Includes bibliographical references (p. [339]-345).

Marketing can help your church grow -- Can marketing and ministry peacefully coexist? -- A sea of facts : what you need to know -- How to find the information you need -- Qualitative information : tapping into people's passions -- Getting numbers without getting nauseated -- The art of the survey -- Making survey results work for you -- The power of vision -- Strategy in ministry -- Positioning : who in the world do people think you are? -- Creating a ministry-driven marketing plan -- Marketing communications : hitting your target -- Marketing communications : what to say, how to say it -- Appendices. Nine Bible studies : a biblical perspective on marketing your ministry -- Sources of secondary information -- Samples of focus group materials -- Samples of community telephone surveys -- Samples of congregational surveys -- A brief marketing plan for a church -- Examples of church news releases -- Other resources related to marketing -- Other resources for ministry from Barna Research Group, Ltd.

Is marketing biblical? Although the word "marketing" never appears in the Bible, the Bible is filled with examples of successful marketers: Solomon, Joshua, Nehemiah, and Paul, to name just a few. As you'll see in this book, these dynamic men of God had the ability to identify people's needs and then find the best ways to meet them. Jesus told his followers to do the same -- to bring his message to people in a way they could understand and relate to. That's the heart of marketing. And those principles can be immensely useful as you take part in God's work here on earth. It's time to move beyond the question of whether or not marketing is a biblical practice. The real question is whether your church can afford not to use such a powerful andd readily available tool. - Back cover.