THE CHANGING MATRIX FOR CHURCH VISIBILITY

When I was ordained in the 1980s, church visibility was highly connected to these criteria:

1. Traffic flow past the physical campus

2. Newspaper ads or coverage by a reporter due to a news-worthy event

3. The “buzz about town” among the population or the prevalence of the church coming up in informal conversations, especially related to a flagship ministry

4. The pastor’s leadership in the community, especially related to civic organizations (think Rotary Club) or community-wide initiatives.

5. Denominational brand could greatly multiply the attention cast upon a church.

In 1982, I was a rising senior at Baylor University, and my father (a pastor) was being considered for a pastoral position in a large Dallas-area congregation. So, he sent me as a spy. One of my tasks was to ask for directions to the church at the convenience store two blocks away. The clerk had no idea. (Fact: convenience store clerks were then and are now probably the least likely demographic to have a clue about area churches.)

Forty plus years later, the dynamics of church visibility have changed significantly. The convenience store clerks are still clueless, but now:

* Thousands of people may drive past the building commuting to work listening to their radio or podcast, and the church is invisible and irrelevant. They have all become the convenience store clerk!

* Web visibility is more important than physical location. Facebook. Instagram. Website.  Each is arguably more important than physical drive by. And search engine optimization is what takes churches off internet side streets, pitting them within view of more people.

* The nature of good buzz about town is likely less about the great choir or youth program and more about the church's investments with at-risk populations.  Is the church kind to the people who get bullied in life?  Can the church project positive community value to people who are non-religious?

* The newspaper has died as a worthy investment.  However, online neighborhood newsletters are proliferating and a write up there can be gold!

* The pastor’s community profile still can matter. But people don’t pay attention to pastors nearly as much these days. If a pastor is to get any positive street cred, it will probably be for something they did that the community would define as non-religious.  Are they committed to making life better in the community or standing up for marginalized people?

* Denomination is almost meaningless to everyone except other folks from the same tradition, who, in their 60s or 70s are still looking for a good church for their families   

Visibility still matters!  It’s just different now.  For churches considering purchase of real estate, it's probably ok if you save a $million and buy the property on the secondary street. GPS can still guide anyone to your front doors, IF they feel compelled to find you!