Lifeplace link/ad

Just out of curiosity I clicked on the Lifespace advertisement at the top of a page on this site, mainly due to it being in Brisbane where I live. While appearing to be a fairly mainstream church, it was impressive in the way the website cleverly tries to be modern and non-denominational, and reach out to the more media savvy young people out there who might be looking to embrace something relevant to their lives.

The "donations" page was very technology savvy in the way it would allow you to basicly give them money at the click of a button, but also offputting in the way it uses a nice biblical passage about service and makes it look like its about giving money...

"2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

Anyway in case the ad is only viewable to those living here, this is the link and if Spiritualsit churches were this well promoted, Spiritualism might be in a better state today (or worse, depending on your views on the internet)

http://www.lifeplace.com.au/

whoops, this might have ended up in the wrong topic/section...

I watched the video and it wasn't until the last sentence that they actually mentioned that they are Christian! It does mention that in the written vision and values, however.

I guess these are young people trying to reach out to others in a meaningful way. They are canny in their use of language and media - but one can only admire them for that.

I notice the emphasis on 'community' and like that. Hopefully 'community' does not not mean cult and hopefully they have a tolerant and open community.

It's an effective web site and they look like a nice couple. Have you been to the church, Wes, and do you know what it is like?

All the health research shows that social connectedness is essential for health and wellbeing. If there church community offers this, then I don't see any issue. Good luck to them

Pastor to his flock just before collection hymn...
'God loves a cheerful giver. Now we want you all to have a real good time ...'

KatyKing wrote:Pastor to his flock just before collection hymn...
'God loves a cheerful giver. Now we want you all to have a real good time ...'

Well, he knows how to reach people

Better than the threats my parents used to get from one parish priest back in the 1960's. Give or else type stuff.

Same pastor on another Sunday...
'Now dig deep brothers and sisters I want that collection box overflowing because everything you put in goes direct to God'
Chap asks the pastor after the service... 'So how does that work then pastor. How do you get our money to God?'
'That's easy for a man of faith such as I am my son...'...smiles the pastor...
'I just step into the vestry right after meeting and put all of your love offerings onto the holy tray. Then I throw everything, tray and all; up at the ceiling.
And what stays up.. God gets to keep.
Praise His Holy Name!'

Quiet wrote: Have you been to the church, Wes, and do you know what it is like?

No, I haven't been to the church - Religion started to lose its appeal to me about 30 years ago when its rules and regulations began to offend my sense of natural justice.

I just clicked on the link out of curiosity and mentioned it as a contrast to the SNU's marketing strategy of, um.......er, ah... what is it they do again, put leaflets on a table?

But they are MODERN leaflets Wes. Printing, colour piccies and glossy paper, the works. And they are to go on a table at back of church on a little stand.
Now how's that not going to work to spread the message to non attenders?
Seriously though... since new PN appeared we've been getting church packs. Most of each issue are where they've been left by book stand even though there's a poster up plus we pitch them in meetings. It's not price or content putting folk off it's that many don't read much at all. Very hard to strike up a chat about current non home church related spiritualist issues or articles because folk by and large neither know or care. Those of us as do read this sort of media tend to be committee bods and or the working mediums.

KatyKing wrote:But they are MODERN leaflets Wes. Printing, colour piccies and glossy paper, the works. And they are to go on a table at back of church on a little stand.
Now how's that not going to work to spread the message to non attenders?
Seriously though... since new PN appeared we've been getting church packs. Most of each issue are where they've been left by book stand even though there's a poster up plus we pitch them in meetings. It's not price or content putting folk off it's that many don't read much at all. Very hard to strike up a chat about current non home church related spiritualist issues or articles because folk by and large neither know or care. Those of us as do read this sort of media tend to be committee bods and or the working mediums.

That reminds me of a discussion or two I've had with Admin Jim about what actually brings people to Spiritualist churches and why many never return after just one visit. At best it's because they get some peace and closure from a competent medium about a deceased loved one so they can move on with their lives. At worst it's because the church they attend doesn't give them that closure or doesn't satisfy their spiritual curiosity.

Jim's point of view was that to keep a church open it needs people to come along and keep coming back, and my point was that if the church does its job properly, then a lot of people won't actually need to come back, but at least theyll be putting out positive word of mouth about their experience there. So some sort of mid point between those two extremes would be to get people in for the message and keep them coming back for the philosophy and tea & coffee. Easier said than done, as flashy websites and colourful brochures don't count for anythg if the product they promote don't live up to the expectations they create.

