EDIN March 16, 2009

Cagle Post

Church Changers Salon March 17, 2009

One in seven adults changes churches each year, and another one in six attends a handful of churches on a rotating basis, according to the Barna Group, a marketing research firm that serves churches. Church shopping isn't a matter of merely changing congregations: A survey by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life last year indicated that 44 percent of American adults have left their first religious affiliation for another. "Constant movement characterizes the American religious marketplace," a survey summary said.

Part of the discomfort with church shopping has to do with the way growing churches attempt to attract spiritual shoppers. That simple marquee in front of a church with the cheerfully homely motto ("Prevent truth decay: Brush up on your Bible") doesn't suffice to recruit worshippers. Web sites stream audio and video of sermons and music to let prospective members shop from home, and consultants help congregations market themselves to the "unchurched" and the merely unsatisfied by deploying focus groups, surveys, product giveaways (free church-branded Frisbees, anyone?), and other tactics borrowed from the commercial realm. The Wall Street Journal reported recently on churches employing mystery worshippers, "a new breed of church consultant," who covertly attend services and evaluate them (Were the bathrooms clean? Was the vibe friendly?) as if they were first-timers looking for a new church.

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Why I Don't Clean My House

Posted March 12, 2009 7:29 PM

Posted in housekeeping, housework

1. I don't do windows because I love birds and don't want one to run into a clean window and get hurt. (I am compassionate.)

2. I don't wax floors because I am terrified guest will slip and hurt themselves. I'll feel terrible and they may sue me. (I am careful and poor.)

3. I don't mind the dust bunnies because they are very good company. I have named most of them, and they agree with everything I say. (I am imaginative.)

4. I don't disturb cobwebs because I want every creature to have a home of their own and my family loves spiders. (I am kind.)

5. I don't "Spring Clean" because I love all the seasons and don't want the others to get jealous. (I am fair-minded.)

6. I don't plant a garden because I don't want to get in God's way. He is an excellent designer. (I am courteous.)

7. I don't put things away because my family will never be able to find them again. (I am considerate.)

8. I don't do gourmet meals when I entertain because I don't want my guests to stress out over what to make when they invite me over for dinner. (I am thoughtful.)

9. I don't iron because I choose to believe them when they say "Permanent Press." (I am trusting.)

10. I don't stress much on anything because "Type A" personalities die young and I want to stick around! (I am in good health.)
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Phil and Jo Ann Edin