There is a real lack of amusing church marketing. This is because churches shouldn’t market – they should tell the Truth, love their neighbors, and take care of practical needs. That’s church marketing enough.
But once in a while you see a church or a pastor doing something truly unique and downright fascinating. I just saw such a thing over at The Daily.
Salvation isn’t automatic — but it might be semiautomatic.
In an effort to increase membership, a number of U.S. churches — including the Church of Christ congregation in this rural village 30 miles north of Columbus — are offering an unconventional public service: Concealed weapons training.
“Church has done a good job with coffee klatsches or whatever, but we haven’t really reached out to guys,” said Jeff Copley, a preacher at the church. “And guys in Morrow Country, they shoot and they hunt.”
Hundreds of students have enrolled in the 10-hour course, which meets the state requirements for earning a concealed weapons permit. The training includes two hours on a church member’s private shooting range.
Hilarious. Concealed weapons training at church to attract local men. We’ve seen it all. And I’m very amused.
Originally posted at EricGoranson.com
Eric Goranson
Eric has more than sixteen years’ experience in state government and nonprofit organizations including the roles of Development Director at Iowa Christian Academy and Des Moines radio station Q99.5 KZZQ/Pulse 99.5. Eric has also worked in Governor Terry Branstad’s office during his fourth term and in the Division of Criminal Investigation. Eric ran for Iowa State House in 2004.Eric serves as a Curriculum Committee Member at the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, is President of Iowa Advocates for Choice in Education, and is Chair of the Iowa Educational Opportunities PAC. He is a thinker, hunter, hiker, backpacker, movie watcher, traveler, soccer-lover/player, and music fanatic with a predilection for theatre and art; especially photography. His two children keep him and his wife very busy and very grateful.
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I can see doing men-friendly events and I wouldn’t necessarily call that marketing, but offering concealed carry classes seems to be a stretch. I can see having an outside group conducting them in your building. If you have a church building it’s a waste if you don’t allow it to be a community resource. To conduct the classes themselves in order to reach men though… reach men with what exactly?
Why would any Christian man need carry a concealed weapon or a weapon at all for that matter. A weapon is used for one purpose and one purpose only thus being to defend oneself which has absolutely nothing to do with being a Christian knowing our battle is not against flesh and blood rather principality’s and things of the air.
A firearm is for the sake of hunting not men rather food. A weapon has an entirely different meaning and therefore purpose.