I really doubt the decline in church attendence is a matter of proper marketing and packaging as you suggest.

In my own experience, people are turned off by the judgemental, exclusionary message that Christianity seems to mostly stand for today.

To reduce my sentiment, as I explained to someone else at much more length the other day: “People don’t like Christians because Christians are assholes.”

Yes, that’s a provoking observation, and obviously it doesn’t apply generally, but there’s hard truth to it.

When I think of Christians and churches today, what immediately comes to mind? Racism, hatred of immigrants and asylum seekers, hatred of LGBTQ people, oppression of women, and support for the white nationalist Trump administration.

That’s a huge challenge to overcome and not one likely to be met with better marketing that focuses on ‘relevance.’

Decent people abhor what Christianity is largely seen to BE today. People stay away from church because they don’t like the messages so many churches are sending.

Unless and until noticeable numbers of churches start sending radically different messages, I don’t expect that’s going to change.

And by radical, I don’t mean the article you just wrote. Frankly, your message makes me less likely rather than more likely to want to go to church.