Marketing or Engagement

As a hospice chaplain, I drive around a lot each day to visit patients, logging lots of miles to cover such a large geographic area. I drive past churches and often wonder what impact each one has upon its community. I read the signs they almost all have out front, some of which repulse me (Eternity: Smoking or Non-Smoking) and others with kinder, gentler messages. One thing I have noticed on many of them lately is some message about the DaVinci Code book out now and the movie soon to hit the silver screens in a theater near you. The signs seem to all have the same slick look and are advertising some new 6 week long sermon series. I have even received mail from church marketing companies pressuring me to buy their materials to help save Christianity from heresy. One pastor spotlighted on the news last night is passing out ipods with his latest sermons proving against the DaVinci Code. As I look at all of this, still reeling from the last push from the same people for the Passion of Christ, I wonder how much is just opportunistic marketing and how much of it is real engagement. And, if it is the latter, is it really the kind of engagement that will prove effective in creating dialogue with non-Christians? Or, is it just another goofy church sign, meaningful only to those who put up such signs? Just some wondering thoughts as I drive. DaVinci Code church-marketing