Didn’t Jesus himself say that we would be hated and that we shouldn’t feel surprised when the world hates us? If so, then why should we care how we are perceived? Jesus himself dealt with this issue and so did the early church. We can learn a lot from their examples.

What is a brand ambassador and what does it look like to be a good brand ambassador for a “Jesus brand” of Christianity? Sometimes it involves what we say. It always involves how we say it. Tone matter. A lot.

As Christian communities work to move the needle back toward a more “Jesus brand” of loving and gracious Christianity, what are some practical steps we can take? A couple of obvious answers might be “do good in the community” and “be welcoming to all”. But these are not obvious answers, and they can be quite tricky to pursue in our culture. We will talk about how Christian communities can build a reputation of service and welcome.

The work of Jesus breaks down the barriers between us and God and also between us and each other. These natural barriers of race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic factors work to keep us divided. One of the most compelling arguments for Christianity is the development of an inclusive and diverse community that defies natural explanation. Rebuilding the Christian brand involves a commitment toward increased diversity.

As America transitions into a post-Christian era, the church increasingly finds itself on the outside looking in. Younger generations who will lead our culture in the future have made it quite clear how they feel about current American Christianity. How should Christians respond when culture moves away from traditional Christian norms? Many Christians have elected to fight culture wars to win back lost ground. Maybe there is another way.

Public perceptions of Christianity were trending in the wrong direction well before COVID-19, but there was something about the pandemic years that caused a rapid decline. What was it? Did COVID change Christianity in America, or did it reveal unattractive qualities that were already there, but hidden?

As we have discussed already in the Rebranding Christianity podcast, brands provide a short-hand understanding of what a product or person or movement is all about. When we think of a certain brand what we are actually thinking about are the products, promises, and values that we associate with that brand. So, when a brand violates its promises or becomes to be known for negative things (bad products, poor customer service, etc) the brand loses public trust and begins to diminish. We have also discussed that Jesus made clear what the brand is supposed to be 2,000 years ago. In today’s episode we are going to combine these thoughts and talk about the disheartening truth that when people outside of the church are asked to describe Christianity, they don’t describe what Jesus told Christians to be known for.

When we think about what the “brand” of Christianity is supposed to be, the good news is, we don’t have to guess. Jesus gave us the brand. He was quite clear about it too. He said, I want for your reputation to be.. this. When people think of you, he said, they should think of.. this. We will talk about what “this” is and why it is so critical that the American church make a concerted effort to prioritize it.

Is it okay to call Christianity a brand? Is that helpful or disrespectful? Are concepts such as “brand promise” and “net promoter score” useful as we seek to understand the perceptions people have toward Christianity in America? We interact with brands every day. The more we can understand the psychology behind our relationship with brands the more we can understand the falling perceptions of Christianity in America.

In this episode we hear from Mike Hogan, co-author of Rebranding Christianity. As a Christian, Mike is concerned about the state of Christianity in America. As a branding and marketing expert, Mike is able to see how so much of the decline of American Christianity is due to our own mishandling of the Christian brand. We will hear Mike’s backstory and his reasons for excitement around the Rebranding Christianity project.