Thinking Outside the Box pt. 1

As I have studied local churches, I've discovered that many churches like to try "thinking outside the box." They do all kinds of things; they change the time, they meet in small groups, or sometimes even dim the lights. Sometimes churches go way outside the box; they ride motorcycles, tatoo people or they even try ancient forms of liturgy.

From my humble opinion, most church's attempts at thinking outside the box are mere gimics. They are only trying to do something a little crazy in order to get some attention. They really are not thinking outside the box at all; they're just changing the wrapping paper.

The overall concept of what these people are doing is staying the same. They are simply changing the way that they are communicating (i.e. trying to do something more extravagant in order to garner attention). We have learned this tactic from the business world. It is the constant re-packaging of a product that gains attention and boosts sails. One must becareful not to allow oneself to become boring or repetitive. Really? The answer is in how we market ourselves???

When I listen to people talk how to help churches grow; the answer usually comes back to marketing. "We need to be better about how we present ourselves. We need to be focused on being the type of church that fits in with our community, so they can grasp our message in their own context."

What do you think?