Some impressive use of technology and social networking is taking place over at the United Church’s wondercafe.ca. I’ve had a brief look around and while it’s bound to be controversial, I think it will promote a lot of conversations, which is a good thing. I gave the church locater a spin and had a look at our local UC that I went to as a teenager. Wow, what a great snapshot of what a new person could expect when they go to church. When, where, where to park, what kind of music to expect, what happens after services, and several ways to contact them. Very professional, but then I guess a few million dollars will do that. I hope it works out for them.
Church Marketing Sucks: Using Whipped Cream and Gay Marriage to Start Conversations
With membership declining as much as 20% in the last decade, the United Church of Canada needs to try something drastic. So they’ve launched a $9.3 million ad campaign. The ads touch on hot button issues, including sex and gay marriage. The ads direct people to a web site, wondercafe.ca, that attempts to engage people in conversations about spiritual issues and the big questions of life. They site also offers a church locator.