buzz
I had a "eureka moment" this morning. We brainstormed names and ideas for the conference we want to do next year. We came up with some fun and crazy and creative names, but nothing really resonated. We wanted a word a word that encapsulates our convictions. We wanted a word with a little pizzazz. Nothing seemed to stick. Then this morning I thought of one word that is fun and self-explanatory and not too over-used: buzz.
That's the name of our conference.
We wanted a word that would create some buzz. So Buzz it is. Pun intended :)
This is totally off topic, but I love Buzz Lightyear and I've always been afraid of getting a buzz cut. Anywho...
I think the word buzz is a great fit with our conviction that the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing. And no one was better at buzz than Jesus. Even when he told people not to tell anyone about what he had done he couldn't keep them quiet. His "buzz factor" was off the charts!
I don't think anything in the history of humankind has been as "buzzable" as the gospel. It's something so good that you can't not talk about. Isn't that what Peter and John said in Acts 4:20? "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
It boils down to this: is your church boring or buzzing? Great churches buzz. They have a high "buzz factor." Our conference will revolve around three convictions: 1) the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet; 2) the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing; and 3) the church belongs in the middle of the marketplace.
For what it's worth, I came up with a simple formula that I think is the key to creating buzz:
Originality + Authenticity + Creativity = Buzz
Our brains are wired in a way that we notice things that are different. That's why you notice when someone gets a haircut or rearranges their furniture. Too many churches are too predictable. That's where originality comes into play. We need lots of different kinds of churches because there are lots of different kinds of people. I think too many churches look too much alike. I love the way Seth Godin says it in his book, Purple Cow. If you've seen one brown cow you've seen them all. But a purple cow? That'd get your attention wouldn't it. We need some purple churches!
Anything less than authenticity is a gimmick. We've got to do the right things for the right reasons. At the end of the day, I think postmodern apologetics boils down to authenticity. Jesus was the real deal. His authenticity was magnetic. In one sense, we don't market the message. We are the message! Our level of authenticity will make us or break us. Things that are genuine and authentic create buzz!
Creativity is the way we package the message or brand our churches. It's all about having the right wineskin. God is omni-creative. The more we become like Christ the more creative we become. Too many churches are too left-brained. I'm hoping this conference crosses the corpus collosum and unchains the right-brain of some pastors and church leaders.
The bottom line is this. Originality + Authenticity + Creativity adds up to BUZZ. There are no short-cuts. You have to work hard and work smart. But it's about being "as shrewd as snakes." It's about "compelling them to come in" (Luke 14). The word compel means "to demand attention." I think "buzz" is a fair interpretation.
So here's what we're going to try to do with our Buzz Conference. We're going to help churches imagineer a church culture where they design:
Outreaches that buzz
Bulletins that buzz
Baptisms that buzz
Small Groups that buzz
Welcome packets that buzz
Message series that buzz
Videos that buzz
I think the Buzz Conference (BC) will help churches identify their unique churchprint or DNA. I'm hoping it's one small step/one giant leap towards becoming more original, authentic, and creative. That'll add up to churches reaching more people who are unchurched and dechurched. That'll add up to more churches reaching emerging generations. And that'll add up to more churches having more fun doing what their doing!
Let me just share one thing that drives me or drives me crazy :) Does it bother anyone else that Hollywood and Madison Avenue do a better job of marketing meaningless things than the church does marketing the good news? I think we need a sanctified competitive streak. I think the church needs to walk into the Aeropagus like Paul and compete in the marketplace of ideas! We need to stop cursing the darkness. We need to start beating at the world at their own game! One way to do that is for churches to stop competing with each other and start learning from each other. I think the buzz conference will produce creative fusion.
For what it's worth, we're thinking May 4, 5, & 6. It'd correspond with the National Day of Prayer (May 4) and we'd probably try to do an optional Capitol Tour with someone like David Barton. I think it'd be a cool perk. And May is a beautiful time of year in DC.
That's the name of our conference.
We wanted a word that would create some buzz. So Buzz it is. Pun intended :)
This is totally off topic, but I love Buzz Lightyear and I've always been afraid of getting a buzz cut. Anywho...
I think the word buzz is a great fit with our conviction that the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing. And no one was better at buzz than Jesus. Even when he told people not to tell anyone about what he had done he couldn't keep them quiet. His "buzz factor" was off the charts!
I don't think anything in the history of humankind has been as "buzzable" as the gospel. It's something so good that you can't not talk about. Isn't that what Peter and John said in Acts 4:20? "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
It boils down to this: is your church boring or buzzing? Great churches buzz. They have a high "buzz factor." Our conference will revolve around three convictions: 1) the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet; 2) the greatest message deserves the greatest marketing; and 3) the church belongs in the middle of the marketplace.
