What if I told a First Baptist Church published a magazine dedicated to the city in which it lived?
Would you believe that magazine was truly advertising supported? That it was really of interest to people outside the church?
Would you further believe it would allow ads with pictures of toddlers in bikinis and others with sparkling white wine? If you know some First Baptist Churches you'd be a bit shocked.
I'm reading just such a magazine from the city in which I grew up. It is a ministry of the church my dad has partnered with in Brazil for the past 5 years. It's amazingly well done. It's better than the magazines the major airlines put out. The funny little cultural quirks that show in the advertising that are just that. Our own cultural filters don't apply.
Someone somewhere probably has pictures of me in my speedo days as a tot learning to swim. That's just the way it is there. While there aren't any pictures of pregnant ladies, one ad in the magazine assures a pregnant mom can get a great swimsuit.
I love the magazine and I would surely go to the church if I still lived in Sao Jose.
The articles are of political and social events of interest to the community. There are solid interviews and a real taste of the life I would be living if I had stayed in that wonderful industrial town between Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. The magazine has a nice look that is inviting, professional and intimate for those who know the city.
By the way, this church has some of the most happening worship conferences for megachurches in Brazil. That may be a good choice for your staff next year.
