Churches go to great efforts to put butts in seats.
Not all of that is illegitimate. Certainly, efforts to gain the attention of unbelievers so that they will hear the gospel proclaimed is desirable so long as those efforts are consistent with what is required of us in Scripture.
However, it must always be recognized that faith in Christ is not equivalent to faith in our church brand, much less faith in the array of benefits offered by the local church.
In fact, any faith result produced by marketing efforts ought to be questioned, as scripturally saving faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and, as such, it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone that believes. It is the power of the Spirit, not our planning, that brings to life those that are dead in trespasses and sins.
It is important that our attention to branding not overwhelm any gospel proclamation so that the latter cannot be heard due to the cacophony of the former.
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