For what it's worth, I came up with a simple formula that I think is the key to creating buzz:
Originality + Authenticity + Creativity = Buzz
Our brains are wired in a way that we notice things that are different. That's why you notice when someone gets a haircut or rearranges their furniture. Too many churches are too predictable. That's where originality comes into play. We need lots of different kinds of churches because there are lots of different kinds of people. I think too many churches look too much alike. I love the way Seth Godin says it in his book, Purple Cow. If you've seen one brown cow you've seen them all. But a purple cow? That'd get your attention wouldn't it. We need some purple churches!
Anything less than authenticity is a gimmick. We've got to do the right things for the right reasons. At the end of the day, I think postmodern apologetics boils down to authenticity. Jesus was the real deal. His authenticity was magnetic. In one sense, we don't market the message. We are the message! Our level of authenticity will make us or break us. Things that are genuine and authentic create buzz!
Creativity is the way we package the message or brand our churches. It's all about having the right wineskin. God is omni-creative. The more we become like Christ the more creative we become. Too many churches are too left-brained. I'm hoping this conference crosses the corpus collosum and unchains the right-brain of some pastors and church leaders.
The bottom line is this. Originality + Authenticity + Creativity adds up to BUZZ. There are no short-cuts. You have to work hard and work smart. But it's about being "as shrewd as snakes." It's about "compelling them to come in" (Luke 14). The word compel means "to demand attention." I think "buzz" is a fair interpretation.
So here's what we're going to try to do with our Buzz Conference. We're going to help churches imagineer a church culture where they design:
Outreaches that buzz
Bulletins that buzz
Baptisms that buzz
Small Groups that buzz
Welcome packets that buzz
Message series that buzz
Videos that buzz
I think the Buzz Conference (BC) will help churches identify their unique churchprint or DNA. I'm hoping it's one small step/one giant leap towards becoming more original, authentic, and creative. That'll add up to churches reaching more people who are unchurched and dechurched. That'll add up to more churches reaching emerging generations. And that'll add up to more churches having more fun doing what their doing!
Let me just share one thing that drives me or drives me crazy :) Does it bother anyone else that Hollywood and Madison Avenue do a better job of marketing meaningless things than the church does marketing the good news? I think we need a sanctified competitive streak. I think the church needs to walk into the Aeropagus like Paul and compete in the marketplace of ideas! We need to stop cursing the darkness. We need to start beating at the world at their own game! One way to do that is for churches to stop competing with each other and start learning from each other. I think the buzz conference will produce creative fusion.
For what it's worth, we're thinking May 4, 5, & 6. It'd correspond with the National Day of Prayer (May 4) and we'd probably try to do an optional Capitol Tour with someone like David Barton. I think it'd be a cool perk. And May is a beautiful time of year in DC.
9 Comments:
I live in Memphis and go to a church that NEEDS some major work in "imagineering a church culture" that buzzes. Get a firm date and you've got a contingent from Tennessee on their way to the innagural Buzz Conference.
I love it. I think we have a special Tennessee price :) We'll let you know via blog update!
"Does it bother anyone else that Hollywood and Madison Avenue do a better job of marketing meaningless things than the church does marketing the good news?"
Well it doesn't bother me and for what it's worth the Church has made concerted efforts to "Market" the Gospel in the past. Most have come up short. I clearly remember one very interesting attempt in the 1970's back when bumper stickers were all the rage. Maybe some remember the "I FOUND IT" campaign. The simple slogan "I Found It" was printed on bumper stickers in bright colors. Churches crossed demominational walls (not an easy task in the 70's) and supported the campaign distributing bumper stickers to each Church. The plan was that as people viewed the bumper sticker there curiosity would get the best of them and they would wonder what the "I Found It" slogan meant and what it was trying to sell. Now there was also a phone # on each sticker that led to the Christian organization which revealed that what they found was Jesus Christ. The overall consensus was that it was not a success. Yes some people were led to the Lord. But others felt tricked and became angered. Not too long ago I saw an old car with one of those stickers. Very very funny. So it didn't work. Why? Other similar strategies seem to fall short. Why? Is it because Christians lack the creativity necessary to deliver an effective "Marketing" strategy? Has Madison Ave and Hollywood successfully scooped up all the talent in the marketing world? I think Mark answered his own question.
"In one sense, we don't market the message. We are the message!"
The message was not intented to be marketed.
I cringe when I hear some say "Jesus would be using the same Media and marketing tools available today".
A point that is really mute.
Ga 4:4 -
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
The opposite may be true. Jesus didn't come at this time because of the mediam marketing etc.
When I think of Marketing I think of a business. Activities involved in selling goods and ideas including, advertising, lingos, jingles, commercials etc. Is the Church a business? No.
Well enough said. I hope there is room for difference of opinion in this blog. I trust that my spirit is pure as I write these ideas.
