continue to apply scripture to the Branding and Marketing
of the Church of Christ. Alvin Daniels speaking and teaching at
Westside Church of Christ May 2015

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[Jax native]

I don't get it.  Your 'brand' is to talk about your 'brand' and to spread your 'brand' to everyone.  You want to discuss your 'brand' everywhere, but what does your 'brand' offer?  Is 'sharing the gospel' your brand?  How does sharing ' your gospel' with others help?  What besides 'sharing' your gospel' and getting your 'brand' out everywhere, betters society?  Your messsage, I feel is the chicken or the egg.  You just want to share your 'brand' but you never mention what your brand does, except to share your 'brand'?   I'm so confused with the entire post. 

[jaxjaguar]

I don't get it.  Your 'brand' is to talk about your 'brand' and to spread your 'brand' to everyone.  You want to discuss your 'brand' everywhere, but what does your 'brand' offer?  Is 'sharing the gospel' your brand?  How does sharing ' your gospel' with others help?  What besides 'sharing' your gospel' and getting your 'brand' out everywhere, betters society?  Your messsage, I feel is the chicken or the egg.  You just want to share your 'brand' but you never mention what your brand does, except to share your 'brand'?   I'm so confused with the entire post.

It's his way of saying, "I want to take your money, but I want you to tell your friends to give me their money too."

Same message as most other churches that want to spread their "brand".

[ronchamblin]

The ideas surrounding religions and gods have been with mankind for thousands of years.  The pressure to proselytize continues, as the success of the process provides the illusion of truth and reality to proselytizer's own belief system. 

The good conveyed to society by religions and the belief in gods continues, just as the damage and destruction conveyed continues. 

It is difficult to measure whether religions and gods result in more good to society, or more misery, suffering, and destruction.

After all, belief in dogma and gods provides unity for segments of society and communities -- and certainly comfort and mental stability to many individuals ... and for some enterprising few, the belief .. or the appearance or facade of belief, leads to riches. 

Because some of us must observe evidence for something before we can believe in the truth of it, we find ourselves without the comfort often conveyed by a religion.  We are outcasts from the comfortable circles of believers.  We are non-religious.  We are non-believers. But we are free -- free to think and believe without the constraints of religious thought and teachings. 

[williamjackson]

I appreciate all your comments, but the development of a Brand is not dependent or connected to making money.

The Brand in this case the Church of Christ allows the church to learn how to share its doctrine of love and learning,
first to understand what the Church has to offer, not money, but an intangible thing that cannot be physically handled.

This is with anything that offers a service beyond asking for your money. How you can benefit from what is offered,
being a member of the Church of Christ provides the opportunity to share my faith on a level that I don't want
anything from you personally, it encourages you the individual to learn how to create and establish a relationship
with God and why you should.

The foundation is to Save Souls and Keep Souls Saved because no one should be allowed to go to hell, so as I learn
I share the benefits of being saved, not for my benefit, but the benefit of the person that is not "saved."

Hope this clarifies, if not your invited to a Bible Study at Westside Church of Christ on 8th and Main ea. Sunday at
10am or Wednesdays at 7pm..

If your interested in more here is a link to my blog about Social Media in the Church of Christ
https://churchofchristandsocialmedia.wordpress.com/

The Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/wcoc.jax

Wm Jackson

[Jax native]

NO, you do not clarify anything you have said.  YOu state the 'brand' is learn ho to share its doctrine of love and learning,......provides opportunity to share my faith on a level.......learn to create and establish a relationship with God...'.

YOur church exists to 'save souls and keep souls saved because no one should be allowed to go to hell'.  Why does your God permit people to go to hell?

If you only exists 'to save souls', don't you think you should have a better purpose here on earth to save humans and the suffering by offering tangent ways to live a christ like manner?  You don't speak of love or helping others, just saving a 'soul'.  How offensive to intelligent people here on earth. 

I don't believe in false gods and your ministry seems disturbing. 

[whyisjohngalt]

I don't believe in false gods

If you did then it wouldn't be a false God.

I thought branding was for cattle and the mark of the beast was a bad thing?!

[Overstreet]

Branding..............be careful not to make it an "earthly" realm business instead of a heavenly realm calling.

[williamjackson]

Thanks for all the dialogue and sharing of opinions.. it seems the the statement religion and politics does create a great and sometimes
controversial dialogue..

