Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Will they know us by our love?

In a recent interview, the Rev. Nina Nichols of Christ United Methodist Church in Troy, N.Y., said the church was known in the community as “the church with the red doors that supports recovery.”

At the Rethink Church Training held Sept. 12 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Whitesboro, N.Y., the Rev. Danette Howell, pastor of Weimar Church in Weimar, Texas, said one way to find out what the community thinks of a church is to talk to funeral home directors, fire departments and police departments At the beginning of one of her appointments, the Rethink Church Trainer said the answer she heard was, “Oh, that’s the white church on the hill.”

Uh-oh, she thought, afraid that the statement implied the community viewed the church as ethnically exclusive. In fact, she learned, the church was white and sat on the hill—a description that, while not as negative as she feared, didn’t actually tell anyone what the church was about. In those two statements—“the church with the red doors that offers addiction recovery support,” and “the white church on the hill”—Nichols and Howell learned a community’s perception of their church could be positive, negative or neutral.

Do you know how your church is viewed by its neighbors?

Corporations and nonprofits spend big bucks every year controlling how their organization is viewed, encapsulated in their organization’s image or “brand.”

A brand, according to the Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston, Executive Director of Communications & Brand Strategy for the General Board of Discipleship, is part how an organization defines itself, part the promise it makes to its constituents. For example, when you see the Disney logo, you know that anything associated with it will be family-oriented and brimming with happiness. Apple Computers promises to empower people creatively through technology. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream brand promise blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility.

Church people tend to cringe when words like “seller,” “advertising,” “marketing,” or “target audience” are used. But branding isn’t as crass as it sounds. Branding is really about being clear about who you are and what you have to offer, and being proactive in creating that clarity and promise.

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” (Read “What is Branding and How Important is it to your Marketing Strategy?”)

Most mainline denominations have a brand image: The United Methodists have the Cross and Flame, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has its Seal; the Episcopal Church has The Shield; and so on. Each represents the denomination’s understanding of itself, its theological and historical traditions and how it wants the world to understand it.

In the Upper New York area, we are creating a new promise to the communities and world we serve. Consider the vision statement for the new conference being born. What promise are we making to ourselves and to our neighbors? What image comes to mind that represents our shared dreams, commitments and work?

However, it isn’t enough to promise to live the gospel of Christ, just as it isn’t enough to say we’re Christian. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? … faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:14 and 17NRSV).

It’s not enough to brand ourselves; it’s about keeping the promise, or covenant, we make with our neighbors. How will we be known in Upstate New York? Will we be known for our love?

For more information about branding and marketing, check out the new resource, Church Marketing Plan, created by United Methodist Communications …