I am sensing a trend of confusion in ministry which seems to be escalating so with the start of a new year, I’d like to “call out” this distressful trend. Ultimately my mission is to help ministries spend less money and reach more people. I hope you read my blog for this reason. Ministries need a “Media Director” but what that individual does seems to me to be an area of great confusion. First of all, let me say that having a graphic designer, web programmer or video editor on staff is does not fulfill the obligations of a media director’s job description. In fact, an effective media director does not edit, design or write code. They manage projects and unify people to complete these projects! I would repeat this if we were in a meeting together, but since we are not, you can just read this line again.

“A good media director is does not edit, design or write code”.

Here are the qualities of an effective media director. Great people skills, communicates early and often, understand great design, understands the visionaries goals, understands how to run a profitable ministry or business, must be able to network people together and build teams, and lastly he or she must be accountable. Accountable to meeting times and retuning phone calls, early and often - to the visionary, the team and vendors!

My job description of Media Director:

An effective Media Director is in charge of coordinating all media, video, web, graphics, audio production and helps define the ministry brand, and be a good steward of the the brand promise. They need to be accessible. They must understand the ministry goals, and objectives and be able put people in place to accomplish the goals and objective. A Communications degree is recommended but not required. The ability to multi-task and communication are essential to the success of this job.

Why is your “Media Director” ineffective … see above.

I was going to answer this question myself, but I found a better article on Church Marketing Sucks. Check it out

Good marketing is based on a strong, compelling message to the audience. This message should make an impact and prompt the audience to action. So what was God’s “compelling message” at Pentecost? Most importantly, it was to declare His [powers and wonders (Acts 2:11-12)] through the languages and the tongues of fire (which the religious Jews would also understand on a symbolic level).

In essence, God used this display of power to draw a crowd, which in turn would hear a presentation of the Gospel by Peter (Acts 2:14-40). As a result, Scripture says, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41).

Biblical Church Marketing

While on earth, Jesus spoke to people right where they were—geographically and emotionally. He touched and spoke to people individually about matters that were important to them. In marketing terms, Jesus used an appropriate media and method and drew a targeted and receptive audience. He always got people’s attention in a powerful way, recognized them as a receptive audience and then delivered a relevant, compelling message. This is church marketing at its best.

Follow Jesus’ example. Examine the communication channels or media available to you, and strategize effective ways to use them for the Kingdom in your own community.

Remember, marketing is simple communication that prompts a targeted audience to action. Whether direct mail, advertising, radio, television or just the traditional church marquee, God is using marketing strategies today in much the same way He used them in Biblical times. And while the methods can and should be tailored to reach people in a changing cultural landscape, the life-changing message of salvation is still the same.

This is the way my life often goes . . . chaos and confusion introduce another day when I’ll go out and strive to fulfill God’s calling on my life. But chaos is often part of our circumstances in this world. Fortunately, we are in the world, but not of the world. My friend and ministry client, Pastor Lynton Turkington, says, “It’s not about a religion, it’s about relationships.” I think he means a relationship with Jesus Christ, but he also means a relationship with our family, friends, and neighbors. If we could banish chaos and distress we wouldn’t need relationships; but God strictly intends for us to live out the Gospel through relationships.
And that’s why when we talk about “marketing ministries” we aren’t just talking about diligent planning, anticipating hazards, and ironing out all the wrinkles. Planning is vital, of course, but it’s all for naught if relationships aren’t the goal of the ministry and the power behind the success of marketing. Building relationships to fulfill the Great Commission in the midst of our chaotic day should always be the ministry’s goal (Mathew 28:19 ).

Do you remember the 1980 movie Caddyshack Here is one of the famous lines from that movie

Just be the ball, be the ball, be the ball. …. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.
or how about the scene the 1999 movie For the Love of the Game, pitcher Billy Church (trying to focus and then say to himself, “Clear the Mechanism”

Can we focus, clear the mechanism, stop thinking, let things happen and “Be Scripture or Be the Brand? Thanks to my good friend and mentor Jerry Murphy we now have steps to “Being Scripture and Being the Brand. Check it out….

1) Read Scripture
2) Read Scripture out loud in front of the mirror
3) Memorize Scripture
4) Understand Scripture
5) Being Scripture

or

1) Reading about branding
2) Reading articles about branding to other people or send branding links to them
3) Memorizing branding
4) Understand Branding
5) Being the Brand

Wow!What a world of difference….. from reading to being scripture, and reading about branding and understanding it. There are very few people on this planet who truly understand scripture to the point where they can “be scripture”. The same goes for branding.I am looking forward to associating with more people who understand how to become scripture.

The holidays… Here we go…
I have often said that after November 28th we should just skip the rest of the year and go right to Jan 1. We are all so busy we don’t know what to do with our selves, and our ministries. Here is what it means in the marketing world. One, impressions are high. Major retail companies are bidding for your personal market share and they are paying big money for it. Two, we are even busier so our calenders tight and our attention spans are non existent. What is the ministry to do? My down and dirty answer is Plan and Pray. Plan for next year and pray for wisdom, guidance, ears to hear and eyes to see. Your budget is spent…and your making final preparations for your Christmas out reach or service. Now is not the time to be competing for impressions through mass media. Don’t even think about.