One of the workshops offered in Wired Churches’ upcoming March 14 event is titled: POP GOES THE CHURCH. The concept behind this workshop is that the mainstream pop culture exerts an enormous amount of influence on all of us. Every day we come in contact with it in different ways: the music we hear on the radio, concepts and values we absorb by watching television or going to the movies, advertisements, and even the language we use while interacting with coworkers or friends. In contrast to the pop culture we live in, churches tend to continue using language that caters to congregations from the 50′s and 60′s. Often, the churches’ choice of music and the way it relays its message may be outdated and unappealing to the younger generations.
This workshop identifies these and other problems the church deals with in its effort to maintain and increase its membership. The message we need to learn is that the mainstream culture shouldn’t be shunned, but instead, should be used as a tool to promote the church.
POP GOES THE CHURCH is a workshop about the church and its ability to use the mainstream culture to capture an audience. But the information offered is not limited to churches. The lessons being taught can be applied to other institutions as well. Anyone interested in modern marketing techniques and concrete results should consider attending. Keep in mind that the church hosting this event is the largest church in Northern Indiana. Its growth and its ability to remain relevant within the community are due in great part to the techniques taught in this workshop.
I’m including an excerpt from a promotional brochure about this upcoming workshop:
If you’re open to new strategies for impacting today’s culture, this is your opportunity to think beyond “normal” church:
- Creating a service that conveys your message in the language of your listeners
- De-mystifying the development process, from brainstorming to debriefing
- Creating buzz and deciding what is buzz-worthy
- Setting realistic timetables for planning and execution
For more information or if you’re interested in attending the POP GOES THE CHURCH workshop, simply follow the link.
March 15, 2008 at 1:00 pm
This a very good idea. I hear many churches have started doing this to attract and keep the interest of the younger people who are coming churches. Well, written
March 17, 2008 at 10:57 pm
As you know, I go to GCC, but I still sometimes wrestle with how things are portrayed. I wonder about where the line is between entertainment and message. I think this would be a really interesting conference–maybe I’ll have my husband duck in and listen to some of it since he works there.
You know, the Wesley brothers wrote hymn lyrics to the tune of drinking songs–that sounds pretty “pop” to me. And it obviously works, considering the size of GCC. Good things to think about…
March 18, 2008 at 12:46 am
I saw Kyle running around on Friday when I was there. He popped into the workshop for a while before it started.
About the line between entertainment and message: that issue came up. One of the ways they talked about it was in terms of “embracing” vs. “leveraging.” GCC apparently tries to leverage the culture to help spread their message, as opposed to embracing the culture. I’ll write about this in my wrap-up paper coming soon.
March 23, 2008 at 10:13 pm
This is a nicely written piece, clear and informative. I am glad to see that churches are trying to bring themselves up to date. I was raised in a Lutheran church, but I stopped attending years ago. The lessons that the minister preached just didn’t seem to apply to my life very well. Since discovering yoga I have come to realize that I don’t need an organized religion in order to have a relationship with a higher spirit – yoga and my garden will do. “-)
April 3, 2008 at 8:21 pm
[...] Stay posted for more information… [...]
April 16, 2008 at 11:47 pm
[...] to the modern church. Its message goes hand in hand with the previous workshop I attended: POP GOES THE CHURCH. For information on that workshop, simply click on the [...]