What a great idea – i know you are not going to tell us when…but I do hope you share with us their feedback – even us non-staff members definitely could use a little push as to how we can make our “row mates” experience better, even in the short time pre/post sermon – and in our interactions with the unchurched out on the street (and in our small groups).

I do have to give my own feedback. My best friend for over 20 years now is an agnostic/athiest (depending on the day) – she has handled my conversion pretty well and has always been respectful. She lives in NYC and so we don’t see each other but once or twice a year. I got married last year and she came down numerous times for different pre-wedding/wedding events, therefore got to spend time with our “community” – she loved it – she went to church with us a few times – she loved it (despite the “God talk” as she puts it) – she’s talked in the past year since then how she longs for that type of community (and has gone out to try and find it in all the wrong places) – i got a good recommendation of a church where she lives & told her she could get involved without being a Christian (she’s not taken me up on it yet). Though she said that if she lived in Atlanta she would probably do it. 8-)

All this to say…keep up the good work – Heather is not open to Christianity…yet…but the example that the NPCC/Buckhead model has shown her has brought her leaps & bounds closer to the truth.

Thank You for all you do & your commitment to the unchurched – you have made the difference in my life…my husbands life, and countless women/men in our singles small groups and now we get to witness life change in our married small group.

Nannette

Jeff:

I expect nothing less.

peace | dewde

I jumped over here from photographer Zack Arias’s site.

I took interest in the “Hiring Atheists” post because I am one and have found a spiritual home in the Unitarian Church – Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington VA. (which is also a spiritual refuge for lapsed catholics, protestants and jews, as well as for buddhists, agnostics and atheists). Which is to say we certainly share your christian heritage, descending as we do from the congregationalist churches of New England, but have taken a different tack on the centrality of Jesus Christ to building a beloved community.

i just thought I’d mention, apropos of the context, that it strikes me, as an atheist, that justice, grace and truth and beauty are divinely accessible by all, and that your church might consider how grotesque the singular and exclusive equation of Jesus (certainly a great teacher) with divinity, or god, (or any extraterrestrial power) is.

I only say this because it is clearly your intent that we atheists need saving or something. (More correctly of course, is the fact that the corporation of American Christianity itself that needs saving.)

To honestly serve humanity, (and American morality more particularly) I believe modern Christianity needs to bring itself more in line with all the forms of grace and love and truth that are available to us; and must set aside the vengeful metaphysics and opportunistic morality of the Christian tradition (for this is the reason we are atheists) and the directive that only through the acceptance of jesus as redeemer, may we be “saved.”

How can you not see how odd this language is, and it’s consciousness, with it’s persistent emphases on bizarrely narrow definitions of redemption and resurrection of souls? It is all so anachronistic and oblivious to it’s incongruence with the fundamental norms of a liberal society built on reason and empiricism.

Truth, Grace, Love and Beauty are everywhere around us, if only we have the eyes to see it. I do not need Jesus alone, nor the promise of Christian “salvation” to know this, and to walk courageously bearing love and respect, and the consciousness of the interconnection between all living things forward into the beloved community … I do not need the threat of eternal damnation to vouchsafe my morality, nor my eternal reward.

When will Christianity ever grow up?

I hope my remarks are somehow helpful to your thoughts on church marketing. My bottom line is who can abide a spiritual institution that insists on promulgating the same falsehoods and fairy tails that have led this “Christian” nation to the existential and political straits that it now finds itself in?

“hiring atheists?” you know? …. I’m just sayin’ …

Here’s a differing viewpoint on Church Rater.

http://manofdepravity.com/2010/02/24/churchrater-bad-idea/

Michael – thanks! :-)

Nannette – thanks for the encouragement. You’re having a huge influence on Heather, more than I bet you know.

Jeff

Dewde – it’s time I bought you lunch again, anyway.

I think this is a great idea. I would probably hire this organization also if I were a pastor. But I would take their advice lightly, because of 2 Timothy 4:3. I feel that if we teach the whole word of God, and rely upon the Holy Spirit, instead of relying upon ourselves. People will always have a fulfilling time at church because the whole point of church is to be filled with the Spirit and to be taught the word of God.

Having looked at Jay’s link regarding Church Rater, all I can say is, “What else need be said?”

The overwhelming observation is that such metrics support the point that churches are treated (or treat themselves) as profit driven corporations whose prime objective is market share, possibly at the expense of being prayerful sanctuaries.

I don’t think Jesus would care about market share.

Nevertheless, we all use these instruments and terms of business to try to get an objective handle on “how we’re doing.” And that is the cross contemporary religion has to bear – because no one really believes that they need the membership in the church to ensure their salvation. So all church’s – except those preaching to the most vulnerable – lose money.