Since the release of my latest resource, "Direct Mail Secrets", I've gotten some questions about our strategy for direct mail at Calvary Fellowship.  Here's a question I got last week:   "Last time we did direct mail at our church we got limited results. How would you instruct us to do in the future?" First, this is a great question. Most churches get very limited results for several reasons. Here's one: churches try to mail to everyone in their area. Churches that get great direct mail results understand who they are and focus their direct mail efforts on reaching those … Read More

You pick up your mail and you sort through it. How long do you give each piece of mail that you bring inside? I'll tell you: about 3 seconds.  If it doesn't catch your eye and say something that connects with you, it ends up in the round file.  We talk about these 3 seconds a lot at Calvary when we're getting ready to do a direct mail campaign. You've got 3 seconds to say something that keeps you out of the garbage can. Then you've got to say something that compels them to an action step (i.e. attending your … Read More

My friend Perry is putting on a one-day conference on March 4th called "Unleash".  I love this conference for several reasons:  1. It's one day. Most conferences are too long.  2. It's affordable. If you can't afford $59 for a day of teaching and leadership training, you've got problems.  3. Perry is going to bring the heat.  4. There's few places (if any) you're going to hear of today's top leaders all day for $59.  5. It's a great opportunity to bring your staff, leaders, and volunteers and get a bigger vision for what God is doing at your church. … Read More

This is a question that I get a lot. It's probably because I'm pretty adamant about saying that if you're only going to mail once don't mail at all.   I believe it takes time for people to notice you. That's why I believe in narrowing the list you mail to (there's an entire approach to this) and mailing several times to that list.  We're gearing up for a big direct mail campaign for our new Miramar campus and we'll hit the list we have 3 times within the 2 weeks before the first service.  I recommend mailing at least … Read More

– Awesome day today!  – I taught Esther 2:1-18. I took a bit of a different angle on it.  – Most Bible teachers focus on how godly Esther is. I just don't see that from the text.  – Esther doesn't reveal that she's Jewish, eats non-kosher, and marries a Gentile (all Hebrew no-no's) – Daniel on the other hand lets everyone know he's Jewish and won't eat the king's delicacies (Daniel 1) – Thankfully, Esther turns things around by chapter 4.  – Anyway, I talked about the stuff that we cover up. Great response to the message.  – The band … Read More

The answer is a resounding Yes!  In fact, to prove this point, let me post some stats from the U.S. Census Bureau that might encourage you to delve into the world of sending out direct mail for your next big Sunday at church.       85% of people sort, process and open their mail everyday.  75% of people say they are examining their mail more closely for coupons and other special offers and events.  55% of people say they receive greater enjoyment opening their snail mail than their email (and this includes the 18-39 age group, by the way).  40% of people say they … Read More

– Great morning at Calvary! – Good crowd.  Pretty rowdy bunch for the 2nd service 🙂 – We kicked off our new series in the book of Esther called "Engage: Uneash the Power of Now". – I taught Esther 1 and talked about the difference between an engaged life and a disengaged life – Band sounded great – Great response to the Gospel this morning! – I'm excited to hear about so many people reading through the Bible this year.  – We're looking forward to having Michael Franzese at Calvary Fellowship on January 24th. If you don't know who he … Read More

I am really excited about the possibilities that 2010 is going to bring.  At Calvary Fellowship, we're launching a new campus with hopes of reaching lots of people who are far from God.  I hope 2010 is your best year yet! My prayer is that through this blog and our www.church-strategies.com resources, newsletter and coaching that we can serve you in some way to help you reach your goals.   Blessings,  Bob P.S. If you haven't taken advantage of our Outreach package deal (30% off 3 of our best-selling resources – New Believer Follow up system/ How to Make Every Sunday … Read More