Mark Ramsey “Your Radio Station is a Virtual Church”

What does it mean when the Christian music format dots more towers across the nation even as up to 15,000 churches close this year (far more than the few thousand expected to open)?

As AXIOS writes…

The unprecedented contraction, expected to continue over the next decade, risks leaving gaps in communities nationwide — particularly rural ones, where churches often are crucial providers of food aid, child care and disaster relief.

And then consider this: Americans of all ages are spending less time socializing.

Of course, one of the principal ways that Americans have historically socialized and helped each other is in and around local churches.

According to AXIOS, average time spent socializing per day has fallen from 45 to 35 minutes over the last 20 years. And the decline is steepest among young people: 15- to 24-year-olds went from spending an hour a day hanging out with others to 35 minutes.

The culprits are many, from smartphones to remote work to a stubborn reluctance to do more than wave to the people who have lived next door to you for the past five years, the folks who have kids but you don’t know how many or what their names are.

So what does it mean when there’s more Christian music radio in the world but fewer people who connect with each other in person? It means we have a responsibility to do more to bring these people together.

After all…

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

See, most Christian music stations are local stations in local markets with local residents – exactly the kind of advantage that secular commercial stations are sweeping away thanks to wave after wave of “reductions in force” (aka “guaranteed human – if you can find one”)

So if TV never tried to do it and churches can no longer do it and secular radio can’t do it and social media is, according to the evidence, isolating and polarizing, cue the opportunity for ministries like yours!

The challenge, I think, is that Christian music stations still tend to see themselves as radio stations with promotions departments when they’re really virtual churches with a responsibility to bring fans together all over town in the presence of your ministry and in the presence of Jesus.

Sure, you do some of this. But do you do it enough? And do you do it at scale?

Do you have charity drives where fans drive up, drop a toy or canned good in a box, and drive off? Or do you invite fans to linger and meet each other and socialize and even help each other?

Do you erect a tent at every local festival where all present are there for reasons that have nothing to do with you? Or do you arrange your own events for your own people to mix and gather?

Do you have a one-way monologue with your fans? Or do you collect enough of their information to make that conversation two-way?

Do you have designated ministry ambassadors all over town, helping you to create good works throughout the community? Or do you simply invite one-offs – donate some money here, drop off a backpack there?

Churches know who their congregants are. Do you?

If this model I’m describing sounds distinctly unlike the radio station you launched oh so many years ago, that’s because it is. The opportunities for your ministry today extend well beyond the four corners or radio or audio or podcasting. They extend into the so-called “real world” where real people feel more isolated and alone than ever.

You can fix that.

Mark Ramsey Media does audience research for Christian Media – Perceptual research, digital studies, donor studies, underwriter impact studies, music studies, etc. Learn more here. Call Mark at 858-414-4191 or email markramsey@mac.com.

And if you want a strategy to solicit major donors to pay for your research, look here and download this Listener Impact Study solicitation for donors from WAKW-FM.

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