Comments on: When Names Matter

By: Check These Out [4/11/09] - Gbrenna dot com

Check These Out [4/11/09] - Gbrenna dot com — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:43:13 +0000

[...] When Names Matter – More insight on branding from Tony Morgan. [...]

By: Rich Schmidt

Rich Schmidt — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:50:45 +0000

Re: Rainer’s book on “Surprising Insights from the Unchurched” — The problem is that he only talked to the people who stayed and connected. He didn’t talk to the vast majority of unchurched people who never darkened the doors of those churches or, if they did, didn’t come back.

What percentage did Brian say don’t attend? 83%? Let’s talk to those folks instead.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:45:13 +0000

i think non-denominational churches also fight against some of the same stereotypes that denominational churches fight against.

it’s almost like non-denom has become a denomination in many people’s eyes.

By: Guy Walker

Guy Walker — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:55:03 +0000

If taco bell started selling hamburgers they would have to start thinking inside the bun…

Taco Bell- “Think out side the bun”

By: Clif McKinley Dot Com » Blog Archive » When Names Matter

Clif McKinley Dot Com » Blog Archive » When Names Matter — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:53:57 +0000

[...] When Names Matter [...]

By: Don Knoup

Don Knoup — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:56:56 +0000

Great post Tony. Thanks!

By: Bryan Cook

Bryan Cook — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:31:56 +0000

My church was discussing this in a meeting just last month. We have “Church of Christ” in our name, but we’ve been harassed and shunned and God only knows what else Church of Christ folk have said about us, due to our “liberal” ideas like a praise team and female staff…so we talked about dropping the label.

Ultimately our leadership said that some of our congregation worked at places where they are only allowed to attend a Church of Christ (places where CoC churches funded them, like counselling offices and college ministries), and despite the fact that all the other CoCs in the area looked down on us, at least we were “the right denomination” based on the sign. If we were to drop the denominational label, these people would have to either stop attending our church or lose their job.

This troubled me a lot, because I know for certain that many people don’t even visit our church due to the name on the sign. This fact, I feel, far outweighs the idea that CoCs would fire a few people based on a sign. By the way, our church also helps fund these ministries, so I wonder if they would stop accepting our money if we changed the name.

In this scenario, do you think dropping the name would be worthwhile?

By: Nathan Gagne

Nathan Gagne — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:13:11 +0000

Names can keep you from ever growing. In churches where there was years of scandal and abuse, the next guy needs to change the name and the location. The name is so repulsive to people they just won’t come. It’s kinda of like the fact that I’ll never name one of my daughters Genevieve. The name reminds me of a scary looking girl from 5th grade.

By: Brian H.

Brian H. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:23:35 +0000

I agree that names should describe a church’s core values. However, names for attraction sake just don’t seem to work. I only say this because 83% of Americans don’t attend and the number is trending upwards. It seems like the attraction that is working is by taking people from one church with a not so cool name, to a new church with a cool, market tested name.

Just a few thoughts, nothing too scientific, except for the 83% number given by David T. Olson and the American Church Project.

By: Jesse Carbo

Jesse Carbo — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:06:19 +0000

We are planting a church in Central Florida in a really strong “Traditional” encironment of “Baptist” churches. There are alot of people around here that understand the “Baptist” label and the “Church” label. We decided to go with the name, “The Roots Community”. We don’t use the word church because we are not trying to plant a church but the gospel. Yes, yes…I know it’s a symantical thing but truly when we brand ourselves we don’t want the focus to be on the name or the organization we know as the church but that their Roots are founded in the Kingdom…it all goes back to Mission, I believe. A name matters, but here’s a thought: What if instead of just trying to think up the coolest name, how about we Pray and ask Jesus to name our church or better yet, let’s start planting the gospel into peoples lives and just let the community thing happen…the name will come. (Just a rookie’s random thoughts)