HYPED TO THE HEAVENS: ANGLICANS AIM TO REACH WOMEN FOR CHRIST

By Sheena MacLean and Vanessa Walker

The Australian — June 3, 2004

A glossy new Christian magazine resembling a lifestyle publication is aiming to reach women through celebrity interviews, relationship features, and contemporary design — all while promoting a Christian message.

Embrace magazine, along with media ventures such as Network Ten’s Good Sex, produced by the Anglican Church in Sydney, represents a growing trend among churches to use modern marketing and media strategies to reach broader audiences.

Organizers say the approach recognizes shifting religious demographics, particularly the growth of younger, charismatic, and Pentecostal congregations seeking relevant and visually engaging content.

Church media leaders argue that if Christianity is to communicate effectively today, it must use the same mass-media tools that shape contemporary culture.

From television and radio to music, books, and websites, religious organizations are increasingly adopting professional marketing strategies. Some applaud the innovation, while others worry the methods risk reducing faith to branding.

Still, proponents insist that meeting people where they are — through the media they already consume — is essential for modern evangelism.

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