God Bless
I love the idea that these comments are a place where we can honestly share how we feel. I appreciate the comments from anon above. But I have to disagree. I am so psyched about this conference! The message I am getting is that it's about equipping the church. Paul exhorts us to do that all over the New Testament. Build each other up. Spur each other on. Strengthen one another. I think that's what BuzzCon will do. I long for every good tool that will help me get my friends to Jesus. Yes, we are the message. I agree. But I'll take all the tools I can get. I'm Buzzed about Buzz. :)
Difference of opinion is what makes the world go around :)
I think the word "marketing" sometimes has negative connotations. I've seen my share of churches try what I'd call "shallow gimmicks" to get people to church. Never works because it's not original, authentic, or creative :)
The one thing I'd push back on is Luke 14. Jesus told us to "compel" them to come in. The work is stronger than "marketing." It means "to demand attention."
The key to all of this, of course, is motivation. The driving engine is to see people come to faith in Christ. And the stakes couldn't be any higher.
For what it's worth, I think the best buzz is showing the love of Christ in practical and creative ways. That's at the heart of buzz.
If we're not supposed to adapt the message to our culture, our generation, and the world we live in, than we should never have translated the Bible into English. The message is the same, but the delivery, or language, or marketing, always changes. Marketing is simply about getting people to look at the product and try it out. Try Jesus! Anon - the way you present Jesus is how you market Him. In fact, those two verbs could be synonomous: market and present. Marketing is simply how we present Jesus. What is so great is that the way you present Jesus is more effective for some people than the way NCC will. Conversely, NCC will be more effective with others. That seems to be the whole idea of BuzzCon - that we simply need to be open to new ways to reach more people with the presentation (aka "marketing") of the message of grace, forgiveness, love, and eternal life! Creativity is from God, and seen through all creation! BuzzCon is simply challenging us to share those ideas, think of new ones, and put them to use for the Glory of God and expansion of Heaven!
Hello all,
I had a nice conversation with my old Pastor today, he refreshed my memory concerning the "I Found IT" campaign. I was just a boy at the time. I had some of the elements correct about it, but some of the details I had incorrect. The campaign lasted for about a month, "I FOUND IT" was printed on bumper stickers, billboards, TV commercials and ads in newspapers. There was NO phone # on the ads. When the marketing campaign had run the course, Churches would then "Telemarket" the regions where the ads were run. My old Pastor offered more information than I hoped for but was glad to listen. He mentioned that there were some voices in the Church that weren't happy with the campaign before it even started. He claimed he listened to there concerns but dismissed them. However he now admits they may have been correct. It seems that there concern was based on the beliefs of the one who created the campaign. My pastor could not recall his name. However it seems like the I FOUND IT originator believed that the GIFTS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT were no longer functioning in the Church. Others share this belief, I don't, and nor did our Church. It seems his motivation for the campaign was necessary, in his view, because at one time THE HOLY SPIRIT GIFTS supplied the "marketing" that the Church needed but now did not. This has really made me think. Church is changing. Maybe my head has been in the sand but I hear terms that I have never heard before. Churches are described as "POST-MODERN", "TRANSFORMATIONAL" "CONTEMPORARY", "SEEKER SENSITIVE" "TRADITIONAL" "NON-DENOMINATIONAL" I am sure I have missed a bunch. The names may change but this point remains constant.
1 Corinthians 14:21-25
21 In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," F44 says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus F45 the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE "MARKETING" TOOl!!!!!!!! What better gift can the Church give to the unbeliever than be functioning in the GIFTS & Manifestations OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers"
God Bless
I love how NCC does ministry in the middle of the marketplace and, as far as our ministry goes, I believe that originality, authenticity, and creativity are on target -- especially authenticity. BuzzCon is a great opportunity and platform to reflect the authentic Jesus Christ in original and creative ways.
While I'm enthusiastic about original and creative methods for ministry, I am greatly concerned about so many new translations of the Bible that redefine the Word to accommodate a politically correct culture. To redefine the Word is to redefine Jesus (in our own image). John 1:1-2,14 "(1)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (14) The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." The Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ (The Word) is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Cultures change from generation to generation, but the Word (Jesus Christ) remains the same. He is the great God -- I AM.
I pray and believe that as NCC continues to do original and creative ministry in the middle of the marketplace that the authentic Word will take root in our hearts. I also pray that the Lord will help us to discover the humility necessary to accept Him in the fullness of His Word -- and that He would provide us a way out from the temptation to redefine His Word according to the cultural mores of our day. I pray for these things in Jesus' Name.
Great thought Jeff. It's definitely a tension point. My only thought is that Jesus spoke the language of the people. I know that translations run the risk of "diluting" or "distorting" the truth, but I'm personally grateful for paraphrases like the Message because it actually opens up new angles of understanding for me. The Bible is so kaleidscopic!
I share your concern, but I also think we need to speak in a langauge that people will understand.
I say it all the time, but I might as well say it again. Truth is found in tension in the tension of opposites.
I love one version of Job 11:6 that says: "True wisdom has two sides."
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