We live in a culture of quickly changing laws. And there’s a real question behind changing laws that no one is asking.
And now that casinos are multiplying like frisky rabbits, marriage is redefined and entrepreneurs advocate for looser drug laws, I wonder. What direction are we going as a country?
Because what some call progressive, also qualifies as moral decline. At least from a Biblical perspective.
But changing laws presents another question too. One that’s practical. Affects everyone. And it isn’t religious or political.
Is anyone paying attention to it?
Laws Are Actually Based On Something, Right?
The American legal system is rooted in Judeo-Christian teaching. Meaning, the Bible. These Biblical laws come from a Sovereign God and absolute truth.
Laws—not a special interest group, a politician, or wealthy corporation—guide legal decisions. Therefore, citizens are equal under the law. And changing laws requires a deliberate, legislative process.
A Changing Society And Changing Laws
Since God reigns supreme His laws are absolute. Therefore, certain human rights are inalienable. Simply because God says so. And therefore off limits to human tampering.
Citizens conform their behavior to the laws rather than conform the laws to their behavior.
Sure. Parts of the Bible are open to interpretation. But laws forbidding cheating, stealing and murdering are pretty straightforward. Those three at least, are still intact.
But we’ve updated other Bible laws like adultery, drunkenness and dancing to contemporary, moral standards.
Wait a minute. Dancing was slipped in by the Baptists.
And what happened?
Well, gradually, relative truth replaced absolute truth. And more changing law enhancements followed. You know. Contemporary moral updates. Especially for those nit picky religious laws that only a few fanatics followed anyway.
And the idea of conforming my behavior to the rules changed to conforming the rules to my behavior.
So now that we’ve embraced relative truth, which says laws are open to re-writing. The next question is…
Who Decides The Changing Laws?
And the answer? Whoever holds the power.
Cloaked within the clamor for individual rights, the celebration of progressive laws and a permissive society lurks something ominous.
If truth is relative and laws arbitrary the ruling class dictates the changing laws. All of them.
Even the rights once considered inalienable. Tossed out with the absolutes. Making freedom a fanciful illusion.
But then, maybe with all the drugs, sex, and gambling we won’t notice or care.
An advertising copywriter should write copy that doesn’t offend anyone.
Why?
Because you’re supposed to persuade readers in order to help clients sell products and services. And I often try to use humor to engage readers.
But if my words offend you—even if they’re true—you’ll think less of me, maybe even dislike me, and I’ll be emotionally devastated. You know, my fragile self-esteem and all.
Goes back to those awkward, adolescent days.
Like when your voice cracked with oscillating regularity from base to soprano. Or a zit that was non-existent in the morning rose like a red, shiny beacon in the middle of your forehead by the afternoon. And then you passed a cluster of cute girls in the school hallway that pointed at you and burst into laughter. Which is how you discover the red, shiny beacon on your forehead.
Not that I would know anything about that.
You see, the world is not that complicated. It’s about pointing fingers, calling names and laughing at the butt of a joke—that’s not you. It’s about being liked…accepted…and well, cool.
Why is that so hard for people to understand?
So here are three tips for writing completely inoffensive content. After all, everyone recognizes the inalienable right to improve your SEO rankings. Whether anyone actually reads and appreciates what you say is beside the point.
To Write Copy That Doesn’t Offend Anyone Maximize Big Words
Illustration:
Circumlocution is not just for politicians of questionable character and summarizing defense attorneys. Any serious sesquipedalian with acumen and anomalistic tendencies cognitively grasps the reality that even the most ebullient reader doesn’t engage in literary consumption with a dictionary in hand. So they’ll have no clue on what you just said, but profusely congratulate you on how well you said it.
Impressive, right? Everyone smiles and nods their heads. It’s the Emperor’s new clothes in a modern day fitting. A humorous story that makes you chuckle. Sure, it begs the philosophical question…if you just communicated and no one understands well enough to consciously ignore you, do you actually exist?
Personally, I prefer more profound questions of an earthy nature like: Does a bare bear poop in the woods? But that’s just me.
Plus, big words impress others with how smart you are.
To Write Copy That Doesn’t Offend Anyone Talk in Circles
This approach uses lots of words that go nowhere. A Merry-Go-Round of empty repetition. Where the point is to make no point by using a plethora (cool big word, huh?) of descriptive adjectives, idioms (different than idiots) and hyperbole.
