a church's operating hours...

Just wondering about the value of advertising....

After noticing a church's advertisement in our local paper, I got to thinking... what would I put in a newspaper ad if I had a chance to place an 1/8th page spot?

There were actually a couple which grabbed my attention; one was placed by a local church which has had the same size (and design) advertisement for the past 20 years... it has a picture of their building and the 'service times' and names of staff members, as well as the topics for the upcoming sermons... It seemed to be patterned after other business ads (like a tanning salon) detailing its 'hours of operation'...

Another church ad (which purports to 'earnestly contend for the faith') was essentially a 300 word essay (the 4th in a series) dealing with the evils of churches supporting orphanages...

Still another ad told of an upcoming gospel meeting with a somewhat famous guest speaker...

And so I got to wondering: what is the purpose of these church ads?

to inform?
to instruct?
to correct?
to incite?

Furthermore, what do you think our modern-day church advertisements say about the churches placing them?

...which led me back to my original question: what would I 'say' if I had the chance to place an ad? Better yet, what would Jesus have placed in an 'ad' for His church back in His day?

First of all, I am convinced that Jesus would be using the latest technology to spread the Good News... if email had been available during His era, for instance, I truly think he would have used it to the full!

Extrapolating an answer from His life and His ministry could be helpful in this exercise...

Maybe He would have wanted people to be drawn to him (John 12:32), so He might have tried to convey the depth of His love for those reading His ad...

or, perhaps His 'ad' would have been a simple announcement about the upcoming 'healing' service (although those seemed to happen without preamble or planning)...

His 1/8 page ad could have been a simple call for all believers to help those in need, or to 'love the everlasting God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, then love your neighbor as yourself'...

Whatever He might have said in His weekly newspaper ad, I tend to doubt He would have wasted the space and investment on 'service times' or pictures of buildings or theological arguments (He typically saved those for the misguided, self-appointed religious leaders of the day)...

Let me encourage us to 'advertise' the church in such a way (whether we actually buy an newspaper ad or just live it out loud) that people don't get the wrong impression:

that 'church' is 'open for business' from 9 am to noon and 6 to 7 on Sunday, and 7 to 8 on Wednesday nights... If I understand church (ecclesia - 'the called out') correctly, it (WE) are 'open' 24/7/365!

So what's your 'ad' look like?

Just wondering.....