I receive more than 50 different church newsletters every month, and I try my best to scan and read each of them. The universal problem in all church promotion is the poor names given to church ministries, buildings and projects. Church leaders want to creatively name everything – from youth gathering spots, to ministry organizations, to stewardship campaigns, to?discipleship emphases, and to unique services.?Through the eyes of a church guest or non-member, I read?creative names that are too cute, too clich?, spiritually confusing, and that make absolutely no sense. Many of these names were conceived by over-anxious staff members or volunteers. Many of the names create too many questions. Questions without obvious answers don’t always lead to discovery; they can lead to frustration.
Scott VaughanHere are a few thoughts:
If the name doesn’t help, it hurts. If the name given to your ministry activity, event, or program doesn’t help promote measurable spiritual or numerical growth – chances are it’s going to hurt that same growth. I always offer this suggestion: If you have to work too hard to name something, chances are it’ll be a bust. Don’t name it. When it works – you’ll know it.
Keep it short (one or two words). About this time (September), major networks launch new television programs for the year. I can generally pick the ones that will fail – they are the ones with longer names. Look at some of the most successful television shows in history: Gunsmoke, Bonanza, MASH, Cheers, Friends, Frazier, Dallas, Dynasty. See the trend? The titles are very short, easy to remember, and easy to spit out. The Andy Griffith Show is an exception, but in modern culture it’s been shortened to ‘Andy Griffith.’ Keep it short and sweet for longer staying power.
Meter. You need a poet to help you name your ministries and events. Meter is the linguistic sound patterns of a verse. I like ministry names that begin and end with hard consonants, and/or that have an even number of syllables. I like creative names that end on a down-beat.?The name of the ministry or event needs to be poetry – it needs to sing.?
Bounce it off the wall. Too many ministry leaders – and pastoral staff members – are naming their ministries without any outside input. And, unfortunately, these well-meaning leaders may not be the best equipped to name their own ministries. I always defer to good research, and recommend organizing a discussion group for feedback. Randomly pick a discussion group. If you are naming a youth ministry, randomly assemble members of the youth group . . . and their friends. Have an unbiased facilitator – someone who has no interest in the ministry or its name. Bounce the name off the wall. Ask questions, but don’t provide answers – let the group talk it out. What does this name mean to you? Will you use the name when inviting your friends to the ministry? Does the name help you promote the ministry to your friends? If those in your discussion group don’t understand the name or accept it – chances are it’ll be a bust beyond the church walls, too.
Avoid a nickname. If you’ve got a poor ministry name, it’ll pick up a nickname. A lot of church newsletters have very creative names, but my hunch is that the general membership refers to the publication as ‘the newsletter’ and not by its name. Ministries also pick up nicknames. In one newsletter, the youth minister kept referring to his Wednesday night assembly as “The Cave.” But, everywhere else in the newsletter, this gathering was referred to as “Wednesday night.” No one accepted “The Cave,” probably because it didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Did they meet in a cave? Sometimes, a nickname will evolve that makes good sense. If this happens, re-name the ministry using the nickname and launch a lot of promotion behind it.
Avoid too many creative names in use by the church. I’ve read church newsletters advertising creative, vague names to every ministry area on the church property: The Cove, The Cave, The Arch, The Wall, The City, The Hall. It’s over-kill, and works to the overall negative image of the church. It’s better to have a very few, clever ministry areas than a bunch that work against the sum of the parts.
Avoid hidden references to Scripture. Because I’ve been a Christian for 40 years, I pick up on Scripture references within some ministry names. But, there are some that are over my head, too. Unless you’re going to print the Scripture verse every time you use the ministry name, it is best just to keep it simple. A Scriptural name without the Scriptural reference verse may leave most people scratching their heads – that’s not a good thing when the name can mean success or failure.
Avoid creative spellings. Spell it like Webster’s spells it. Don’t create cute spellings that are incorrect. One youth gathering spot was known as “The Rak,” using a phonetic spelling of “The Rock.” I’m reminded of the movie “That Thing You Do.” The band, named the Wonders, started out as the One-ders. Everyone called them the O-needers. Don’t use incorrect spelling. It creates confusion, looks unprofessional, and doesn’t come across nearly as cute as the originator believes it does. And, it won’t have good staying power in long-term promotion.
Avoid acronyms and initials. My name is Scott Douglas Vaughan. No one refers to me as SDV. Acronyms and initials are nicknames, and nicknames expose weak organizational names. Take lots of time to pick a good, appropriate name, and get feedback before using it.
Once named, create a visual and use it all the time. When we give names to ministry, events, and buildings we are ‘branding’ that name. A brand creates unique identity. Beyond a name, I encourage ministry leaders to take the next step – develop simple artwork that communicates the name. Using the artwork with the name, in all of your promotion, will strengthen the name and plant it in the consciousness of your audiences. We are a visual culture, and a visual reinforces the name.
Drive home ‘why’ you choose the name. In all of your initial promotion, and then periodically, explain how the name was chosen and what it means. Create a promotion campaign behind this. You can use posters, direct mail, Power Point, and others means to establish the foundation behind the name.?
Live with it. You named it; plan to live with it. A church started an annual Easter drama. Every two or three years, it tweaked the name of the drama. The Passion of The Christ came out – someone suggests renaming it The Passion. All of this re-naming did nothing but start and stop the vitality of promotion, and cripple the community branding of the event. Pick a name, bounce it off the wall, create artwork, and then roll with it. Don’t alter the name unless the market gives it a nickname – then quickly shift to the nickname. Let the nickname come from the market. <^><
?
??????????? ?
(Copyright ? 2006, Scott Vaughan Communications, LLC. Copies permitted for sharing among church staff and leaders. Permission is required for publication. For permission, please contact Scott Vaughan at scott@svministry.com or by telephone, (803) 808-7555. Visit Scott’s website, Scott Vaughan Communications, at svministry.com.)
?