Giving youth pastors the tools they need to make and shape disciples.

4 Ways You May Be Hurting Your Youth Ministry’s Brand

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branded

Whether we like it or not, our youth ministry is a brand. It’s how our parents, church, kids, and community sees us. Does your youth ministry have a logo? Do you slap it on everything? That is called branding. Like cowboys burning their ranches name or symbol into their cattle in case they ever get lost or stolen. When people see our logo, they match it with who we are, what kind of group we have, and what we believe in.

Here are 4 ways you could be hurting your brand, which in turn sends out a the message that your youth ministry may not be even worth trying.

1. Sloppy Promotions

Are the posters, flyers, or postcards you are mailing out worthy of a second look? Do they pop? Before you send out your promo for an event, pass it by a leader or a student to see if they “get it”. Ask them to be honest about their initial thoughts if they received this in the mail or saw it posted on FB. Chef Robert Irvine  of Food Networks Restaurant Impossible, will not a send out a meal that’s beneath him. He says, “I cannot send that out, it has my name on it.”

2. Over/Under Communicating 

There is such a thing as over communicating. I can’t tell you how many people (good people) I have unsubscribed from because they jammed my e-mail with junk.  Sending your kids too many texts, flyers, etc, could have the opposite effect you desire. Ask yourself, “If were receiving this many (or not enough) connections, what would I think of our group?” Try planning out the frequencies of your communications. Will your text go our every Monday? Will you post once a week? Try getting

3. Not Preaching The Gospel With Passion, Conviction, or Love

Right or wrong I preach with certain amount of passion. I tell my kids that I may get loud but I am never angry, I am just passionate. I want our kids, and visitors, to know that if they are generous enough to give me their time; I am going to give them my best effort and the truth of God’s word with love.  God’s message is worthy of our best.

4. Living Sloppy

The leader of the group is the representation of the brand. How we live, dress, and act, are what people are looking at more than anything else. It’s how WE live, even more than our kids live, that could help or hurt our youth ministry. We don’t have to be anal about everything we do and say but we must be authentic. Loving caring leaders produce loving caring students. Sloppy living leaders produce sloppy living students.

Jesus said, ” They shall know you by your love.”. Jesus has branded our hearts with the cross. His love for us. We could do all the things above with perfection, but if we do not have love…well, I think you know the rest (I Cor. 13)

Which of these four do you think is hurting your groups brand (what others think)?

Do have another suggestion to add to the list? Leave a comment below.

 

 

 

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