On Authenticity part Deux

Okay, Mr Self Righteous, so you love your hip congregation but feel somewhat guilty about it's expense and faux authenticity (see part 1 here if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about).  You acknowledge that we need to appeal to a younger, more sophisticated urban demographic but hate that to attract them we've got to somewhat flatter their consumer preferences.  You're the Poindexter, what's your solution?

Productivity.  From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.  Luke 12:48.  Look:  we're attracting an affluent, aesthetically sophisticated crowd.  Presumably these people have talents and skills that reflect that status.  We need those talents to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  We need the technologist sitting in the pews to find new tools to drive the message further, the newspaper publisher ushering to help us better communicate, the techno-marketing dweeb fidgeting in the back to help us get the unchurched's attention.  It's not unreasonable to expect an upscale congregation to make an upscale contribution to the Kingdom many times the (high) cost to serve them.

But to get this bounty from ourselves, we must be explicit and intentional about it.  Like I said earlier:  If I don't have to pay either in coin or sweat, "only the best" is my brand.  Boutique congregations are often combinations of remarkable and unique people that the Church hasn't been able to reach ("don't flatter yourself, free beer boy", Cleo the cat says with a yawn).  Their combination and the holy spirit should yield remarkable things.  But you've got to engage them, you've got to make extraordinary contributions an integral part of the 'boutique' scene.

With 'free range' linked to faithful, and 'organic' to spiritual overdrive the Church can fulfill the promise of its boutique and the trendy can experience meaning that far transcends that obtainable from their Venti decaf cappuccino non-fat with biscotti.

Now that would be authentic.