Spot on Wes. We have a core of members ten folk who come for specials,there' those as come because its a cheap night out for entertainment and a mixture of people who do a bit of everything. Biggest attendances seem to be tea with Spirit mini sittings afternoons,well over the hundred through the doors every time. Most bereaved will come a time or two and if they get something may stick around a while. I get far ore interesteds and curious for 1-2-1 sittings tan recently bereaved these days and reckon thats down to psychic shows on TV. Half want to know how to become mediums.
Funny how things have changed that way.
Apart from those truly awful 'propaganda' mass meetings back in the 70s with the likes of Gordon Higginson et al preaching at the bused in converted and no one else; we've never been a proselytising movement so its interesting to see SNU producing these missionary tracts. Numbers are up in our neck of the woods but local SNU church is really struggling.
It does ebb and flow though and rumours of the demise of spiritualism are, as ever; premature.
When I was a kid I remember folk in church saying 'I'll give it ten years max then spiritualisms finished' that was late 50s & early 60s when immediate post war boom in numbers attending had fallen away, but we're still here. By and large I think there may be more spiritualists now than we've had for a long time. Its just that many are not to be found in SNU type traditional church services. They're pitching up at stage shows, booking on the booming courses and spiritualist themed holidays etc but not coming to 'Divine' services.

Spot on Wes. We have a core of members then other folk who just come along for specials,there's those as come because its a cheap night out 'to the spook show' for entertainment and a another mixture of people who do a bit of everything. Biggest attendances seem to be tea with Spirit mini sittings afternoons,well over the hundred through the doors every time. Most bereaved will come to meetings a time or two and if they get something may stick around a while. I get far more of the 'just interesteds' and curious for 1-2-1 sittings than I get recently bereaved these days and reckon that's down to psychic shows on TV. Half want to know how to become a medium and others for what we term 'spiritual direction'. The job has certainly changed a lot these past ten years.
Funny how things have changed that way, survival evidence via a medium is simply not as important to people as it once used to be, mainly I think because more are convinced of the fact so don't need mediuns to 'bring it for them' as much as was once the case. They're as likely to sign up for a circle and see what comes through for themselves. Modern mediums are to some extent less the sage on the stage of yesteryear and more of 'a guide on the side' these days.
Apart from those truly awful 'propaganda' mass meetings back in the 70s with the likes of Gordon Higginson et al preaching at the bused in converted and no one else; we've never been a proselytising movement so its interesting to see SNU producing these missionary tracts. Numbers are up in our neck of the woods but local SNU church is really struggling.
It does ebb and flow though and rumours of the demise of spiritualism are, as ever; premature.
When I was a kid I remember folk in church saying 'I'll give it ten years max then spiritualisms finished' that was late 50s & early 60s when immediate post war boom in numbers attending had fallen away, but we're still here. By and large I think there may be more spiritualists now than we've had for a long time. Its just that many are not to be found in SNU type traditional church services. They're pitching up at stage shows, booking on the booming courses and spiritualist themed holidays etc but not coming to 'Divine' services.

Wes wrote:
No, I haven't been to the church - Religion started to lose its appeal to me about 30 years ago when its rules and regulations began to offend my sense of natural justice.

I just clicked on the link out of curiosity and mentioned it as a contrast to the SNU's marketing strategy of, um.......er, ah... what is it they do again, put leaflets on a table?

Had to smile at this. In Melbourne, some of the spiritualist churches have their own web pages or FB sites. Some of them advertise in new age papers. Generally, though, that is about it.

Often things depend on word of mouth and the energy and charisma of those running the show

Two Worlds served a useful function in English days gone by. The church ads were a directory so anyone travelling could find a spiritualist church nearby if there was one. PN never carried as many such ads probably due to cost of advertising.
Now all that info is a mouse cick away so church ads are more of a status statement. 'We are here and we're big enough to afford an ad' on the one hand or 'We're a start up. Help!'
We only advertise in local newspaper for print media with a 'What's on next week' cheapo lineage advert and via our busy interactive website online. That takes a lot of weekly work and we are fortunate in our webmaster who keeps it current and decent.
Recommendation is the very best advertising and that's more or less limited to our catchment although you do get the occasional visitor from further afield who has heard of us via a relative or work colleague. Spiritualist national print media in England therefore isn't nearly the effective advertising platform for churches that it once was but does still have a role to play in keeping the movements profile 'in print'. Many a spiritualist themed article in mainstream national press began life in either PN or TW.
Mediums ads along with those for holidays and courses have a wider appeal so PN and TW are handy for those.

Not sure if they still produce it but SNU members' year book had a list of SNU churches with meeting times along with contact details of ther registered mediums and speakers for each region. That was OK but didn't show GW or independent causes nor those workers who were not SNU approved.
GW,Corinthians,SNU and other bodies all have their mediums and Healers details on websites these days plus there's Steve Wakeling's outstanding local and international listings on spiritualismresources.com

I remember a black American TV preacher named Reverend Ike: seemed to have built an entire ministry on two thoughts: 1) God wants you to give me money. 2) God will bless your pocketbook in direct proportion to the amount of money you give me.

Jim