While Mike Yaconelli was alive, he proudly claimed the humble title of "pastor of the slowest growing church in America." Sometimes I think I may have been the heir of that title. I've been a pastor for two and a half years now, and often wonder just what kind of trick God has played on me.

One of the things I constantly battle is just how far to go in marketing our congregation. We changed our collective name to CrossRoads, and I've been tempted more than a few times to spend hundreds of dollars pasting that name on flyers, cards, magnets, and signs and distribute them all over town. But then I think of the name which Scripture calls us to publish, and it's not CrossRoads.

The Parish has a great post which analyzes an advertisement by a church in Oklahoma.The author finds several subtexts in the advertisement, and I have to agree with him. I think it's a shame that so goes much of Christian advertising these days.

Reminds me of John Fischer's declaration in Fearless Faith:

Sometimes I wish we had a new word for "Christian."
I bet there are a lot of people who would be Christians if they didn't have to become a Christian to be one.