If You Could Do One Thing

One of the guys in an online pastors forum has asked the question today and I think it deserves a larger audience for reflection, so I'm posting it here.

"What one thing would you do to triple your worship attendance in 6 months?"

It's a good question, but I wonder if it's one that is really in need of clarification. Are these people who will make up the 300% unchurched or churched (just shopping).

BTW the first response was "For those numbers, there is only one answer: Free beer."

So let's toss that one aside.

I'll give it some thought today and come back later.

Ok, it's later.

I'd sell the property and move to either the Elementary or Middle School, and use the money gained to hire a worship leader, buy top notch audio and video tools, and paper the area with postcards for our upcoming Dave Ramsey classes and series of messages on "Get Unstuck!"

Yep. That'd do it.

The Ultimate Church Slogan Smackdown

Minding my own business, scanning some web pages this morning when I actually noticed some of the Google Adsense targeted ads at the top of the forum page I was on. It was an ad for a church in a city a couple of counties over (so much for targets), and really caused me to wonder what other churches use as their slogans. So today we have for your amazement and amusement, the "Ultimate Church Slogan Smackdown" (say it out loud with plenty of reverb for full effect).

Here's the one that started it all:

"Relevant, creative, & innovative. A real church for real people."
As opposed to irrelevant, dull, and a copycat church for copycat people.

"You never knew church could be like this"
Uh, no. (Insert most horrible images and memories here.)

"You Belong @ First"
Which First? FBC Jacksonville and FBC Dallas use the same slogan.

"A relevant biblical community."
Which one? Pharisees, Sadducee's, Essenes, Samaritans...?

We're all trying to come up with a sound bite to explain what our group of Christ Followers is about. The audience for this though, is not homogeneous. From what I have read lately about the way people look for a faith community to visit, many people check out the websites in the area first.

Do we then put on the website who we are, or who we aspire to be? If we choose the first option, I'm thinking "We're screwed up, You're screwed up" might work. Or "A time tested hypocrite recovery program".

I love the church, but come on guys, we don't have to pimp this ride. :)

I Don't Know What To Say

Do I laugh, or is it a wee bit too close to the real perception of people outside?

Quote of the Day

...the church isn't marketable. Programs, conferences, services even, may be - but the church itself is not. I understand that this a polemical statement. And there will be those who vehemently disagree.

The church is a people who pick up their crosses and follow Jesus. It is a people who forget about themselves as they pour out their lives for others. It is the way of discipleship - becoming like Jesus - who laid down his life for his friends...and enemies. It is not about "living your best life now" or any other such silly talk. (Ed: Or tee-shirt slogans, gospel trinkets, FLASHy websites or other such crap.)

Marketing presupposes a product or service to market. The church is neither. It is a living breathing organism that exists for those outside of it.

Bill Kinnon