Strange but true, dogs are used as a church outreach...
"The dogs were decked out in sweaters and birthday hats. They had cold snouts, soft coats and the dispositions of Job. For more than an hour on a recent Saturday, they sat beneficently as dozens of children petted them.
They are members of the canine ministry at Irvine's Mariners Church, which organizers say may be one of a kind.
Its mission: to put people at ease and begin a process that could lead them to God.
"They are able to break down walls that we often can't," said Sheree King, a Mariners outreach director.
"The dogs facilitate relationships. They start a conversation" ultimately enabling church members to make their pitch."
(HT: Dogs help church get its message out - Los Angeles Times)
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2 comments:
Nah, dogs wouldn't get me to go to church... I'm a cat person.
People will go to church when it's about celebrating being alive (though it sounds like that is what your church is about).
If you really want to get bums on pews, tell people that Christianity is a mystery religion, and then treat baptism as a secret initiation rite. (It worked in the second/third century.)
Also, make sure your version of it includes LGBT people, respects other faiths as valid paths to the Divine, and promotes environmental concern - the Episcopalians got a huge rise in attendance when they Appointed Bishop Gene Robinson.
Oh, and make adherence to the Nicene Creed optional.
I actually have a cat myself.
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