Apple released the new version of the iPhone today. One of the qualities I especially admire about Apple is their ability to focus when they have a major announcement a new product. Today was a great example of how to leverage focus for maximum exposure and impact. Every part of their updated phone announcement was a sub point of the big announcement.
Churches can learn a lot from this principle of focus:
Platform announcements – Many churches announce everything each Sunday which leaves people remembering almost nothing (The more you announce the less people hear, the less you announce the more people listen). Connect what announcements you do make to your major theme for the day. If your announcements don’t connect with your theme, communicate them via other platforms such as your blog, website, Facebook page, bulletin. Ensure every ministry has an opportunity to communicate to their target group directly bypassing the need to broadcast to everyone.
Ministry opportunities – There seems to be a ministry for everything and everyone nowadays. If you sharpened your ministry focus you would definitely increase your impact. I love what LifeChurch.tv have done in having a narrow ministry focus. It’s very clear what they consider as their highest ministry priorities as a church.
Your primary audience – Every church has a primary audience inside and outside of their church. Every church attracts a certain age, stage, race, demographic. While you may have a spread of ages, stages, ethnic makeup, socio-economic there will be one predominant group that is in your church and lives around your church. Do you know which group that is? Does your local community the same as your current congregation? How are you focussing on connecting with this audience?
The bottom line is really this – if you aim to hit everything, you’ll hit nothing. Apple seem to hit the bullseye every time because they know how to focus. Your church can hit the bullseye if you are prepared to focus.
So what do you think?
Do churches need focus? Should they be all things to all people?
How do you focus?
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