Targeted
When any company develops their marketing plan an essential step is to identify the target market. A target market refers to a group of potential customers to whom a company wants to sell its products and services. This target market would have similar characteristics such as age, martial status, education, religion, location, income, and lifestyle. By defining a specific target market a company will be able to focus in on specific factors to reach and connect with customers through their sales and marketing efforts. Not knowing who the target market is could cost a lot of money and time for a company.
This is why companies spend a lot of effort and money collecting information on people. I will give you a personal example. Our grocery store of choice is Woolies. It is convenient to where we live. But do you know everytime I scan my Rewards' card it really is not just about getting fuel vouchers or frequent flyer points? Woolies is collecting a lot of information about my spending habits. And from time to time I receive an email from them highlighting all those things I might regulary purchase and are now on 'special'. This is targeting marketing. They know what products I am interested in and by connecting with me they hope I will spend more money in their store.
Target marketing is not just essential for large companies such as Woolies, Bunnings, Coles, and Target. It is also essential for churches. We see this, for example, in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. He writes: "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.... To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so I may share in its blessings." (1 Corinthians 9:20,22-23) Depending on the 'market' Paul was targetting, he adjusted his style of ministry so that he might win people to Jesus. Using this strategy Paul was being a good steward of the gospel message that had been entrusted to him (see also 1 Corinthians 4:1: "People ought to regard us as servants of God and as stewards of the secret things of God." ) The fact is that if you as a church or church leader do not know who your target market is, you could miss out in reaching the lost and helping the unsaved discover new life in Christ. And as a steward of all that God has given you, it could also cost you a lot of money and time.
As churches we understand the importance of target marketing. In our GROW strategy we make the point that "each congregation consider how they can reach out to unchurched groups in their community, for example, unbelieving spouses of church members and the unchurched among single people, professional people, high rise or gated communities, ethnic communities, sports clubs, young people in shopping centres, workers in the hospitality industries, shift workers, the illiterate, young mothers, retired people, and the like." Your congregational outreach will depend very much on who are trying to reach. Trying to reach the unsaved among professional people in downtown Sydney (NSW) will demand a different strategy than one would use trying to reach the unsaved in a gated retirement community in the Sunshine Coast (QLD). If a church or church leader does not know their target market, they will be ineffective in reaching the lost for Christ.
So what do you do? Well, you do what every successful company does. You collect information. You do your research. You get to know the people you are trying to reach with the gospel. In my denominational role I coach churches and church leaders in how to reach the people in their neighbourhood with the good news of Jesus. An essential step for each of these churches and leaders is to identify their target market. Some do their own research and simply survey the people who live within a determined radius of their church. Openhouse CRC (Nerang, QLD) did this survey when they wanted to understand their target market. Other churches take advantage of the extensive market research provided by NCLS (National Church Life Survey). NCLS provides invaluable research on the profiles of any neighbourhood in Australia. The more you get to know the people you are trying to reach with the gospel, the more you will understand what you need to do to reach them.
Who are the people in your neighbourhood that you are trying to reach with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Do you know? Do you understand who they are? If you don't, then take the essential step in getting to know them. Identify and get to know your target market. Then do whatever it takes, by all possible means, to save them.
About the author
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
