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Memorandum To: Rev. Dr. Laverne A. Wilson, Charis Worship Center Ministries (CWCM)

CC: Rev. Henry Wilson, CWCM

From: Tawana Jacobs, APR

Date: 5/31/2013

Re: Marketing Communications Internal Research Brief

SUMMARY

As directed by Charis Worship Center Ministries (CWCM), Tawana Jacobs, APR, conducted in-depth research and analysis of current marketing communication efforts. The purpose of this work was to establish an accurate starting point for strategy development. The research and analysis included personal interviews with CWCM leadership, a review of anonymous responses to the 2013 leadership SWOT analysis, an assessment of current church outreach materials, and an analysis of event planning documents. This work has been segmented into the following categories:

Internal Communication

Branding and Marketing

Ideas for the Future

Charis’ ministry leaders are hard-working and committed. They’ve worked diligently alongside the pastoral staff to develop a family-like atmosphere for CWCM members and friends. Most of the interviewees expressed some concern about CWCM’s future. They articulated an understanding of the church’s growing pains and offered their active support for the process to develop and implement an integrated marketing communications plan in coordination with the church’s strategic planning process. Several common themes were revealed during research. Among the positive points were: “sense of family”, “trailblazing”, “dedication” and “leading by example.” Topics highlighted for improvement were: “consistency”, “clarity of goals and expectations”, “increased collaboration” and “better communication.” In terms of defining a primary audience for CWCM, most of the leaders agreed that targeting families with younger children is necessary to ensure the church’s growth. However, some seemed reluctant to more narrowly focus the church’s outreach efforts. Several ideas were shared about how to help Charis stand out from its competition. These included:

An increased investment in the music ministry;

Using social media and other communication tools to highlight Charis’ unique presence; and

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Making a more pronounced attempt to connect with local neighborhoods via special initiatives like the state’s Adopt-a-Road program.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Internal communication at CWCM continues to be a work in progress. Like a growing majority of Americans, CWCM leadership has become overly reliant on using electronic communications to communicate. Most ministry leaders use email most often, with text messaging gaining in popularity. Most leaders have constant access to email and cell phones. However, some do not, and minimal consideration is given to those with limited electronic access. Those without access regularly miss information. Additionally, some believe little regard is given to those who use email and text messaging as secondary modes of communication. They often receive messages about activities and events late in the planning process or not at all. The distribution of information by phone occurs in small sub-circles among CWCM leadership. None of which seem to connect. Mistaken assumptions are made about the transferal of information among the larger group and hurt feelings or attitudes of indifference have begun to develop. Many leaders expressed frustration about the number of in-person meetings held to plan events or discuss church activities. They stressed increasing difficulty with balancing their church leadership responsibilities with work and family requirements, and their ability to participate in CWCM activities not related to their ministry. Some interviewees also voiced some concern about a lack of autonomy when leading their ministries. They believe that creativity is sometimes stifled and their ability to pursue last minute opportunities is limited. Despite their concerns, CWCM leaders remain committed to the church because of their love and respect for Pastor Wilson. Her vision for Charis and the fact that she lives what she teaches and preaches is seen as inspirational. A sense of family has been created among the group, and all want to see Charis grow and thrive in the years to come. Communicating with the Congregation Like the county in which it sits, CWCM has become an increasingly diverse African American congregation. A cross-section of age groups, education levels and incomes exist among church leadership and the congregation. That said, the pattern of uneven communication identified by ministry leaders also seems to extend to the congregation. Many of the leaders interviewed also serve as CWCM Servant Leaders who are

expected to distribute church information to congregants placed within their “family,” encourage ongoing participation in church activities, and help grow church membership. Some expressed disappointment with the group’s work, saying recent changes within its ranks has contributed to stagnation. Others suggested that some lack clarity about their responsibilities.

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With only few exceptions, the weekly CWCM Bulletin, mass emails, remarks from the pulpit and spontaneous in-person conversations are the modes of communication used most often to reach congregants. Phone calls from servant leaders to members are rare. Additionally, no ongoing feedback mechanisms exist to encourage congregant feedback. Several suggestions were made to improve communication with members. They included:

Simplifying messages;

Increasing the number of times messages are shared;

Using varied list of tools to share messages;

Employing CWCM leadership to test key messages before they are shared with the broader congregation; and

Improving outreach to individual members.

BRANDING AND MARKETING Churches survive and thrive based on the size of their membership and the amount of financial support they receive. All of the ministry leaders interviewed articulated an exceptionally clear understanding of the fact that CWCM occupies its own unique space in a community surrounded by much larger churches. When asked to designate an audience Charis should be communicating with most regularly in an effort to increase its membership, a solid majority of those interviewed said families with children. The prevailing thought was that this group would ensure the church’s continued growth over time. The second most common response was to focus on people from nearby neighborhoods. Strengthening the Charis Brand Ministry leaders had several ideas about how to set Charis apart from its local competition. These suggestions included:

Strengthening the music ministry;

More active, hands-on participation and visibility in the Burtonsville community;

Doing a better job of leveraging Pastor Wilson’s messages via communication and marketing channels; and

Working to establish Charis as an expert community resource (on a designated list of subjects).

Charis’ future success is dependent on the successful implementation of activities and events. Past successes like the recent Women’s Ministry launch, revivals, church anniversaries and other notable events are celebrated by all ministry leaders. However, they would like to see improved consistency and conformity with outreach efforts. Some even said that many CWCM event planners lack a clear understanding of their promotional responsibilities. Most of the ministry leaders believe more pre-planning guidance would lay the groundwork for success and improve consistency. Some would like to see the onboarding form re-worked to include a timeline and planning benchmarks. Others said a pre-planning discussion to determine the purpose of an activity or event would be beneficial along with the inclusion of some outreach “how-to” instruction. Many also

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expressed a need to increase the amount of time between activities and events to prevent Charis’ small core of active members from being burnt out. Many interviewees said their ministry outreach efforts have been shortchanged because of other church work. Some regularly refer to external resources to guide and support their ministry outreach efforts, but think the chances of success are limited because of other church needs. Others have relied solely on available tools – event fliers, word-of-mouth advertising, the church website and the occasional video and print advertisements—to support their work, with unpredictable success. However, all are hopeful that having a clear plan for going forward will reduce their levels of stress and strengthen Charis’ brand.

IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE All CWCM leaders agree that Charis needs a comprehensive outreach strategy. Many were intrigued about the possibility of partnering with other churches in the area (via the Black Ministers’ Conference of Montgomery County) to improve the community and communicate broader messages of faith. The idea of writing or co-authoring articles, blogs or op-eds to communicate Charis’ messages of faith to the area was intimidating to most, but all articulated support for the idea. Creating a more robust social media strategy that would drive traffic to the Charis website was also appealing to the group, even if it requires ministry leaders to upload their ministry information in a timely manner. Despite limited knowledge and experience with designing and implementing an organizational integrated marketing communications plan, all CWCM ministry leaders understand the importance of their contribution and active participation in working to move Charis forward. Next Steps With the first phase of work—research and discovery—now complete, I will work with Pastor Wilson and CWCM leadership during June to begin strategy development. Based on the research results and additional consultations (in-person, email and phone), we will work together to identify goals and objectives that can be accomplished in the short and long term, beginning with a focus on the next twelve months. This initial step in plan development will also include an in-depth discussion about defining and reaching desired audiences. I will continue to consult with Charis ministries on an as-needed basis to assist with outreach efforts. Next up: an event outreach toolkit for the Vacation Bible Camp 2013 team.