Rev. Andy Romstad (above), 29, came to the southwest suburbs from Milwaukee in March with a unique mission. He has set about creating a congregation for the “unchurched” using non-traditional marketing methods, including direct-mail brochures and an Internet Web site. The new congregation will begin holding worship services at 10 a.m. today at Century Junior High School, 159th Street and 108th Avenue, Orland Park.
Q: What’s the name of your church?
A: It’s called Spirit of Joy Church. It’s part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, but we don’t use the name of the denomination. For a lot of people, that’s a barrier. They’ll see the denomination and think, “I’m not Lutheran.” We are open to people from all religious backgrounds.
Q: What is the church’s mission?
A: To invite and prepare people to experience life with Jesus Christ. We want to serve the needs that are not being met in the community.
Q: What are some of those needs?
A: Each context defines what’s needed in a new church. Everything I hear and read says that spiritual hunger is at an all-time high. People are seeking. There’s a huge spiritual hunger out there and I think that we can reach people, satisfy the need.
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Q: And that’s where the marketing methods come in, spreading a religious message instead of selling widgets?
A: The church has a message worth marketing that people need in their lives. For business people, marketing is just the language they live by. Marketing has traditionally been a dirty word in the church. We think we can use marketing in a new way.
Q: What are some of the marketing tools you’re using?
A: The first is a personal invitation. We have a direct-mail campaign with a brochure inviting people to join our community, explaining what we’re all about. There’s just knocking on doors. I’m simply there to say, “Hi, I’m Pastor Andy.” We have a Web site (www.SpiritofJoy.org). What a wonderful way for people to come and look at what we are without stepping out of our comfort zone. We have an e-mail address ([email protected]). We’re going to start very soon to have a special message about Christian life that is uplifting, and we’re just going to e-mail it out.