iGod

Ever wondered why we're not liked?

And we say 'God is love?' Hmmm!

ASD

"Gossip the Gospel"? What does that mean, exactly?

Now here is a mildly interested thing for a weekend, recently I asked someone how we might as a church be involved with a particular activity. The response was along the lines of 'come along and gossip the gospel.'  Gossip the gospel?  In other words, come and informally chat about Jesus to others without getting heavy.

It is a phrase I have heard before, but not given it much thought - until now. Of course, I appreciate its phonetic and alliterative qualities and does sound like it should all have us nodding our heads in a profound and knowing kind of way, but I felt slightly uncomfortable with it. Maybe because the gossip bit is a negative to many ears and is attempting to be turned into a virtue.

In my Bible gossip as a pastime appears to be deeply frowned upon, along with slander, malice and hate. As the Old Testament writer put it so well, "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:13). It is, in other words, destructive.

On the other hand, the gospel in a law of court is a benchmarch for truth, honesty and reliability. Hence, when you hear people say 'its the gospel truth' they are saying they would swear an oath by it. So to 'gossip the gospel' sounds all plain wrongety, wrong, wrong to simple old me.

Being generous, and knowing the good intentions of this person, I know they were trying to take the formality of sharing or preaching the gospel out of its usual evangelical clothing and make it more doable for scaredy cats like us, which is admirable. However, it is a phrase I wouldn't use.

Now if someone said to me 'just come and hang out and talk to people as and when' I would have no hang-ups, but then I am more of the Franciscan school of thought that says we preach Christ with our lives and when that doesn't work we use words.

We have still so much to learn. Me particularly.

ASD

'Evening prayer' as seen on London buses

In the light of the previous usage of bus sides in London by atheists and the Christian Party which on the whole failed to capture the imagination of a non-plussed general public, it is good to see the Evening Standard regaining the sacred space with some good old-fashioned ironic advertising.In some way, this probably does more good for the Church than its own efforts.

ASD

Another book on marketing the church!

Being from an advertising and branding background I am always interested to hear of any book that tells you how to market your church. Over the years I have given advice to many a Christian organisation and church leader. My words have been based on experience and understanding of basic communication principles. Nowadays as a church leader I also have the position to see if any of it actually works! "Physician, heal thyself" seems to come to mind!

Strangely, I have some of the same hang-ups as other leaders when the word marketing is mentioned. We have probably all had some kind of negative response to a piece of printed or digital communication that comes our way masking itself as an ideal ministry partner, but ends up leaving the after taste of a thinly disguised commercial opportunity.

Our other fear is that somehow our reliance on the Holy Spirit takes second place to clever ideas or tactics to fill our pews. However God gave us brains and the gift of creativity, and common sense!  Therefore, perhaps, we should look to redeem some of the 'worldly practices with a more generous view and see that maybe there might be some good in there somewhere. 

To that end, my dear friend Richard Frank who leads All Souls in West London has mentioned a book on his church blog called Church Marketing 101. As you read down why not change the name to the church and see where you come out.

"Firstly, the distinction he makes between "lateral growth" (drawing in people from other churches) and "vertical growth" (from unchurched backgrounds). It's clearly the latter that's our key aim - we've no interest whatsoever in growing at other's expense. The question he poses for us is: "Do people leave a service at All Souls thinking: 'I wish my (churched) friend had been here - they'd have loved it!' or 'My (non-church-going) friend would have loved it!'?" Quite a difference...

"Secondly, though, he asks what sorts of things prevent people inviting their (unchurched or dechurched) friend along - he suggests six questions that are, consciously or unconsciously, being weighed up by church members. I wonder what you'd respond about an average service here - and how we could make things better for those who come - either of their own accord (as so many have over the last few years) or by invitation:

1. Will my friend feel welcomed?
   Hospitality - The atmosphere, nomenclature, and style of service should be inviting and not intimidating to the unchurched.
2. Will my friend fit in?
   Comfort and compatibility - Like it or not, invitations and visitor comfort decrease when cultural gaps exist.
3. Can I feel confident that I know how the service will turn out?
   Consistency - People need to know what to expect, because they will invite accordingly.
4. Will my friend get something out of it?
   Relevance - The message should be relevant and powerful for people at all spiritual levels.
5. Will my friend understand it?
   Understanding - Jesus taught through practical illustrations. The songs and message should be understandable for people at all spiritual levels.
6. Will anything that could seem strange to the unchurched be explained through Scripture?
   Sensitivity - Scriptural actions should be carried out with clarity and considerate explanation."

Helpful stuff! 

I can't really recommend the book myself until I have read it, but will let you know my thoughts in some later post.

ASD