Hope everyone has a great weekend and get out and vote!!!!!

Peace,
Wm

[spuwho]

Having worked with NFP's and this includes churches on marketing and branding exercises, I guess i will add my 2 cents.

As the Christian church has grown and the attendees more educated, it has become important to them that the church they attend be easily identifiable and can come up with some ways to market themselves other than through the simple word of mouth.

To some this may be contrary to conventional thought because marketing and branding usually fall in line with consumerism.  There has been much debate in evangelical circles about how the overall church should be marketed. However, organized religion as such is typically not something that one "consumes" but rather they experience personally.  The same church or religious experience may not be the same for all people in the same houses of worship.

On the other end of the rainbow, you have churches who go all out to make themselves cool and relevant and make blatant attempts to have themselves emulate a consumeristic society to make themselves more accessible to those who are intimidated or downright hostile to the traditional worship experience.

So just how can a Christian worship experience go out and attempt to create a brand in such a way it allows themselves to market themselves?

Branding a church is not entirely the same as how Proctor & Gamble brands Tide or Downy, General Mills sets up Cheerios or Mini-Wheats. Yum Brands markets Taco Bell or KFC. In other areas they are quite similar.

A church has to be able to quantify what attributes their particular affiliation, beliefs or worship experience is so unique, it can be articulated in a clear and concise marketing message. To many people, Christian churches are exactly the same. the experience is the same. Talk alot, listen alot, sing alot and ask for your money alot. From a strictly consumeristic approach, this would be the case. This is like saying Taco Bell and KFC are the same because they are both places to get something to eat.

But most people know that Taco Bell and KFC are not the same even though they perform the same purpose. By branding themselves along their food types they are able to distinguish themselves as unique in the consumption of food. 

Now we go back to the churches, to successfully brand themselves, they have to find a way to distinguish themselves based on their leading attributes that would help people understand what makes them distinctive. One church once spread their marketing message in advertising as "the church for people who don't like church". OK, it was odd, but it worked. They branded themselves as a non-traditional church that didn't come with all of the associated baggage people place with a traditional church. (they reached 1200 people, but had other issues)

For some churches, a professional logo with at times a catchphrase is as far they will go.  Just getting most churches to be consistent with their branding and marketing is a total battle because most church leaders are untrained or not knowledgeable in the skillset.  To some spiritual leaders, the idea of "selling" the gospel is unseemly and is felt undermines its purpose. Or some feel, "they should come to us because we have the <place attribute here> and its not our responsibility to sell it to them."

The idea of branding/marketing the religious experience is very foreign in academic circles as well.  I once tried to host a workshop on NFP/Church marketing and invited several in academia to see if they (or some good grad students) would be interested in sharing good modern marketing concepts or approaches so that the attendees could get educated.  The response was telling.  Out of the many "thanks, but no thanks", several professors or dept. heads would call me to have me explain what it was I was trying to do. The idea had just never occurred to them that one could market or brand a religious experience. It was a concept so foreign to them, none of them wanted to work with it.

Everyone is different and the needs vary by their collective mindset. It doesn't work for all Christian fellowships and some want no part of it. But it is easily misunderstood.

That's my feedback to Mr. Jackson's post.

[williamjackson]

SpuWho,

That was a great educational experience that you shared.
Appreciate your incite and experiences. A conference on Marketing and Branding based on
intellectualism and ministry would be very interesting. If you ever have such and workshop
or conference I would really like to attend and contribute or know of a site that I could check.

I would like to continue this discussion not necessarily on this platform to be respectful to others,
but to actually learn or share the paradigm of Marketing and Branding in the 21st century and how
it influences ministry.

Politics, religion and even education are hot topics, it is interesting the blog I'm writing on has not
received this much attention from others in ministry either from lack of awareness or reluctance. I
f anyone is interested my site that I blog on is https://churchofchristandsocialmedia.wordpress.com/
to continue this discussion and even sharing Branding and Marketing experiences, ideas, etc.

I also teach Educational Technology at Edward Waters College and have a Social Media & Marketing / Branding component
that I cover with the students, to prepare them to use SM in a positive and productive way.

Thanks for everyone's contribution, I respect all opinions, back to the education and STEAM stuff...
Everyone get out and vote for someone............