How do you "position" yourself in the marketplace? How do you distinguish your church from another? Are all the churches the same? In the eyes of the unchurched, all churches have Sunday Schools, most have nurseries, all have Sunday worship, and all have committees. What benefit will an unchurched person receive from attending your congregation?

Step One:

Analyze the market opportunity. Where does your congregation have an advantage over other congregations? What are you especially good at? The first order of business is to develop a specific positioning strategy for your market. Consider these: Population of your area: unchurched vs. churched Growth rate of your area Other churches in your area Church attendance Barriers to growth

Step Two:

Target your market. Not all persons are your targets. Though we are an inclusive church and you may call "all the unsaved" as your target, your congregation has a distinctive character. For example, a congregation is a high growth area of a city has a vastly different target audience than those in older and developed neighborhoods. Get to know the needs and preferences of your "target audience." What groups are particularly attracted to your ministry? What groups are particularly attracted to your ministry? How can you minister to these audiences?

Step Three:

Create your Strategy.

• Analyze your strengths. List your strengths. Then list your weaknesses. Third, list other churches who are also ministering to the same audience. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
  
• Differentiate your "product." Your audience needs to see definite benefits by choosing your ministry. List some of the benefits by attending your congregation. Caution: Remember people change. Remain flexible. Be aware that your strategies need to adapt to any changes.

Step Four:

Communicate

• Plan to be visible in your "market-place" on a consistent basis. Christmas and Easter are not the only times for the unchurched to visit. Create special times for people to visit.
  
• Build on your image-the benefits of your ministry. Communicate your strength.
  
• "Sell" your church. Tell the "unchurched who you are, what your congregation is about, and what to expect from the church once they've attended or joined.

Remember:

The successful communications program creates a visibility that turns into a favorable attitude. A favorable attitude creates interest, interest creates the intention, and finally, the intention can influence people to come see and know Jesus.

Written by Susie Sipos