[Troll_House_Cookies]

Only in the American south are churches a business.......

[John Leland 1789]

The Church was never instructed to attract the world.

[OB1kNOb]

Running a successful church requires cutting-edge marketing and branding...

(shakes head slowly) :-(

[Former Fetus]

no problem dropping the name if it means bringing more people for Christ

I think that person means "bringing more people to put cash in the collection plate". I am a Southern Baptists, attend a Southern Baptist church that I would recommend to anyone wishing to hear preaching from the Book, and I'm utterly disgusted at the idea of "camouflaging" a church so that people won't know to which denomination it belongs.

[chickpundit]

I don’t know anything about this particular church, but changing their name doesn’t seem like such a big deal, as long as they don’t try to change God’s Word.

In Corinthians 9, Paul said:

20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

22To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to understand people’s perspectives and tailoring a message for them, as long as the goal is to win them to Christ. If it’s to fill seats and preach a PC gospel, then obviously that’s the wrong way to go. Churches should examine themselves and see if they’re being effective. We’re supposed to produce fruit.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Ping!

Coming to a LCMess parish near you (iffin’ it ain’t already there...)

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

“Marketing religion”

Simil justus et peccatore

You can’t sell a product that people don’t want.

[Utah Binger]

Another of the “Church for $$$$$$$” crowd.

[Augustinian monk]

I once saw an inner city church named St. Augustine Baptist Church. Really.

[B-Chan]

"Hi! Welcome to J.C. McFeelgood's Funtime Faith & Food! I'm Seth, and I'll be your Minister of Fun tonight. A round of Blood of Christ Coolers and CommunionChips to start you folks out?"

[Drawsing]

God’s church is the body of believers wherever they are. For over 2000 years we have divided ourselves over what goes on in a building on Sunday morning. That is not how God defines worship. Worship is what we should be doing every day of the week by serving others sacrificially. Look in Isaiah 58 and Romans 12 for a couple of examples of God-pleasing worship.