On Rick Warren …

Here’s a highly suggested read from Dr. Mark DeVine of TheologyProf.com re: Rick Warren.

[I must confess before I go on that I write on a freelance basis for his ministry.]

But I’ll just say this: Rick Warren is a master communicator and marketeer.

A quick aside: Good marketing is NOT about selling the Message or selling out the Message. Or even watering it down. Good marketing that is biblically faithful seeks to help tell the Gospel story in a unique way that hits the target audience where he/she is. That could mean using research data to understand where people in your community are (i.e. lots of single moms, high Hispanic population) and tailor the communication of the Message to specific groups. For instance, would you send a direct mail postcard in English to a densely populated section of your city that was predominately Chinese?

That’s a simple illustration … but the principle that I’m talking about is there.

Back to Rick Warren: He’s used his national platform — afforded by his huge church and bestselling book — to take social causes, like AIDS, to the international public, while simultaneously demonstrating for the world that evangelicals — often branded as fire-breathing Pharisees — love people and put their money, time and prayers where their mouth (and Message) is.

As Dr. DeVine notes, Warren on a recent interview could have gone the politically correct route, but didn’t.

Whether you agree with his philosophy of ministry, theology, or choice of Hawaiian shirts, or not, you have to admit this one thing: Rick Warren knows communications, he knows marketing (and uses it wisely for the furtherance of his ministry and Gospel), he knows his community, he knows his church, and he knows … the media!

ALL FROM A GUY WHO DOESN’T HAVE A TV MINISTRY!

***

Here’s the Charlie Rose video on Google.

Here is a link to the Saddleback site to read more press clippings of Warren … plus his blog.

And here’s a search query for stories I’ve written for Warren’s Pastors.com.

Tags: | | | |

September 1, 2006 · Filed Under Church Marketing

Get church marketing ideas, tips and more
by subscribing to the Church Communications Pro Email Newsletter



Subscribe to My Site Feed

Read More Posts Like This One:

Comments

Leave a Reply