no, please! not product placements in sermons!
The church my family attends numbers 600. In our small city, it's one of the larger, although not the largest, in the area. I've been to some of the big churches in the Twin Cities, and I'm not drawn to leave our smaller fellowship. The whole concept of a megachurch makes me leery.
Now I've learned about some new evidence that the forces that come together in a megachurch make it susceptible for new versions of old errors. A recent article in a Wharton School of Management publication explores the new phenomenon of product partnerships with megachurches.
I'm still thinking about it, but my first impression is that the church's role is to comment on society and provide standards for it's members, helping guide them in moral and practical choices to better reflect the love, justice, and righteousness of our God. Anything else smacks of profiteering. If advice from the pulpit begins to include recommendations on which brand of car to drive, which style of shoe to wear, etc., we've traded away the authority we should have kept for things that are really important...and gotten our reward of our shortsightedness.
Now I've learned about some new evidence that the forces that come together in a megachurch make it susceptible for new versions of old errors. A recent article in a Wharton School of Management publication explores the new phenomenon of product partnerships with megachurches.
I'm still thinking about it, but my first impression is that the church's role is to comment on society and provide standards for it's members, helping guide them in moral and practical choices to better reflect the love, justice, and righteousness of our God. Anything else smacks of profiteering. If advice from the pulpit begins to include recommendations on which brand of car to drive, which style of shoe to wear, etc., we've traded away the authority we should have kept for things that are really important...and gotten our reward of our shortsightedness.
Comments