Priest Idol
Mark Miller, pastor of New Song Church in Ohio, sent me a fascinating article titled Priest Idol from Christianity Today online. It's a reality TV show about a Wheaton Grad who took a position in a small parish church that has dwindled in attendance to a handful of people. The show chronicles his experience trying to bring life to the dying church.
Here are a few excerpts I found interesting:
The filmmakers brought in a marketing firm to help you sell the church to the town. Was this a positive experience?
It really was. The marketers-a firm called Propaganda-were very respectful and sensitive. They brought a fresh perspective from the world. I don't think it was selling out to the world. I think it was a way of learning what is going on in the culture, what does the immediate society want, how do they view church? I don't know the story very well, but I wonder if Bill Hybels used a similar approach when he went knocking on the doors around Willow Creek, asking what folks would like to see in a church. The most positive thing this did was to raise the profile of the parish in the community, to say, "We're here and open and alive."
What would you say to those who argue that the church does not need to market itself?
I would say that we did not take a secular approach and put the label 'Christian' on it and therefore redeem it. What I would say is that we used a tool available in Western society and used it in such a way to produce something that is worthy of the church. For instance, the marketers challenged us to say, "What is special about the Christian faith?" It was a challenge for us to articulate it; in fact, the congregation was not able to articulate it. By taking a sales point of view and asking, "How are you are you going sell this place, if you can't tell people what's great about it?" the marketers weren't asking us to make things up; they were asking us to genuinely examine ourselves. It sounds pathetic that the congregation was not able to articulate those things already-this is our faith we're talking about, after all-but obviously it wasn't happening.
What do you think the airing of Priest Idol can accomplish?
It tells a really positive story about our particular church and about the church in general. That was one of the concerns of the bishop. He thought that if this was a success, it would be a success not just for Lundwood, but for the Christian church in the UK. It shows hope, it shows excitement, it shows people rallying around a church. It shows a church willing to take risks. It raises a lot of issues for churches to think about how, why, and to what extent they can reconnect with their communities.
Here are a few excerpts I found interesting:
The filmmakers brought in a marketing firm to help you sell the church to the town. Was this a positive experience?
It really was. The marketers-a firm called Propaganda-were very respectful and sensitive. They brought a fresh perspective from the world. I don't think it was selling out to the world. I think it was a way of learning what is going on in the culture, what does the immediate society want, how do they view church? I don't know the story very well, but I wonder if Bill Hybels used a similar approach when he went knocking on the doors around Willow Creek, asking what folks would like to see in a church. The most positive thing this did was to raise the profile of the parish in the community, to say, "We're here and open and alive."
What would you say to those who argue that the church does not need to market itself?
I would say that we did not take a secular approach and put the label 'Christian' on it and therefore redeem it. What I would say is that we used a tool available in Western society and used it in such a way to produce something that is worthy of the church. For instance, the marketers challenged us to say, "What is special about the Christian faith?" It was a challenge for us to articulate it; in fact, the congregation was not able to articulate it. By taking a sales point of view and asking, "How are you are you going sell this place, if you can't tell people what's great about it?" the marketers weren't asking us to make things up; they were asking us to genuinely examine ourselves. It sounds pathetic that the congregation was not able to articulate those things already-this is our faith we're talking about, after all-but obviously it wasn't happening.
What do you think the airing of Priest Idol can accomplish?
It tells a really positive story about our particular church and about the church in general. That was one of the concerns of the bishop. He thought that if this was a success, it would be a success not just for Lundwood, but for the Christian church in the UK. It shows hope, it shows excitement, it shows people rallying around a church. It shows a church willing to take risks. It raises a lot of issues for churches to think about how, why, and to what extent they can reconnect with their communities.
8 Comments:
That sounds extremely interesting. The link doesn't seem to be working for me though. Is there any more info on when the show will air?
Try it now :) Too many http's :)
Great it works now! Btw, Great job on Channel 9! I was telling everyone I knew that you were on TV!
Just leaving work last night (I have to stay through the first 15 minutes of the 11 p.m. news) when I looked up, and there you were! You sounded great... mucho props. Dealing with news people can be tough, let me tell you. They can be such a pain ...
Amy, they can be a pain, but I must say that this particular crew was a joy to work with. They were very professional and courteous to us. We'll definitely work with them again. :)
Hm I think you missed the irony of my statement ;-). You can have Mark fill you in :-).
Have mercy on the poor new guy Amy!! :) hahaha
Amy is one of "them" :)
Our experience with media--print, TV, and radio--have been so positive it's amazing!
All except this one reporter whose name starts with an "A" :)
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