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August 2000
Madison
Ave Ministry
"Sell"
your programs!
7:29
PM. The coffee gurgles
serenely next to your
exquisitely arranged
refreshments. Tables and
chairs are comfortably
positioned; your
presenter is calmly
checking notes.
Everything is in place.
All you are missing
is...the audience.
Where
are they? Why didn't
they come? This was a
flawlessly planned
event, in direct
response to needs
expressed by your
community, at a time most convenient
for them. So why did
only 7 people show up?
One
reason for poor
attendance at
church-sponsored events
has nothing to do with
your topic, presenter,
or timing. Many of our
people don't come to our
events simply because
they didn't know it was
going on! Others read
about it, but it didn't
register in their
consciousness as
something significant or
important for
them. More times
than we might care to
think, our events are
unsuccessful not because
of poor ministry, but
insufficient
marketing.
Marketing
is essential to
ministry.
Marketing could be
simply defined as the
attempt to connect a
consumer with a service
or product. In our case,
the "product"
is the Good News, the
consumer, all those we
wish to reach with the
Good News. If we
want others to receive
the message, we have to
constantly improve the
ways that we
"package" it,
and the resources we use
to get the Word out. We
are a catechetical sales
force with a terrific
product to sell!
Think
about how you publicize
your events. How
effective are you at
"sales"?
Consider the following
example, using a
bulletin notice:
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First
Communion Families -
There will be a meeting
for all First Eucharist
Families on Wednesday,
September 27, 7:30 -
9:00 PM at the Parish
Center. Topic:
"Preparing for
First Eucharist as a
family". At least
one parent or guardian
is expected to attend
with their child.
The entire family is
welcome.
-------------------
The
above notice simply
announces the event,
setting a rather blasé
tone for the
evening. Here is an
example of how you might
"sell" the
same evening:
--------------------
 "First
Communion is important
for my child.
How can our family
make it special?"
Come to a great
evening for families to
find out!
Wednesday,
September 27, 7:30 -
9:00 PM
in the Parish Center.
This
unique evening includes
a demonstration of
take-home family
activities and prayers
that will draw your
entire family into the
celebration of First
Eucharist. Bring
extended family and
grandparents,
too!
--------------------
Both
notices are for the same
event. See how the
second attempts to
connect with the
concrete needs of the
reader and compels them
to come. This is
"selling".
Consider:
Do
you announce your
events, or sell
them? After reading one
of your bulletin ads,
would you be
excited to come to the
event? In your bulletin
notice, do you use
compelling language that
catches the reader's
attention, and shows how
this event will meet the
needs of participants?
Gather
your "sales
team".
Catholic
schools have development
and PR people who assist
them with the important
task of marketing.
Parishes could go far to
follow this example.
Most of our parishes
have members who work in
the business world, in
marketing, public
relations and sales. Do
these professionals
assist you in getting
the Word out? They might
not know all of the
ecclesial lingo, or be
versed in theology, but
they can offer ideas and
techniques that have
been proven to connect
with your parishioners
at large. While you
might not be able to use
every technique that a
secular business uses,
you might very well
adapt them for ministry.
In
future columns I will
explore aspects of
bringing this Madison
Ave perspective to
pastoral life. In the
meantime, I would love
to hear from you about
ways that you have
successfully managed to
"sell" your
catechetical program.
Please consider using
the Center as a resource
for advertising programs
that are open to the
entire region.
Chris Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries
of Central Maryland.
Copyright © 2000 by the
Catholic Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD
21727. All rights reserved.
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