CREATIVE COMMUNICATION - EXPONENTIAL '08

Seven Steps To Sermon “Branding”
Mark Batterson
April 22, 2008
Exponential 08 Pre-Conference Intensive

Mark Batterson is the founding and lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. He is a gifted communicator. One of the smartest guys you'll ever hear. He has written an incredibly inspiring book titled, In A Book With A Lion On A Snowy Day. I loved it. Pick it up today. Yesterday Mark shared some thoughts on "sermon branding." These notes will not relate to everyone, but to all my fellow pastors who occasionally check out this blog, I thought I would share the wealth....

You can check out a couple of Mark's message series at these links:
Chase The Lion
The Elephant In The Church


Seven Steps To Sermon "Branding"

Hebrews 1:1 (NIV), In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways…

God is not a “broken record.” He spoke at many times and in “various ways.”

THOUGHT: It is crucial that we learn to say “old things” in “new ways.”

John 12:49 (NIV), I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.

Evidently, the “what” of a message isn’t enough! Jesus not only looked to the Father for direction regarding “content,” but direction regarding “methodology.” The Father told Jesus “what to say and how to say it…”

1. Come Up With A “Memorable” Series Title

Your series and message titles are the “hook” that will help people “connect” with the subject you feel inspired or led to address.

Some Examples:
POTENTIAL: A series on 1 and 2nd Timothy
LAST WORDS: A series on the seven sayings of Christ from the cross
LOVE U: A series on relationships around Valentine’s Day
HOW: A practical series covering topics such as “how to” study the Bible, fast, manage my money, etc.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE CHURCH: A series on obvious issues that we refuse to talk about…
GOD AT THE “BILLBOARDS”: A series featuring songs from Billboard’s Top 40…
I AM NCC…

Some Examples:
www.theelephantinthechurch.com
www.chasethelion.com

2. Create A Series GRAPHIC.

A picture is worth more than a thousand words; it’s worth ten million words! Jesus often created “word pictures” with his parables.

CONCEPT: SEQUENCE OF COGNITION – The brain recognizes shapes first, colors second and content last…

Everything in your environment is important! Everything in your environment from the colors of the walls, to sound levels, stage set, bulletin graphics, etc. communicates!

Example: If aesthetics aren’t important then why does God take twelve chapters in Exodus to describe the aesthetics of the tabernacle? God addressed issues such as the color of curtains, the smells a person would experience, etc.

Yes, CONTENT is KING, but aesthetics do count!

THOUGHT: Your website is a door or gateway to your church… Develop a cutting edge website and seek to get people to your site… Provide people with information and an experience via the web.

PRACTICE: When going through a magazine tear out the pages that “connect” with you and give them to your graphics designer. Process the ad or graphic with your designer…

3. Design a series “e-vite” and “invite.”

Possible Vendors:
psprint.com
constantcontact.com

Don’t “spam” people, but make certain you communicate with your audience… Train your congregation to “forward” your emails to a friend….

4. Brainstorm Big Ideas

Resource: The Big Idea, Greg Ferguson

Here’s the point: discern what God wants to say to your congregation… Discern what God wants to do in your congregation. State this succinctly and simply.

Every sermon needs to have a single idea.

Example: Bed of Nails… A person lying on a bed of nails is not harmed because pressure is diffused by a thousand points… Even so, a sermon with a “thousand points” will fail to penetrate at any level.

Jesus almost always preached with a metaphor… (Matthew 13:34 and Mark 4:34 says that Jesus “…did not speak to them without a parable…”

THOUGHT: The most important truths need to be communicated in the most unforgettable ways.

5. Create A Series TRAILER.

Example: Movie trailers create “buzz” and excitement… Create a series trailer that you can post on your church website, show in your weekend services and perhaps use as a “bumper.”

THOUGHT: Intentionally use humor to diffuse tension when you are speaking on difficult subjects… Self-deprecating humor reveals your “human-ness” and is helpful to your audience…

PRACTICAL TECH STUFF: When purchasing software and hardware for video production, think about purchasing “HD” versions…

6. Add Sermon Props

Jesus regularly employed object lessons in his messages… Employ object lessons to help your audience remember… Do not allow church to become predictable or routine…

7. Add Sermon Staging

Change your stage with every possible series… This will help the environments in your church “feel fresh”


Contacting Mark Batterson: mark@theaterchurch.com