In yesterday’s post we talked about the branding of Christianity and pointed out that Christians carry some heavy historical baggage.

Let’s move on.

Most Christians regardless of denomination feel pretty good about being Christian. They may feel less sure of their place within the Church. Such uneasiness inhibits evangelism or outreach.

Spending some time on branding should help.

The most common advice of church analysts is to write a mission statement or vision statement. Frankly, most mission and vision statements are variations on the same theme and state the obvious.

Mission statements are part of branding. But the process for arriving at mission statements can be dry and even threatening.

Thinking in terms of branding will either help you write a clearer mission or vision statement or make them unnecessary.

Remember, branding is about how we are perceived—first by ourselves and then by others.

Start with some kind of self-study.

The temptation in attempting a self-study is to begin to rehash congregational history and statistics—the good and the bad. These days it is often the bad. This can be a technique of hierarchy to make your situation feel hopeless. That makes their job easier and they might get the value of your assets. (Sorry to be so blunt, but self-interest is part of that long history of the church we talked about in yesterday’s post.)

You’ve probably already been this route. How has it worked?

We’re betting that it led to self-criticism that eroded your congregation’s self-confidence. We’re also betting that it helped you stay mired in the past. If you started the process with a dozen people, you probably ended up with one or two finishing the job as others fell away.

So, don’t spend a lot of time on this. It is fuel for the naysayers.

Knowing yourself is the first step in telling your story. Ask some questions that will teach you about your congregation.

Here is one idea to help the process of self-examination in a positive way.

Create a survey.

This should be totally un-intimidating and should be plenty of fun! Keep the questions upbeat.

Give people enough time to think about their answers. Let them study them during the week, if necessary.

Write your own questions, but here are some ideas.

• What are your most memorable three verses from the Old Testament?
• What are your most memorable three verses from the New Testament?
• Can you remember the favorite Bible verse of one of your parents?
• What is your favorite quotation of Christ?
• How would you describe Jesus to someone who had never heard of Him? or Describe Jesus in ten words or less.
• Write a haiku poem describing our church.
• What are your three favorite hymns?
• What is your favorite church season?
• What makes you proud to be a member of our congregation?
• If you could change one thing to improve our congregation’s mission, what would it be?

Notice how the questions stretch people’s thinking. If you asked them to choose just one hymn or verse, you’d get weaker results.

Also notice how there is nothing in these questions that will wear away at people’s confidence the way statistics and history can. The questions concentrate on strengths, spiritual gifts and hope. They allow for the introduction of negative but in a way that won’t bog you down.

Collect the results and discuss them together. Hold a survey party. Let people tell you why they chose their answers. Quote the scripture. Sing a few of the hymns. This should reveal something about the priorities of your people. You will soon understand why they come to church faithfully and they will be practicing telling their story! Tricky!

This process will help you define your mission.

For example, a hymn choice such as “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” or “O Zion Haste” reveals an interest in mission work. “A Church’s One Foundation” might reveal an interest in teaching doctrine. “Just As I Am” or “Peace Like A River” may point to an interest in social justice. Let the people discover themselves.

In the end, ask people to summarize what they’ve learned. Pose the question something like this:

I’ve learned that our Church is capable of the following great things:

1.
2.
3.

Understanding yourselves is the first step in branding your congregation. Have fun! Be proud!