4 Requirements for Personas

A communication persona is a focused community group that you’re targeting with a particular message based on a stereotypical description that encompasses their needs, concerns, and goals.

Your church needs to define them. It’s the easiest way to connect with your community!

To successfully reach people with a product, ministry, or service, persona descriptions help you hone your message in their group so it’s received properly. It can even keep you on the path to reaching them with the Gospel.

Trying to reach everyone? You’ll rarely accomplish the goal. Instead, aim at a smaller defined persona group (or groups) and you can shape your message so it’s received properly and change the perception of who you are and what you have to offer.

There are 4 requirements for your personas though:

1. Are there enough people? For a persona group to be effective, you need less than “everyone” in your community. You want to identify what creates the smaller group (age, demographics, needs, etc.). It’ll be small enough to define but you want the group to have enough to sustain your church if you reach a lot of them. PROBLEM: if you create a very small persona group you’ll have a greater chance to reach them, but you could lose your entire church because there’s not enough to sustain your ministry even if you were successfully engaged with your group(s).
2. Do you like them? God’s planted you into your community for a reason. To reach them with the Gospel message. He wants you to “love” everyone but do you truly “like” spending time with your persona groups? Ask God to place His passion for your group into your heart. PROBLEM: it’s incredibly difficult to create a ministry product for a group of people you don’t like hanging out with or having over to your house or office. When defining your personas, consider if you’d enjoy riding with one of them for an hour-long drive. Yes? They’re perfect. Just remember that God’s calling us to the unloveable too. Even enemies!
3. Are you willing to do what it takes to reach them? God’s called you to reach your community persona groups. Are you willing to do what it’ll take to reach them? PROBLEM: your building may not be the best place to attract your persona. Are you willing to redecorate? Rebuild? Or relocate in order to reach your group? Don’t commit to a group unless you’re willing to sacrificially make changes for them. OBSERVATION: Many churches say they want to reach young families but are unwilling to add security, facilities, and modern decor to attract them. Now look at your ministries; are you willing to do what it’ll take?
4. Are they looking for a solution you offer well? God’s given you talents, gifts, and people who are doing ministry areas well. Once you’ve defined your personas; what solutions or paths to goals are they looking for? Are you doing them well? Or could you? PROBLEM: many churches think they have a solution that their community wants. Yet the community votes with their presence. If attendance is lacking, you don’t have the right solution or it’s not being communicated properly. You may want to change personas or improve solutions until the ministry is just right and your community personas are being reached effectively for Christ.