Illustration:
When discussing Foreign policy, it’s important to consider that foreign people live way over there and we live way over here. It’s as distant as the earth is from the sun. To make it clear as a bell and as plain as the nose your face, they’re imports and we’re domestic. Certainly we’re not domestic in the way your maid is domestic. Not that there’s anything wrong with being domestic like your maid. Because I firmly believe it’s not what you do, but that you’re sincere in what you believe about how you do it. And let me just say, my dog is domestic too. Although my cat is a bit wild. Well, maybe not completely wild. But he’s very independent. Just like people in this country are independent. Which is why we live way over here and foreigners live way over there.
To Write Inoffensive Copy Tell Warm and Fuzzy Anecdotal Stories
Warm, inspirational stories make people feel good. And when they feel good, it lessens their dislike—at least as long as the good feeling lasts. Anecdotal stories are like modern fairy tales. A selfie with words. Full of promise, love and happily ever after. Use them liberally and don’t worry about exaggerating slightly for emotional effect. It’s simply creative license—a part of all compelling drama. Add some humor and even better.
Illustration
Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, then one day he was shootin at some food, and up through the ground came a bubblin crude. Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. Well the first thing you know ol Jed’s a millionaire, kinfolk said “Jed move away from there.” Said “Californy is the place you ought to be” so they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars.
So there you go. Use these 3 tips for writing inoffensive content to make people like you. Or at least, have no reason to dislike you. Write well, write often and don’t ever worry about if you’re right…or wrong. No one will ever know.
What direction is your spiritual life tilting? Because more than likely, it’s leaning one direction or another.
Sure. It’s nice to think your spiritual life is like a rocket shooting straight up to heaven. But it never seems to work out that way.
On two days of the first week in March, it snowed in Dayton, Ohio. I looked outside at the white blanket covering the landscape and thought this isn’t supposed to be happening. It’s March. The official start of spring is only a few weeks away.
It had been a cold winter and I longed for warmth. So I reminded myself that despite the look of winter, spring was on the way.
Temperatures would rise. Flowers and greenery bloom. Yard work begin. Okay, perhaps I could tone down the enthusiasm just a bit.
The point is, time marches on and the engagement of a well-established, physical laws inevitable…
The northern hemisphere of earth warms as it tilts toward the sun. I learned this in 6th grade science.
Amazing I remember that lesson from decades ago, but clueless on where I put my cell phone last night.
One of life’s great paradoxes.
There’s a parallel, spiritual law at work too. It explains why your spiritual life lacks power. Your faith feels cold. And God’s voice sounds distant.
What direction is your spiritual life tilting? When you tilt away from the Son.
How do you know when you’re tilting away from Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
Well, I can’t speak for you, but when I tilt away from Christ my spiritual life takes on a passive posture. And I tend to become a spiritual spectator. Waiting on, expecting God to act. A petulant child demanding my Father to deliver.
Worship becomes a feel-good sensation that lasts a few hours, rather than a dynamic, personal connection with a living God that empowers me throughout the week.
Why is this an indicator of spiritual life tilting?
Because God is never passive. He’s always active. Always. So if he’s not active in my life then it’s not His problem. It’s mine.
What I’ve learned is that the Kingdom of God doesn’t come TO me, it comes THROUGH me. And tilting towards Him is the warming trend that initiates the process.
So what does spiritual life tilting look like?
It begins in my spiritual disciplines. We say it all the time at church.
Spend time in His Word… In prayer…In applying His word to my life.
Okay, so I’m not always sure where and how God is working. That’s part of the faith journey. But when I spiritually tilt toward Him, I sense the warmth of His presence. Assurance of His love. And confidence that His ultimate plan and purpose will unfold. And that too, is inevitable.
So if your faith feels cold. God is remote. And you’re trudging along on a treadmill of meaningless, spiritual activity. One small, intentional move could make a big difference.
Is your Christian faith fit or flabby? Spiritual health is comparable to physical health. It’s better when you exercise it. Here are three benchmarks to measure your spiritual fitness.
Is your Christian faith fit or flabby? A fit faith makes a commitment to Jesus Christ.
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (ESV, Matthew 16:24)
Faith, by nature, involves a risk. And exercising Christian faith includes practices and spiritual disciplines that train disciples in righteousness. Similar to the fitness training of athletes pursuing their sport.
And when you commit to following Jesus Christ, you carry a cross that includes adversity. Especially from the secular culture and scoffers who claim Christianity is a crutch for the weak minded. Because while you find purpose and satisfaction in imitating the life of Jesus, obeying his commands, and pursuing holiness, few people will commend you for it. But rather, despise, ridicule, and persecute you.
