Growing up we played a lot of basketball. A core component of playing basketball, especially the driveway versions, is learning to talk a good game. There are people who can’t play but can talk a good game. And then there are the best players who don’t really talk much but just flat our put up numbers.
Eventually, it comes down to this simple phrase in pick-up basketball: Put up or shut up.
I think that phrase explains why so many people get fed up with church: They talk a good game about the poor, mercy, seeking justice, living out Acts 2, exemplifying Matthew 5, or preaching the truth. But at the end of the day they don’t “put up.”
Church leaders, if your church talks game it doesn’t have… please stopped talking like you have game. At the end of the day, allow your game to speak for itself.
That’s the best marketing advice I could ever give to a church: Put up or shut up.
Wanna grow your church? Put up or shut up.
Wanna have the best youth group in town? Put up or shut up.
Wanna help people losing their houses? Put up or shut up.
Wanna start a killer small group ministry? Put up or shut up.
At the end of the day you need to allow your church game to speak for you. People are tired of the hype. They are tired of hearing what you want to do. They don’t want to know your vision statement.
They want to see it.
So stop talking smack and get to work!
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