I had been on staff at the church for 2 months and 2 days when our country was viciously and hideously attacked by radical, America hating, Islamic terrorists.
There was an atmosphere of bewilderment on the church campus that morning. Particularly since we also house a K-12 academy where many of our staff kids attend school.
Our Pastor quickly called a brief staff meeting where we prayed together and were dismissed for the day. No one knew at that point whether other U.S. cities would be attacked next, but it sure seemed likely.
I gathered up my kids from their 3rd and 6th grade classrooms and we headed home in silent fear. For the rest of the day, the sound of nothingness was deafening. No planes flying overhead. No one coming out of their homes. No one living life as they woke up that day to do.
A day or so later, we put this message on the marquee of our downtown church campus: PRAYER AT NOON. That was it. No radio ads, no web banners, no mail outs, no bring a friend to church day. Just prayer at noon. On a weekday. And in my 27 years as a member of our church, I have never seen more people jammed into our sanctuary. Lower floor, balcony, aisles and choir loft were filled with the people of our downtown community. And we hadn’t promoted it in any way, except for the marquee.
As I recounted to a new staff member what that prayer service was like here 7 years ago, a powerful and indisputable marketing truth began to ring in my head: People will come to church if they feel they need to.
And Part B – it takes very little to get them there.
The next few Sundays after 9/11, we had higher than normal numbers. After several more weeks with no subsequent attacks, it leveled back off to just the regulars. We were quick to comment as a staff about how suddenly complacent the community had become. That they only came to church because they were desperate for a short time. But we, too, cocooned right back into our plans and programs, most of which never touch the outside world anyway. We went back to worrying about how many would really show up for the next banquet. When this video or that mailer or so and so’s newsletter would be complete, and why someone’s “major” event wasn’t promoted in the bulletin.
It’s ironic that if people feel a need for church, the church has little need for marketing. We church communicators spend our time, energy and resources trying to create that felt need.
What we may simply need more of is: PRAYER AT NOON.
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