Do you know the where, who, and why God has placed you in your field? I am not talking about the big picture whole-world great commission, I am talking about the specifics of your church in your community (your tribe). My experience is in the world of technology marketing and we call this targeting.
Knowing your target field helps drive your messages, your examples, and even your services. This is a biblical concept that we see repeatedly;
- God targeted the Israelites (then the whole world)
- Jesus targeted the average Jewish people (specifically not the religious leaders)
- Paul targeted the Gentiles, Peter the Jews
You would be correct to point out that this did not exclude other audiences, but the focus was on a specific target audience. Connection of the message with the audience leads to action. Some examples:
- Paul was in Athens and preached about the “Unknown god” to the “religious” people of Athens (Acts 17:22-24).
- Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman at the well on the topic of “living water”.
- Each of Paul’s letters to the churches targeted specific problems that a local congregation was facing.
How do you identify your target?
It starts with the “who.” Who are you trying to reach? This can not be everyone, but a specific group in a specific location. Your location might already be determined, but how about your specific group? If it is young families with children, then your programs, messages and outreach should look very different than if you are targeting baby boomers.
But wait, you might say, I want all groups. I am sure you do, and most churches do have a range of different people. That is not targeting though, and the wider your net the more diluted your message, and more diminished your results.
One place to start is with your heart as a pastor. For “who” is the burden that God has placed on your heart? What is common about most of the people who are drawn to your church? Who would miss your church if it was gone tomorrow?
Persistently ask God to make it clear what his heart and vision are for his church. Include your leadership team and don’t stop asking till you have a clear answer.
Understanding your target group
The next job is to become an expert for this target group. Make sure you understand:
- What problems are they seeking to solve?
- What change do they seek to make? (In their words, not yours)
- What is their worldview?
- What is their vocabulary, culture and preferred communication channels
- What is their unknown god?
In technology marketing we regularly conduct persona research to educate ourselves on our target audience. You too, should learn as much as you can about your target. This includes hanging out with them, reading what they are reading, eating with them, and getting to authentically know and care about them.
Reaching your target
The next process is acting on the knowledge you have acquired. What should you change to better reach your targeted group? Consider items like:
- Would a different service time better suit your people?
- Are my examples going to speak to this group?
- What environment will better communicate to them?
- What vision will provide a better connection, empathy, purpose and drive change for this group of people?
- You get the idea.. how do you build Christ’s church to create a healthy crop in your field?
Customizing to your targeted people group will create conflict for those not in the “tribe”. You have to say “no” to somethings in order to say “yes” to the more important things. The important thing is who are you trying to change and what change are you trying to make?
That vision will attract some and send others looking for a church that is better suited to them. You cannot reach everyone. Unless you know who you are targeting, you will struggle to make the hard decisions.
How do you know if it is working?
You can use standard measurements to measure church growth. But here are some indicators that happen before the hard numbers. Are people;
- Inviting others like themselves to your services
- Giving you feedback on how connected they feel to their church
- Telling you how your message seemed to speak directly to them?
The three biggest mistakes in targeting
If you haven’t figured out yet, I like to convey ideas in bullet points. People can scan, absorb and retain the information quicker (Marketing tip only use 3, 5, or 7 bullets). So here is my list of the most common mistakes in targeting;
- Generalization – thinking that everyone is the same, and treating them the same
- Bias – everyone is just like me – I am the perfect stand-in for my tribe
- The truth of the message is so good, that I don’t have to help my target audience with understanding application
An example to make it real
I have been travelling through rural Texas by car frequently. One trend I have noticed is the rise of the “Cowboy church.” While I have never attended a service, I can tell by the buildings and the number of pickups out front that they are targeting a specific audience.
It says it right in the name, “Cowboy church.” They are more likely to have a livestock arena out back than a basketball court. Their parking lots are not paved, and the buildings include barns, arenas, or other frontier-style structures. Suits and ties are not encouraged, but jeans and cowboy hats are. The movement embraces the cowboy and western lifestyle.
Do you think the pastors of “Cowboy church” know their target audience? Do you think they have created a service and space to reach that audience? I know they do and have.
Where to get started
Hopefully I have given you a lot to think about. Let me end with five key questions that you must be able to succinctly answer.
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What problem are they seeking to solve?
- What change do they seek to make?
- What about your service and message will speak directly to them?
- What is going to make you different than the church down the street?
This article was written in collaboration with William McKinney. If you want to continue the conversation, you can contact him directly at wnmckinney@gmail.com.
