Marketing, Target Audiences, and the Unintended Consequences for the Church

In today’s American church culture — and especially in the world of modern church planting — the word “marketing” has become more and more important. On one hand, it makes total sense: if people don’t even know you exist, how can they connect with you? Whether you’re running a business or leading a ministry, you need to let people know you’re there. Awareness matters.

But on the other hand, rushing into marketing strategies without seriously considering the dangers they carry can do more harm than good. Especially in the church.

One of the primary tools that marketing relies on is demographics. If you’ve spent any time being trained as a church planter or you’ve dipped into church growth books, you know this word well. Demographics are about identifying and analyzing the characteristics, behaviors, and preferences of a target audience — things like age, gender, location, income, and education.

For a business, this approach makes a ton of sense. If I’m selling a product to 20-somethings, why would I waste time advertising on channels they don't watch? If I know the type of person most likely to buy what I’m selling, then targeting them saves money and energy. It’s smart business.

Naturally, churches have started using the same approach. Here’s a quote from a popular church marketing site:

“The brands that are growing the fastest in the world all have this in common: they have a target audience that serves as their guide to build their brand around. These brands are able to see tremendous growth as they focus on the right community of people.

Too many churches don’t take the time to take aim before they take action with their marketing efforts and this creates waste with their resources. Don’t let this happen to you.””

At first glance, it sounds reasonable. Be strategic. Steward your resources wisely. Focus your efforts where you’ll see results.

But here’s the problem: when the church adopts this mindset wholesale, we accidentally start doing something Jesus never modeled.

It’s like telling Jesus, “Hey, before you send out the 72, maybe we should do some demographic studies. Let’s only send them to the villages most likely to respond!” But that’s not what Jesus did. He sent them to every village, giving every person the opportunity to hear, respond, and choose for themselves.

Because true Gospel work — the kind that bears real fruit — happens one relationship at a time. One conversation at a time. Not through a perfectly targeted event or website.

And here’s the hard truth: doing ministry this way is slow. It’s painful. It’s full of rejection and “no thank you’s.” But it’s also real. It preserves the dignity and freedom of the people we’re trying to reach. It invites them, instead of choosing for them.

The Homogeneous Unit Principle (and Why It’s a Problem)

Interestingly, this whole marketing trend in the church isn’t new. It actually circles back to something called the Homogeneous Unit Principle (HUP), which Dr. Donald McGavran wrote about in the 1970s. 

“Dr. McGavran’s well-known statement is that people ‘like to become Christians without crossing racial, linguistic or class barriers.’ That is, the barriers to the acceptance of the gospel are often more sociological than theological; people reject the gospel not because they think it is false but because it strikes them as alien. They imagine that in order to become Christians they must renounce their own culture, lose their own identity, and betray their own people.

Therefore, in order to reach them, not only should the evangelist be able to identify with them, and they with the evangelist; not only must the gospel be contextualized in such a way that it communicates with them; but the church into which they are invited must itself belong to their culture sufficiently for them to feel at home in it. It is when these conditions are fulfilled that men and women are won to Jesus Christ, and subsequently that churches grow.”

In other words: people prefer to become Christians among people like themselves.

And from a human perspective, that makes sense. We feel more at ease when we’re around others who understand our culture, language, or social background. That’s why, when you target a specific demographic, you can see rapid growth. It’s easier. It feels natural.

But here’s the danger: when we intentionally shape our ministries around a single demographic, we’re not just welcoming one group — we’re unintentionally excluding others.

When our foyers, websites, worship services, and small groups are all designed for a "target audience," we create invisible barriers. We send subtle signals about who really belongs and who’s merely tolerated. And I genuinely don’t believe most churches mean to do this. But it happens.

When Target Audiences Turn People Away

Here’s how this plays out practically. Most church planting organizations teach some version of this: Target married white males, aged 35–45, with 2.5 kids and a stable income.

I heard it in my training. I’ve seen it confirmed across denominational lines. And the suburban neighborhood model was basically built around it.

But after years in apartment ministry, working with people who don't fit that demographic, I see the consequences.

When someone from an apartment complex — someone without the “right” income, the “right” background, or the “right” education — walks into one of these churches, it doesn’t matter how friendly the greeters are. It doesn’t matter if someone smiles and says hello.

They can feel it immediately. Everything about the environment was designed for someone who isn’t them.

And even if no one says it out loud, the message comes through loud and clear: This place isn’t for you.

A Better Way

I’m not saying awareness and stewardship are bad. I’m not saying we shouldn’t think carefully about how we engage people. But when we start letting marketing principles dictate our mission, we trade faithfulness for efficiency. We trade obedience for optics. We trade hospitality for homogeneity.

Jesus didn’t plant a church that only spoke to the easily reachable.  He went to the ones who didn’t fit, who didn’t belong, who weren’t comfortable — and he made space for them. That’s the church I want to be a part of.

It’s slower. It’s messier. It’s harder.

But it’s real.

And it’s the only way to build a church that truly looks like the Kingdom of God.

Additional notes: 

So what are we saying here? Are we saying that no one should use marketing in the church or in their ministry? Are we saying no websites or social media or signs and banners? No advertising things that you have for the community? 

To be clear, what we are arguing is not that churches or ministries should abandon all marketing or advertising. They should not give up on their websites or social media accounts or stop making signs and banners. What we are saying is that you must be careful with what you use it for.