We've all heard the stat: 8% of your parishioners are doing the vast majority of the giving and volunteering.

So we're probably tempted to think that from a marketing perspective, they are the most valuable group of parishioners we have.

They're not.

(Again, from a marketing perspective only. Obviously, every single person is valuable as a beloved child of God.)

The most valuable group for marketing purposes?

Your converts and reverts.

If you want to grow your parish (and win more souls for Christ), start with the people who have already taken that step.

Who have been in the shoes of the people you're trying to reach.

For two key reasons:

1. They likely know more people who used to be like them.

We tend to associate with people we see as similar to ourselves. So it stands to reason that your cradle Catholics probably have family who are also cradle Catholics and your devout Catholic population probably hangs out with a core Catholic friend group.

But your converts and reverts? Chances are, they still have family and friends who are not active in faith from their "old life."

We always talk about how to reach people in the community who aren't already attending your church — your OCIA and seeker-focused program (Alpha, ChristLife, The Search, Adult Faith Formation, etc.) participants are a fantastic bridge to them.

And because these converts and reverts are likely on fire with this newfound faith, they're at a prime time to be evangelists. So make sure as part of these processes that you teach them how to share their new faith with others!

2. They're relatable to the people you're trying to reach.

People are psychologically-proven to take action more when they see the action associated with someone who seems like them.

That's why advertisers will show products being used by their target audience, so that people will think, "Wait, that's me! I must need that!"

The same goes with marketing OCIA and revert-focused programs.

Seeing cradle Catholics might seem intimidating or make people feel like they won't fit in.

But hearing from converts and reverts who have been exactly where they are?

That's convincing and comforting.

Because converts and reverts know what it's like to come to Jesus later in life. They're certainly not going to judge someone for it. They know the fears and hesitations someone might have. And they can speak that language because they've lived it.

That's why we want to make sure we utilize these folks in our marketing messaging.

These are the people we want to get feedback and testimonials from. We can learn what our audience's struggles are and how they phrase them, and then use that to reflect back to them that they are welcome here.

We can help them feel seen and known so they feel encouraged to follow that Holy Spirit prompting to take that next step at your church.

And even better, we want to share their stories! These stories of conversion and reversion aren't just encouraging to your parishioners, but the community as a whole — maybe even to that person you don't even know who's been on your website so many times, but hasn't felt comfortable enough to take that next step until they hear that story that feels like theirs.

And they think, "If they belonged here, then so will I."

Across the country, and really the world, I've been hearing of OCIA classes trending upwards, which is amazing!

But there's an elephant in the room we don't often talk about with OCIA or efforts aimed at reverts.

Next week, we'll talk about one of the biggest challenges we face in this area, and how we can use communications to support that.

But for now, here are your tasks for the week:

Task #1

Set up interviews with your current OCIA candidates and catechumens who will be receiving sacraments at the Easter Vigil this year. Capture those thoughts now while they're fresh and excited!

You'll want to focus on things like why they decided to join the Church, what their life was like before, how it's changed since drawing closer to Christ, and what they love about your church and OCIA.

You can get them in written format, though video testimonials are even more valuable, since you can always grab quotes from there to use in written formats.

Task #2

Connect with whomever runs Alpha/The Search/ChristLife/Adult Education, etc. at your parish and ask that part of the process be a time for people to share testimonials at the end of the program. (Same focus as above)

Task #3

Ask the OCIA director for a list of everyone who has gone through the process in the past 5 years. Identify anyone from that list who has become active in the parish, and ask them if they'd be willing to share their story and/or testimonial.

With all of these, even if they aren't willing to be quoted directly, still talk to them! You can still get valuable information just by hearing their stories and asking them questions about their experiences.

Prayers for blessed conversations and the ripple effect of this work to reach those who need to hear these stories!

For His greater glory,

Emily