The Promise and Perils of Marketing Worship

Because of its public prominence and frequency, worship is often advertised, marketed, or otherwise promoted in much the same way that a local business might promote its own offerings. But making worship marketable can lead to unintended and unwanted consequences ranging from bad marketing to poor practice. Nevertheless, it is possible to make known what takes place on Sunday with taste and integrity—but to do so requires leaders to set aside conventional marketing wisdom. This presentation will equip participants with an updated understanding of contemporary cultural trends and will provide a practical toolkit to help congregations get the word out about worship while preserving clarity about the source of the power in what God does for his people in worship.

Bio | Caleb Bassett

Pastor Bassett serves at Our Redeemer, Madison, Wis. Previously he served north of San Diego, Calif. He was a member of the executive committee of the WELS Hymnal Project and chairman of the project’s technology subcommittee. He has been a frequent guest panelist on The White Horse Inn, a nationally syndicated radio program and podcast on theology and culture. He is a fellow of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism, and Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and a member of the WELS Institute for Lutheran Apologetics