We know what you’re thinking: “Uh-oh . . . wonder what my people would say about my sermon last week?” If your church-goers are like the ones we talked to from all kinds of churches, you might be surprised from what we learned. Here’s a typical response from those we interviewed:

US: What was the main point of the sermon you heard last weekend?

THEM: Uh . . . Let me see . . . I can’t remember . . .

Now you may be thinking they weren’t at my church! But please, bear with us. We’ve asked this “on the street” question for years now. To adults. To children. To youth. And to our chagrin, “I don’t remember,” is the answer in the vast majority of the cases. That’s because 40 percent of what people hear is forgotten after two minutes. And 60 percent is forgotten after half a day. And yes, 90 percent is gone, gone, gone after a week. (As reported in Communications Briefings newsletter.)

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With those kinds of statistics, it’s no wonder we desperately need the Holy Spirit’s help! And with those statistics, that’s why we’ve passionately dedicated our lives to serving church leaders who want to more effectively reach those they serve. Thankfully, our research and 30-plus years of learning how people learn has given us some insights into what churches and preachers can do to maximize impact. Preaching using church-wide campaigns can make a big difference.

Kudos to Rick Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose. He helped put church-wide campaigns on the map. Since 2002, more than 20,000 churches have participated in Purpose Driven’s 40 Days of Purpose campaign. The entire campaign not only ignited individual church ministries, but it invigorated ministry across the country. Now “sermon series” aren’t anything new, but the concept of creating ancillary programming for all ages -- so everyone is on the same page -- is powerful.

As a case study, we would like to use Friendship First, an all-church campaign, developed to capitalize on the precious time we have to punctuate people’s lives with God’s amazing love. Here’s why church-wide campaigns can create a memorable, life-changing difference:

Church-wide campaigns create common ground.

When everyone’s on the same page, you create common language, something to talk about. It’s the difference between a flashlight and a laser beam. Lasers bring focused, intense force. Lasers can do what scattered light cannot. You’re harnessing the power of focus. In some ways, the church has always used “campaigns” related to Christmas and Easter. For example, the season of Lent (the 40 days leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection) brings focus to the miracle of Easter. Or Advent (the four weeks before Jesus’ birth) focuses our hearts on Christmas, God coming to be one of us. Here’s something to ponder: Why are Christmas and Easter the two times of year people who don’t come to church decide to come? Could it be the power of common ground? The world knows what churches are up to. Everyone’s on the same page.