I agree with you. In my short experience I have found that people aren't drawn to an organization, they are drawn to people they identify with. If we can convince people of the value of what we are doing, they will want to join us.

Isn't the really sad reality here that the catholic church in these areas are having to spend big bucks on an advertising campaign to convince people who have lost interest to come back?

Dear Brad, for Catholics, the Sacraments are essential for performing the "weekday work." Both are important, and they go hand in hand.

It is my experience that Catholics have more of an identity in their denomination (I always want to type that as "demonination") than many of the individual Protestant denominations. Maybe Southern Baptist is comparable. This is in part because of centuries worth of tradition and trappings that Protestants largely eliminated or stripped down.

Amen amigo.

Denominations don't mean jack squat to this generation.

Not to me, anyways. I've been a pastor for 9 years and I couldn't really even tell you what denomination I am. It's a stupid conversation for pastors who spend more time in Starbucks than they do in people's lives.

I'm sorry I said that about Starbucks.

Just need to correct a common misconception -- Southern Baptist is not technically a denomination. It is an association of likeminded church's. Each individual church sets its own rules and standards. Now, in recent years, there have been those who have tried to require members of the association to adhere strictly to a set of beliefs, but this has not happened yet.

With all that being said, I would caution against the idea of losing doctrinal integrity. Once you've done that you run the risk of losing believing in things that are essential to being saved and a Christian. Now, that doesn't have to be included in a marketing campaign of course. Just about any denomination can say in their ad: "we believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world." "we believe that Jesus has a plan for your life." etc... Now please join us at 1st bapticostal church of the lutheran saints on Sunday at 11am.

That way you hit the essential stuff common to most Christians without compromising your denominations doctrinal integrity in the ad.

While beliefs may be the foundation for a church, I believe that marketing makes up the rest.

The more I go over the article, the more misstatements and generalizations I find.

I've read this blog for a while now, and this is incredibly disappointing. It's not the well-written, well-researched, well-reasoned material that usually fills these pages.

When did Catholic become a denomination?

wow! I was feeling really down and looking for a uplifting message when I stumbled onto this via search engine. all I've seen is everyone whining about everyone else. thanks, but no thanks.

wow! I was feeling really down and looking for a uplifting message when I stumbled onto this via search engine. all I've seen is everyone whining about everyone else. thanks, but no thanks.

This post got one point entirely wrong: The Catholic Church isn't a denomination. It's the Church founded by Jesus Christ himself, and we don't simply gather to worship on weekends.. We worship and consume the flesh and flood of the God-Man really and truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist. That's simply profound, amazing, and exactly what the early Church believed. Confused? Read this scholarly work: http://is.gd/5t5Mb

their campaign makes me laugh, actually. What are they doing to address the Priests who molest boys? WHY would I want to go back to a Church who blatently ignores this atrocity. I have denounced my Catholic roots.

“This post got one point entirely wrong: The Catholic Church isn't a denomination. It's the Church founded by Jesus Christ himself, and we don't simply gather to worship on weekends" you have got to be kidding. The holy Roman Church did not exist in the times of Jesus and most early Christian (followers of Christ) were Jews. As for the claims of the Holy Roman Empire that they began scientific thought??? Socrates, Plato, do these names ring a bell! The Holy Roman Empire struck down many great people of learning, Galileo ...and so many more. The Catholic Church came to be through the works of Constantine a pagan violent power hungry man. His vision of the cross on the warrior’s shields was a tactical maneuver to join the pagans and early Christians into one army. If the church is interested in the truth open the vaults of the Vatican and sell or donate your hidden treasures for the good of all humankind.