Brad Abare

There are many ways in which people view your church, but if there was one word or phrase, what would it all come down to? How would, or how should, people understand and communicate the essence of who you are as a church community?

The essence sums it all up. It’s the big idea that articulates all of the ways you create, transfer, embody and express value. When the essence is put together with the name of your organization, there is a clear evoking sense of what you do, what you stand for and what makes you different. It becomes the beginning and end of every conversation.

Here are several examples of essence:

* Volvo – Safety
* TAZO – The reincarnation of tea
* Apple – Think different
* eBay – The world’s online marketplace
* FedEx – The world on time
* Target – Pay less. Expect more.
* Facebook – Social network
* MySpace – Social entertainment

The essence is not always a public tagline or campaign slogan, but it could be. It’s more important to have an essence that is right than an essence that sounds right or looks good by your logo. Determining your essence, the intrinsic quality of something that determines its character, can play a key role in how you communicate who your church is to your existing congregation and surrounding community. It should frame all of your communication and be the final filter for anything that is designed, printed, spoken and seen.

This article “The Essence of Your Church” by Brad Abare was excerpted from: www.churchmarketing.com web site. February 2011. It may be used for study & research purposes only.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”