Purple Cows
At the Sticks Conference I talked about Trojan Horses, Purple Cows, and Broken Windows. Thought I'd share a few thoughts about purple cows.
One of my favorite marketing books is Purple Cow by Seth Godin. The book revolves around this metaphor: if you've seen one brown cow you've seen them all. But a purple cow, now that would catch your attention. One statement in the book has profound implications: "If you aren't remarkable you're invisible."
Every church needs to paint itself purple. I'm not talking about gimmicks. I'm not talking about being different for difference sake. I'm talking about making such a remarkable difference in our communities that we are unignorable.
I have a couple core convictions:
1) the good news ought to make the news. Brown churches sit on the sideline and invite the community to come to them. Purple churches are always going and compelling. They are making such a big difference that they become a highly visible part of their community. And people drive by the brown churches--the churches that are invisible--to go to the purple church.
2) The greatest message deserves the greatest marketing. I know that marketing is a dirty word in some church circles, but does it get anybody else riled up that Madison Avenue is far better at pedaling its worthless wares than the church is at preaching the good news? I have a problem with that. We need sanctified competitive streaks.
3) The church ought to be the most creative place on the planet. Too many churches look too much alike. We need lots of different kinds of churches because there are lots of different kinds of people. Every church has a unique churchprint and ought to be a unique expression of the gospel in their kingdom niche.
So how do we paint ourselves purple? For starters, dare to be different. You might offend some Pharisees, but that isn't who you're trying to reach. Secondly, disrupt the routine. I think it starts with your personal routine. Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. You need to get out of your routine so you can have some purple thoughts.
As a leader, you need to cause confusion. Jesus didn't do orientations. He did disorientations. You need to find new ways of saying old things (see the Parables). You need to find new wineskins. You need to sing a new song. Neurological studies have found that familiarity stimulates the left-brain. Novelty stimulates the right-brain. We need some Spirit-inspired, right-brained ideas that capture the imagination of the church and the world.
One of my favorite marketing books is Purple Cow by Seth Godin. The book revolves around this metaphor: if you've seen one brown cow you've seen them all. But a purple cow, now that would catch your attention. One statement in the book has profound implications: "If you aren't remarkable you're invisible."
Every church needs to paint itself purple. I'm not talking about gimmicks. I'm not talking about being different for difference sake. I'm talking about making such a remarkable difference in our communities that we are unignorable.
I have a couple core convictions:
1) the good news ought to make the news. Brown churches sit on the sideline and invite the community to come to them. Purple churches are always going and compelling. They are making such a big difference that they become a highly visible part of their community. And people drive by the brown churches--the churches that are invisible--to go to the purple church.
2) The greatest message deserves the greatest marketing. I know that marketing is a dirty word in some church circles, but does it get anybody else riled up that Madison Avenue is far better at pedaling its worthless wares than the church is at preaching the good news? I have a problem with that. We need sanctified competitive streaks.
3) The church ought to be the most creative place on the planet. Too many churches look too much alike. We need lots of different kinds of churches because there are lots of different kinds of people. Every church has a unique churchprint and ought to be a unique expression of the gospel in their kingdom niche.
So how do we paint ourselves purple? For starters, dare to be different. You might offend some Pharisees, but that isn't who you're trying to reach. Secondly, disrupt the routine. I think it starts with your personal routine. Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. You need to get out of your routine so you can have some purple thoughts.
As a leader, you need to cause confusion. Jesus didn't do orientations. He did disorientations. You need to find new ways of saying old things (see the Parables). You need to find new wineskins. You need to sing a new song. Neurological studies have found that familiarity stimulates the left-brain. Novelty stimulates the right-brain. We need some Spirit-inspired, right-brained ideas that capture the imagination of the church and the world.
18 Comments:
any way to get a copy of the talks from the conference? It'd be great for other pastors in the sticks, er... rural church work.
i love the purple cow and trojan horse concepts... might i ask what the broken windows are? thanks mark.
I'm pretty sure you can get a DVD or CD from conference. I'll post something on broken windows too...
Mark
Thanks Mark, for fleshing out a little more of your thoughts on "purple cows" I enjoyed your talk at the sticks and getting a chance to meet you.
I think there will be the opportunity to purchase the DVD of all the Inspire Sessions off the Sticks website(http://www.thesticks.tv/index.html). I know they have been produced. We purchased a set to bring home for viewing by our leadership team.
Jeff Borden
http://icrucified.com/icruciblog/
Great reminder. Thanks!
i have my purple sharpie and i am ready...
Hey, I'm a young man, feeling led to plant a church in the future.
And I have heard and read a lot of stuff about planting churches and influencing culture and reaching people.
I have researched stuff about your church, Mark Driscoll's church, Matt Chandler's church, some international churches I am familiar with, etc. This has been helpful on all but one subject.
How do you pay the bills while you are planting a church? Were you bivocational? Did you have to raise support? Did another group pay you? Something else?
I have a passion to see more purple churches. I am a total right-brainer. It's the practical side of things that does not make sense to me.
Adam
Adam,
Great questions! I'm not gonna lie. it was scary. Doesn't hurt if you're a dink--double income, no kids. I did have another job--parachurch ministry--that helped pay the bills. I also raised some support--a handful of supporting churches. And we got some sizable gifts.
It is definitely a faith thing. And, in my experience, God won't provide too much so you will have to stay totally dependent on him!
Mark
Thanks Mark for coming to the Sticks conference. Enjoyed your talk and Q & A. Really enjoyed "hearing" more about Purple Cows. As jeff already stated Cds & DVDs are available. Whole set of DVDs is $35. Well worth the price! Glad I had the opp to meet you also.
Love it.
Hello...Home Depot? Yeah... I need 286 gallons of purple paint by this Sunday.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Travis
Brian, you said that Jesus was about promoting confusion. But what about the verse, 1 Corinthians 14:33, For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (?)
Jeff,
Not sure what Brian said, but here's my two cents. We tend to "orient" people. Jesus seemed to "disorient" people as a means of speaking truth into their lives or helping them discover the truth. It's more about a methodology to awaken people out of their spiritual slumber than leaving them in permanent confusion.
Not always easy to juxtapose the more didactic portions of Scripture with gospels. Jesus definitely confused people, including his disciples, right and left. And sometimes he would answer questions with questions. I think he confused them not to confuse them. I think he confused them to bring them to a deeper place of understanding.
My two cents,
Mark
Brilliant Mark!
Mark, Thanks. I guess my issue is one of semantics rather than intent. I think the word "disorient" is a misnomer. Jesus asked questions and taught parables as a means to get people to think through their paradigm of the world (among other things). I think the word 'reorient" is a better term. My only other issue is that we must make certain that scripture backs up our assertions. Sometimes it seems that we make "radical" statements to make a point. God is not the author of confusion but he does choose to wake us from self deception by challenging our paradigm. Did Jesus stir up thinking? You bet. He died as a result. Thanks again.
That's interesting, that showed me a different perspect, since I'd be in the pew looking at the purple cow. I need to realize when a herd of them pass through, and sometimes I can't see the forest through the trees,of course I need to pray but I also have to trust "Rowdy Yates" he's the guide and he knows where he's leading those purple cows. (But prayer should always be there)
Mark - Thanks for coming out to the sticks. I really enjoyed hearing your presentation. And I appreciate this follow up on Purple Cows. Blessings, brother! Mark Pierce
www.churchrequel.com
like one of the previous postings, what is broken windows? anxiously awaiting
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