But I found myself... well, shocked and awed at the marketing chutzpah on display at this new outfit called "the hills."
I'm a Christian who identifies very strongly with the Reformed tradition. The Reformers, in grossly simple terms, put forth a model for justification that I believe is very Biblical: It says that God calls us out of our heredity and nature of Sin. When we are finally fed up with our inability to live right, we turn and repent and discover the new birth of life in Christ.
So I cringe a bit when I see a flyer that promotes, among other things, having a blast, be whoever you are, and short services.
But the marketer in me has to admire these folks: Lead with a topic like sex, use attractive models right out of a Viagra commercial, and make it as appealing to as large of an audience as possible.
What do you think? Am I way off base? I do thank God for sex... Hmmmmm...
5 comments:
oh, the horror! that my husband and fellow conservative would reveal on the internet that he does indeed thank God for sex...i blush, thinking that sweet virginia or our parents will read this! but i guess it's no secret, really. sheesh. let's keep this thing g-rated!
we are a culture of consumers. we don't have time to make and build, grow and do. we purchase what we need, in exacting amounts, when we need it and leave the scene. we even prefer to consume without effort.
it probably shouldn't surprise us that churches have been tailoring their advertising to lull our consumptive interest. what was the life-changing gospel is now a more palatable encouraging story. what used to to require work (meeting with people often very much unlike yourself) is now made easy (meeting with people too like yourself or meeting even in a movie theatre.)
if you can consume religion for 50 minutes from a comfortable stadium-seat with a starbucks in hand, who needs the christ?
The real shame is that this marketing-driven sex theme is pervasive... We've had it hear in Michigan, causing a big uproar among the conservative folks.
I have the link around here somewhere to buy the package "tailor made" for your congregation...
Sorry, Kat... I do want to keep this thing solidly "G" - *grin* - Glad I am not the only one who is just a little bit uneasy with this type of easy-christianity.
There are a lot of ways to "market" church these days... i think about this often. It is relevant to think about "spiritual marketing" when you're talking to Americans especially. The tough part here is to maintain a God-dependent, Christ-surrendered, Spirit-led mindset.
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