Church of General Motors

I went to the church of General Motors recently. It was a fascinating experience. I wheedled my way into a tour thanks to an accommodating member of my congregation who is in a management position with the vehicle maker. I let him know that I would like to see how an assembly plant works and he squeezed me into a tour with 250 representatives from dealerships who gathered to pick up pick-ups. Before the tour we had an hour of "church."

I figure churches have a lot to learn from the way they did things that morning. First off, they served coffee and doughnuts, which can't be bad. The visual presentation was expertly done and supported the speakers. The presenters themselves were enthusiastic, articulate and hopeful. Although GM has been struggling lately along with other North American automakers the tone was upbeat and future oriented. The reps were told to share the good news of these retooled vehicles -- if I recall correctly they were exhorted to be evangelical.

It seemed to me that the United Church could borrow a page from GM. We have become really mopey about aging and declining congregations and there isn't much that is hopeful in our corporate message. We can't deny that the lot is empty in some churches, but don't we have the best product possible? I won't belabour the analogy, but I came away encouraged to do the best I can to share the message of Jesus Christ.