The following is a section from a paper I wrote this summer for a youth ministry course. Craig Van Gelder offers a robustly theological explanation for the nature of the church that gives a glimpse of how exactly God is present through this group of human beings: In this view, the Spirit-created church lives as […]
The Positive Side of the One-Eared Mickey Mouse
If you’ve been in youth ministry for any length of time, you have probably heard of the one-eared Mickey Mouse (surprisingly, I couldn’t find a suitable picture online and didn’t feel like making one myself, so hopefully you are familiar with it). For years now we have spoken out against creating a separate “youth church” […]
The ELCA’s Brand Campaign
Last week the ELCA announced the launch of a brand campaign, which immediately caught my attention. You can view all of the ads that the ELCA will be running in various television, print, outdoor, and online advertisements by clicking here. I must say that as far as church advertisements go, these are actually pretty good. […]
Marketing as an Anti-Missional Practice
In the podcast that debuted in spectacular fashion on Saturday I made the assertion that church marketing is by nature an anti-missional practice. Mission sends people out. Marketing seeks to bring people in. The two are at odds with one another. Makes sense, doesn’t it? So, if you want to be a missional church, cut […]