Thursday, September 27, 2007
Living by the Book
What Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, 30 Days) is to experiment-based documentaries, A.J. Jacobs is becoming to experiment-based books. In 2004, the author and senior editor for Esquire penned The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. It humorously chronicled Jacobs' reading of all 32 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
His latest book, The Year of Living Biblically, is about—you guessed it—spending a year trying to follow every command in the Bible to a tee. I'll admit, I haven't read any of Jacobs' writing. But after reading this fascinating Newsweek interview with him, I just might go get a copy of his latest when it comes out. A couple of telling quotes from this experimental seeker:
His latest book, The Year of Living Biblically, is about—you guessed it—spending a year trying to follow every command in the Bible to a tee. I'll admit, I haven't read any of Jacobs' writing. But after reading this fascinating Newsweek interview with him, I just might go get a copy of his latest when it comes out. A couple of telling quotes from this experimental seeker:
"One thing I learned is that the outside affects the inside; your behavior shapes your thoughts." "The Bible affected every single part of my life. It affected the way I walked, the way I dressed, the way I hugged my wife, the way I ate. The year was the most extreme makeover of my life." "I started the year as an agnostic, and now I am a reverent agnostic. Whether or not there is a God, I believe in sacredness. Rituals can be sacred; the Sabbath can be sacred however you choose to observe it."
It's sad to think a person can spend an entire year strictly adhering to "the Good Book" yet still walk away and hardly recognize its central figure. Obviously things haven't changed much since Jesus' time, when He blasted those who boasted in their religious performance (not that I'm saying Jacobs is boasting). Following the law still brings the same results now as it did then. And Jesus—thank You, God!—still offers the same salvation today as yesterday. Maybe Jacobs' book can somehow point people from the emptiness of religious duty to the only Person who's fulfilled every law.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Anything to Hook 'Em
For churches, summer's end and fall's beginning usually means coming up with a parade of creative ways to draw new attendees. Families are getting back into their routines, which makes it a perfect time to invite them into the church community. To broaden their reach and appeal to those on the fringe, some churches offer sermon series with pop-culture appeal: "Extreme Makeover: God's Way." "Lost Without Jesus?" "God & Your Bourne Identity." Other churches will host a massive fall kickoff event, inviting the community to a no-strings-attached festival with food, games and concerts for everyone.
In the past few weeks, however, I've run across an unusual amount of innovative church "marketing" methods. Not all of these were seasonally centered, but each caught my eye.
·In Coral Springs, Fla., Church by the Glades offered free iTunes gift cards (worth $15 apiece) to first-time guests as part of an iThemed series about living in a self-absorbed culture.
·Nearby in Palm Beach County, St. David's Episcopal Church held a U2charist—a Eucharist doused with U2 songs and Bono-typical messages about social justice. While St. David is far from being the first church to incorporate the band's tunes into worship, it joins a host of others that have specifically launched the communion service to attract a younger crowd.
·In similar fashion, Element Church of Chesterfield, Mo., gave away two free trips to Disneyland as part of a series called "Life's Short—Have Fun."
·It's not just U.S. churches that are pulling out all the tricks, either. In Cardiff, Wales, St. Paul's Church will host a special service later this month revolving around popular BBC show Dr. Who. To draw the teen and twentysomething crowd, the Anglican church will intersperse music and video clips from the sci-fi hit with communion and a sermon paralleling Dr. Who themes with those from the Bible.
Obviously, this is nothing new. As church leaders, we're always trying to think of innovative ways to present the gospel, to draw folks who would normally rather skip out on church. What I find most interesting, though, are the extents we'll go to "hook" people. Another article I recently read talked about various Southern Baptist ministers who, in an attempt to evangelize bikers and NASCAR lovers, give away such things as Harleys, free bull rides and thousands of dollars in cash. There was a catch, though: People couldn't enter to win these things unless they'd sat through a three-minute presentation of the gospel.
Trust me, I understand the motive behind these innovative tactics. Jesus proved that sharing the Good News always involves meeting people where they are. But I honestly wonder if our efforts to give the gospel a relevant, timely coating ever wind up souring the whole thing for some. Should God's invitation to salvation really be cast out with a free car as the bait? I pray the catch, both in quantity and quality, speaks for itself.
YOUR TURN: Do you think churches go overboard in trying to attract newcomers? What creative outreach ideas has your church implemented? Is it necessarily wrong to "hook" people into hearing the gospel?
In the past few weeks, however, I've run across an unusual amount of innovative church "marketing" methods. Not all of these were seasonally centered, but each caught my eye.
·In Coral Springs, Fla., Church by the Glades offered free iTunes gift cards (worth $15 apiece) to first-time guests as part of an iThemed series about living in a self-absorbed culture.
·Nearby in Palm Beach County, St. David's Episcopal Church held a U2charist—a Eucharist doused with U2 songs and Bono-typical messages about social justice. While St. David is far from being the first church to incorporate the band's tunes into worship, it joins a host of others that have specifically launched the communion service to attract a younger crowd.
·In similar fashion, Element Church of Chesterfield, Mo., gave away two free trips to Disneyland as part of a series called "Life's Short—Have Fun."
·It's not just U.S. churches that are pulling out all the tricks, either. In Cardiff, Wales, St. Paul's Church will host a special service later this month revolving around popular BBC show Dr. Who. To draw the teen and twentysomething crowd, the Anglican church will intersperse music and video clips from the sci-fi hit with communion and a sermon paralleling Dr. Who themes with those from the Bible.
Obviously, this is nothing new. As church leaders, we're always trying to think of innovative ways to present the gospel, to draw folks who would normally rather skip out on church. What I find most interesting, though, are the extents we'll go to "hook" people. Another article I recently read talked about various Southern Baptist ministers who, in an attempt to evangelize bikers and NASCAR lovers, give away such things as Harleys, free bull rides and thousands of dollars in cash. There was a catch, though: People couldn't enter to win these things unless they'd sat through a three-minute presentation of the gospel.
Trust me, I understand the motive behind these innovative tactics. Jesus proved that sharing the Good News always involves meeting people where they are. But I honestly wonder if our efforts to give the gospel a relevant, timely coating ever wind up souring the whole thing for some. Should God's invitation to salvation really be cast out with a free car as the bait? I pray the catch, both in quantity and quality, speaks for itself.
YOUR TURN: Do you think churches go overboard in trying to attract newcomers? What creative outreach ideas has your church implemented? Is it necessarily wrong to "hook" people into hearing the gospel?
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