For several years I have been concerned about the decline in the number of members we have here at First Baptist. A couple of times in years past, someone has brought it before the congregation that we needed to do something and at least once that I can remember, a campaign was started but it never really got off the ground. Nothing much happened. Last year, as a member of the Diaconate, I felt that a call had been given me to do something about it. Other people also saw the need to try to help build our membership rolls.

We know two truths about any organization: The first truth is all organizations do marketing. The only question is whether you do a good deal of good marketing or you make a poor effort to do a little. The second truth is that an organization is either growing or it is in decline.

I have heard many reasons why our membership has declined. Everything from the fact that we are a mainstream denomination in a forest filled with aggressive congregations built on the personality of the pastor, to the fact that there are too many other churches to choose from, to the fact that we are an inner city church hindered by a beautiful but difficult to maintain building, to the fact that we have had an aging congregation to whatever reason you might want to add to the list.

My take on the current situation is this. We have a great congregation with multiple wonderful programs. Remember the Sunday service when we read a list of the programs taking place here at FBC? It took several minutes just to read the list. Why aren’t people beating down the doors trying to get in? Frankly, I don’t think we have done a good enough job of telling them what they are missing, of inviting them to come in and participate and of making them feel welcome once they come.

Our group started off by looking at how we communicate within the church. Is there anybody here who doesn’t remember the November newsletter with the colored covers and increased content. It’s expensive to use color, but I could see excitement in your faces when we handed it to you. That was what we were trying to accomplish; to bring a new sense of excitement to what this church has to offer. We decided to do a color ad in The Weekly newspaper for the Advent season. Many of you noticed the ad with the angel and mentioned to us how beautiful it was and Pastor Stephanie also had inquires about it. But advertising in any media is expensive. We have changed the shape and content of the Bangor Daily News Saturday Directory listing. The next phone book you get from Verizon, check out the Churches section of the Yellow Pages and compare it with this year’s. The Yellow pages aren’t cheap either.

That was what we tried to accomplish in the fall of 2005 and I think it was a good start, but only a start. This year we are looking at coming up with a new, colorful church brochure and gift packs, at the possibility of doing a church video which could be given to visitors and guests, at how the signs or lack of them on the exterior of the building could help or hinder getting more people to try us out; of using the media to do (free) stories about either the whole church or some of the programs we sponsor, of doing social or informational programs that will appeal to people in and outside of the church, of the possibility of doing either radio or cable TV ads. These are just a few of the ideas we have been thinking about. But here is the reality. Every organization, whether it is a business or a nonprofit needs to market itself and commit a percentage of its’ resources to doing that. You get what you pay for. Coca Cola did not go from one soda fountain in Atlanta, Georgia to become what it is today by not doing effective marketing. If we as a congregation want to do a good job of marketing, we may have to go beyond the current expenses budget. We may have to judiciously use some of the resources people have left to the church in the past to give us the seed money to start growing again. After all, these funds have been left to the church because people wanted FBC to be a viable religious resource in Bangor.

Our little group can’t do it by ourselves. We are willing to share our expertise in marketing and do much of the work to make it happen, but we need everyone in the church to help. What you all need to understand is that you are FBC’s most effective marketing tool. A timid, unfocused plan like we have tried before will not work. We need to plan aggressively and follow through aggressively.

My proposal is that before we leave here today, we as a congregation commit to make growth FBC’s top priority for this year and to pledge ourselves, each and everyone of us, to help making that growth take place. How can you help? The first and most basic thing that everyone in the congregation can do is to invite either someone who has been a member but has drifted away to try us again or to invite someone you know to join us for a worship service or social event. If you do it because you genuinely think the FBC has something to offer them, people will not mind. Despite what you may have heard or read, there are many people who haven’t attended church recently who are looking for that something to help them make sense of the things that Life throws at us daily. They may just need a gentle nudge. We are giving them an option, a call, if you will, to join us on their spiritual journey.

It may take for us to put a reminder note on our refrigerator or on the pad of paper next to the telephone, maybe put a post-it on your computer at work or at home. We need to make it a priority. We have something great to share with people, but we have to start by telling them.

First Baptist Church is not your average Baptist church. Now we need to get that message out to the world.

John Cheney

Growth Committee

Dear Friends,

I just want to thank everyone for your care, prayers, cards, calls, food, emails, stepping in at church, and time. Truly, we are blessed.

I am doing well in recovering, and plan to be back preaching on February 19^th.

Thanks to Glenn Miller for filling in on the 5^th and the 12^th! And yes, I WILL take it slow coming back, as so many of you are reminding me!!!

I miss you all, and will be glad to see you all soon.

With Christian Love,

Pastor Steph