ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION MARKETING
ON A CONFERENCE
LEVEL
Larry Blackmer,
Vice President, North American Division
No More Prizes For
Predicting Rain;
Prizes only for building arks.
Looking for other right answers
• Other ideas,
resources,
blueprints, and ways
for building arks.
• Looking at the same
thing differently.
The Challenge of Change
“The challenge of change is to make
something new that is built on the values
of the old, to take a long look at what is at
the core of our lives and churches, and to
do something better and more Christlike,
clearer and more refreshing and vibrant.
We cannot run from the future, so let’s get
specific now about change and what we
need to do to make a difference.”
North American Division
60,542 Students
45,198 K-8
15,344 9-12
966 Schools
123 Academies
164 Jr. Academies
679 Elementary
5,077 Teachers
General Conference
5,404 Schools
906,755 Students
45,614 Teachers
What is marketing?
Relationships
Relationships
Relationships
Marketing Strategies
Definition of Stupidity:
Doing the _______thing, over
and over again, and expecting
__________ results!
Finding other right answers
for doing something different
while building a plan for success
What is marketing?
Relationships
Relationships
Relationships
Practices
Establishing a list of
potential students
and making contact
with those families
not sending their
children to your
school.
Ben Smith
Joe Black
Susan Hitchcock
Frank Jones
Mary Sterns
Practices
Home
Visitations
Practices
Church
Appearances
Practices
Utilization of
marketing
materials
and
methods
What is marketing?
Relationships
Relationships
Relationships
A Good Idea
Establish and
nurture a
working
relationship with
your pastor that
includes
consistent
communication
What is marketing?
Relationships
Relationships
Relationships
Pastors
•Be involved in the school
•These are your students/parishioners
•Three opportunities for ministry
•Students
•Staff
•Parents
•Evangelism is more than a series of
meetings
• Five assumptions
– Jesus really is coming again soon
– Between now and then EVERYONE would be
happier if they were a converted Seventh-day
Adventist
– All teachers are youth pastors
– The work of the church and the school are the
same – personal relationship with Jesus
– The school is an important part of the church
– Every student is either a missionary or a mission
field, either a soul winner or in need of having
their soul won
– We have each group of students for a short time
• Have a plan
Working the Plan
The week after school is out, gather your list of names
of families who did not sent students to your school.
Send letters to SDA & non-member families who made
inquiry about your school during the school year
Follow up with a phone call to those families who
received letters
Develop a visitation list from your phone calls
Visit homes/families with the pastor – close with prayer
Visit current students if/when in the area
Send the families visited a thank you card for their time
A follow-up phone call to those undecided
Explore all options
 Visiting community churches
 Quality radio ads
 Newspaper ads
 Yellow pages ads
 Signage and banners
 Memorandum Of Understanding with Home
School families
 Newsletters/posters/photos in church(es)
 Regular communication with non-attendees
 Invitations to school programs, etc.
Staff Involvement
Staff should have membership and
attend the church(es) that directly
support the school in which they serve
 Staff should attend school functions at
all costs
 Staff could send cards before school
starts to “make a connection” with
incoming students
What does the plan do?
Restores confidence in the school
program
Establishes a partnership with the pastor(s)
who are the most important factor in getting
students to your school
Establishes relationships with families
visited
The Lord does bless our efforts
Have You Heard This?
“You are the best
kept secret
around!”
Brag!
Test Scores
Certificated Teachers
Coordinated Curriculum
Part of a world-wide educational system
Alumni give back significant service
Over 80% go on to college
Spiritual/Safe learning environment
Spiritually Safe learning environment
CognitiveGenesis
Marketing
Socially Acceptable
“Professional” way to brag
Takes coordinated effort
Program is what consumers “Feel” it
is
We still suffer remnenants of
“we’re here, they’ll come”
Take us to the “next level”
“Cutting edge” schools
Waiting lists
MARKETING ON A CONFERENCE
LEVEL
Benefits of Marketing as a Conference:
Marketing an Adventist Christian
Education System
a. set level of excellence
b. economies of scale
c. whole greater than the sum
of the individual parts
d. raise level of importance
MARKETING ON A CONFERENCE LEVEL
Administrative Challenges:
1. We have two separate systems that need
to be put back together
- Churches and schools function separate
- President: of churches & schools,
pastors and teachers
- Deliberate contact w/ schools & teachers
- Both needed for healthy growth
MARKETING ON A CONFERENCE
LEVEL
2. Society has changed the way they think
about purchasing a product
- people today want more choices
- people today demand more
customer service
- people today want not just a
product/service but an experience
- people want best quality that their
money can buy
Don’t confuse me with the facts…….
MARKETING ON A CONFERENCE LEVEL
3. Demographics
4. Old School Thinking
5. Finances are stretched
6. Facilities are oldest in Conference
7. Members less committed to Adventist Christian
Education
8. Mindset that our schools will not survive till the
end of time
9. Mindset that we cannot grow a church and a
school at the same time
10. Mindset that being good is enough
Remember!
• Good is the enemy of Great!!!!
• Good is not enough!
• We are representing Christ!
Ontario Conference
Education Vision
“We envision in the next five years that we will
improve the perception, attitude, and ownership
of Adventist education in the Ontario Conference
as we ignite in our membership a passion for
children and youth. We will all work together—
as pastors, teachers, and members—to produce
excellence in spirituality, academics, funding,
facilities, location, and marketing. We envision
our schools becoming a bridge, not a moat,
to the world.”
Supporting the Vision
►NAD Marketing Seminar - Fund 2 individuals
from each school community
►Create “Think Tank” brainstorming
group
►Board of Education Planning
►Initial planning - begin with educational
brochure and DVD
Rationale
 Set out to purposefully change a
mindset
 Be more intentional of Informing and
educating the constituency
 Make very public the vision, mission
and goals of Ontario Conference
education
 Set in motion a 3-5 year process for
positive long term results
Results?
Another conference
 First year of big push –
Approximately a 2½% Increase in
enrollment
Second year a 1½% decrease
 Third year 3 % increase
Transitioning Mindset – As a man
thinks in his heart, so is he.
 Planting new schools
Our Goal?
Change a mindset and increase
enrollment through education
and marketing
IF…
If Adventist education is as important to us as
we state, then we must:
Continue looking for other right answers for
doing something different while we continue to
build a plan for success
It will be a focus of MAJOR collaborative
efforts between the church-school-conference
We must Keep on keepin’ on!