Does marketing play a role in the Great Commission? Now that we’ve looked at the philosophical foundations for marketing your church plant, it’s time to consider what the Bible has to say on the matter.

But, does the Bible say anything about marketing? After all, modern marketing techniques didn’t exist when the Bible was written. So, maybe we should ask, “Would Jesus create a website? Would Paul? What about a direct mail campaign or creating a logo? Would they have invested money in spreading the Gospel? Or would they just invest time? Is one more holy than another?

Since there were no facebook ad campaigns in Jesus’ day, we first have to ask, “what is accomplished through a marketing campaign?” I’ve come up with a few reasons why we should use modern marketing concepts to help us reach our neighbors.

1. Church Marketing is Creative

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As His image-bearers, we are creative creatures. God’s children enjoy using their creative abilities to glorify God and it’s no different for those who are versed in graphic design or are able to create a catchy slogan for an invitation. Just because we aren’t using paint or marble, doesn’t mean we can’t use our creative juices to do our best on a website or a postcard.

This is also an argument for bringing excellence to everything we do whether it’s a bulletin, a website, a banner, or a banner ad, but that’s a different discussion. In short, let’s use our creativity as we reach out to our neighbors!

2. Church Marketing is Proclamation

The purpose of sending a mailer, creating a website, or hanging door hangers is to get the word out. We had a new family come to our church this week just because we have a website. Of course, those are the ones looking for a church, but you never know when someone is going to start looking, right? Would we have reached them eventually? Who knows, but we definitely reached them through our website.

Romans 10:14-15 says, “But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!”

Do these verses only apply to word of mouth? Or can it refer to sign language, billboards, semaphore, braille, html, and ebonics? Somehow, I get the feeling that we are to use all means at our disposal to reach our neighbors with the gospel! Didn’t Paul say something about that?

Which leads us to the next point…

3. Church Marketing is Contextual

Paul did indeed say that he had become all things to all people that he might by all means save some (1 Corinthians 9:19). Most people in my community work from 7 to 7 so that they can afford the homes they live in. People are more and more anti-social. We want the church to be a communal gathering where we can fellowship but most people don’t know what that’s like.

Modern marketing methods are a form of contextualizing the gospel. My neighbors don’t want to answer the door, but they will watch TV for 3 hours each evening. How will we reach the people who are withdrawn in their own homes, isolated from society except the occasional beer buddy? Well, if they are going to be online, or watching TV, or checking their mail, isn’t it reasonable to find ways to reach them so that we can develop a relationship?

The church should be about relationships, but sometimes people need to be given permission to have relationships. When we use our creativity to love and serve our neighbors, and when we use our creativity to get the word out about what God is doing in our community, we are using contextual methods that work here and now through communication sources that are recognizable and embraced by our neighbors.

4. Church Marketing is Responsible

Church marketing can be creative and contextualized proclamation, but it is also an exercise in stewardship. In “philosophical foundations” I talked about how time and money should both be seen as resources we have been given to use wisely. There are some things that well spent money can accomplish and there are others that can only be accomplished through time. Then there are still other things that use a mixture of both resources. It’s important to note that not all marketing campaigns are a wise investment, but I’m simply making the point that just because it is marketing doesn’t mean it’s not biblical.

In the Parable of the Talents, we see Jesus teaching a spiritual truth using the example of money. The first servant is entrusted with 5 talents and he wisely “puts them to work” and makes 5 more. The second servant is entrusted with 2 talents and he makes 2 more. ”But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.” (Matthew 25:18)

Want to hear his reasoning? “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’” (Matthew 25:24-25) This man didn’t take a chance with the money entrusted to him and the master returned and called him evil and lazy and suggested that he should’ve at least put it in the bank so that he could’ve collected interest.

Do we believe that our money and our resources will multiply just like we expect our time to multiply? Good stewardship of time, money, and resources in an effective marketing campaign can be blessed by God and bring glory to Him. This is being responsible with a portion of our resources to announce an event, a Bible study, a sermon series, etc.

5. Church Marketing is Seed Scattering

Jesus also tells the Parable of the Four Seeds. I was always frustrated at the less than economical way that the sower goes out to sow. Why didn’t they just put all the seeds in the good soil? In this parable, really only one fourth of the seeds that were sown were effective. The rest were eaten by birds, scorched by the sun, or trampled under foot. Seriously, was it that hard to keep the seed off the path?

On the other hand, I wonder if part of the imagery is just to get us to sow the gospel as broadly as possible. Jesus taught huge multitudes and from those crowds, some became disciples. Sure, he also focused a lot of energy on His twelve closest followers, but there were hundreds of committed followers because Jesus sowed broadly. People need to hear and it’s not our job to limit that to just the ones we think want to hear. After all, Matthew 9:38 tells us that we are to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into “His harvest”. It’s His harvest and we are simply sowing seed. Even the seed that falls on the path, among the thorns, or on rocky ground serves a purpose.

As I consider the seed that fell on good soil, I sometimes wonder what it would be like if the sower had spent all his time checking every inch of ground in advance to make sure it was good soil. Would that have been a better use of his time? I believe this parable is giving us permission to use our resources to rapidly and broadly sow the seed so that all of the good soil is found and all of the bad soil is at least invited.

Do you think that some marketing methods today can be a creative, contextual, and responsible way of announcing and broadcasting the gospel?