Marketing, Outreach, Both, or The Same?

Last week I returned to door-to-door. It was almost 8 years ago I last ventured out onto the pavement making cold calls. Then, I worked for Spectrum Marketing, a division of a large 'own your own door-to-door marketing business' organization, and we worked hard to raise money for Manitoba Special Olympics, Pizza Hut, Fountain Tire, etc.

But last week I was working for, well, Access Church. And of course, anything I do for Access Church I am really doing for Jesus, the Head of the Church.

I toured a whole 40 houses in my neighbourhood, knocking on their doors and inviting the occupants to come to an Access Church Preview Service. I didn't get an overwhelmingly positive or negative response. It also won't be the last time I do that.

It's interesting though. What am I doing as I go door-to-door, or even as I am talking to people at work about Access? Am I 'witnessing'? Is it 'evangelism' or 'outreach'? Or is it more base than that - 'marketing' or 'advertising'? Does it need any of those labels, or is it just that I'm excited about what I'm doing and I want to get others involved? Or is it that unless others DO get involved, the whole thing will flop and I'll have failed? (I know, some people will be offended to hear me say that when clearly, Access is filling a void for some people - but in reality unless this church 'succeeds' it can only go so far... more on that in another post)

Are my motives mixed, or could they possibly be in this situation? It brings me back to what we're called to as Christians. Is it possible that we could get so excited about what Jesus has called us to that we can't help but be His number one marketing agents? Or would that be 'evangelism'? But can that happen outside of doing something radical, like starting a new church? Does my situation lend itself to talking to people about Jesus, more than 'the average Christian'? (Don't get me wrong, I don't see myself as any better or higher than 'the average Christian" - just in a different place than the majority of them... more on that in another post?)

OK and then going beyond all that, I WILL be looking at marketing and advertising for Access Church in the months to come, leading up to Launch Day (Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010). What are some effective ways to bring out the community for that, and for the preview services too?

By the way, thanks to all of you who responded to my last post. I read and I value each response. Keep the responses coming!