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Non-Profit Helps Churches Spread the Word
The Creators of Church Marketing Sucks Go Beyond Blogging
May 8, 2006 – Los Angeles – Local churches are scrambling to connect to the people in their communities, but what often hinders that connection is poor and out-dated modes of communication. Enter the Center for Church Communication (CFCC), a non-profit dedicated to helping churches matter by improving their communication and marketing.
“We’ve got the greatest story ever told–but no one’s listening. ” says founder and president Brad Abare. “We think the church has a communications problem.”
They initially addressed that problem by starting Church Marketing Sucks, a blog that addresses church communication issues and promotes dialog. Since its start in 2004 the site has generated more than 2,700 comments from over 500 entries and averages over 100,000 monthly visits.
“Your site has put to words so much of what I’ve always thought as well as providing all those valuable ideas, articles and suggestions,” read one e-mail. “I can’t wait to learn more and put it into practice.”
In March they started a critique group for church communicators called the Church Marketing Lab that operates on the photo-sharing site Flickr. The group grew out of a section on Church Marketing Sucks that quickly proved too popular to simply be a part of the blog. In two months the group has exploded with over 170 members who have offered feedback on more than 230 samples of church marketing. But beyond numbers, it’s an active way to help churches improve their marketing.
CFCC hopes to continue pushing the church to more effectively and authentically reach people. Those efforts include speaking engagements like last week’s Buzz Conference in Washington, D.C., and the upcoming Foursquare Convention in Washington, D.C., and the MinistryCOM Conference in Phoenix. In addition, they have garnered media attention from Advertising Age, Fox News, The Boston Herald, Relevant, Leadership Journal and more.
The Center for Church Communication is a non-profit organized by communications professionals who have been serving the church and mainstream clients since 1998. CFCC offers information, resources and advice in an effort to help the church matter. Visit cfcclabs.org for more.