Furthermore, you relinquish two things the human heart holds dear. Pride and self-reliance. And exercise faith by humbly and confidently moving forward and trusting the God who keeps His promises.
Is Your Christian Faith Fit or Flabby? A fit faith moves from belief to action.
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV, James 2:17-18)
Belief in Jesus is where you start. But not where you stay. Because genuine, deeply held belief always moves to action. And actions are what James is talking about. Not that good works save you, but they demonstrate through Godly actions, the salvation you’ve received. A follower of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord who strives to imitate his life.
This is why regular, spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers are so important. They build God’s truth into your life and equip you to live out your faith.
Is your Christian faith fit or flabby? A fit faith embraces obedience.
The Bible is God’s word for living as a disciple of Jesus. And his followers strive to obey it.
In a day of my rights, my truth, and me, myself and I, obedience is an unpopular aspect of the Christian faith. And for many, an absolute, Christianity deal breaker. But it’s the difference between worshiping the Almighty God and worshiping yourself as a god.
Because the Christian faith acts on God’s truth and seeks His Kingdom. And when you commit to it there are some pretty awesome benefits.
Like as you exercise faith, your capacity for even greater faith increases. You experience more joy and sense of eternal purpose. And you suddenly see and recognize God’s Spirit working in amazing ways.
So if your spiritual life seems dull and powerless. In a spiritual rut rather than a growing relationship. Consider restructuring your sedentary spiritual routine into a Divinely focused, fitness regime.
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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Internally Marketing Church Events increases your event attendance. Even though ministry is about more than achieving a high attendance at events. More people means more opportunity for ministry. So here’s how to increase your numbers.
Internally marketing church events. Standing out from other voices.
Larger churches offer multiple ministries and therefore, more engagement opportunities for the people who attend them. And for the people who plan and lead these events, this means you must compete for the attention of your prospective attenders.
Because just like the world outside of church life, people set priorities and make choices on where and how to spend their time. And even though your event has the noble intention of contributing to their spiritual welfare, it doesn’t mean they’ll automatically flock to it.
Therefore, you have to persuade people to attend your event with messaging that stands out from the other church ministries.
Internally marketing church events. Knowing and speaking realistically to your audience.
In a large congregation there are many people with a variety of needs. So who exactly are you trying to reach? Is that target audience clear in your mind?
Smaller churches tend to plan events with a general focus and for the entire congregation. But in a large church setting, your events should have a more specific purpose, audience, and message in mind.
And don’t assume people people intuitively know the event is for their spiritual good and want to attend. Instead, market to them as consumers. In other words: WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
So position your marketing message from their viewpoint. How will they benefit? Be concise and use bullet points. Especially if you only have 30-50 words in a church bulletin. Your target audience may respond altruistically to a cause, but they still look for an intrinsic benefit.
So don’t recruit church ushers with this announcement:
We desperately need church ushers for our 9:30am and 10:30am church services to hand out bulletins, collect the offering, and seat people. If interested, call the church office.
Strive for a positive, upbeat message that focuses on them.
Do you like meeting new people? Enjoy helping others? Skilled in the art of friendly conversation? Our church ushers often make the first impression on guests. And we’d like it to be a great one! Is that you?
Then join us as you…
Greet people at the sanctuary door
Help them find seats
Take up the offering
Internally marketing church events. Partner with other ministries rather than compete.
As much as possible, support and work with other ministries rather than compete against them. For example, plan a Men’s event alongside a children’s event. And encourage men to attend your event and take their kids to the children’s event.
Then position them as the family hero in your marketing message.
Give Mom a break. Take your kids to this Children’s ministry event and then come to this great Men’s event!
Plan your topic or theme around something that’s relevant to their stage of life. Then promote the event through men’s, women’s and children’s ministries. Why women’s ministry?
Because wives pay attention to announcements more than their husbands and will often champion an event they believe will benefit their spouse and also presents something attractive to them—a night off from the kids.
It benefits the Children’s ministry too. Because now, parents encourage their kid’s involvement. So the two events feed and support one another and present a win-win for everyone.
There are other internal church marketing strategies and methods that will improve your church event attendance. Check out Elements of Internal Church Marketing on Amazon.
It outlines a complete strategy to plan purposefully, market successfully and produce quality church events that attract participants and make a spiritual impact.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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