Christians in Cinema

I grew up in Texas, where the ranches are big and beef is what’s for dinner. Branding meant stamping a hot firebrand onto the hindquarters of an animal to identify it as one of yours. Each rancher developed a unique brand that made his cattle stand out from others, and when herds got mixed, all a cowboy had to do was look for the brand. That’s how he knew to cut out the cattle that belonged to his boss.

In recent years, a brand has come to mean what separates you from your competitors. How do you know those are Nike shoes? Look for the swoosh. Izod? The alligator. Polo? The pony. We no longer wear clothes, we wear brands. We don’t just have a hamburger; we eat a Big Mac.

This book is for anyone who wants to stand out in the crowd of information and input that assaults us daily.

In his new book, Phil Cooke explores what some might consider a touchy subject; “Branding Faith.” I mentioned the title to a friend of mine and he reacted strongly - not in a positive way. Why does faith need to be branded? Are you talking about turning Jesus into a corporate logo? Is he trying to re-define religion?

None of the above. Instead, Phil offers advice to any church or non-profit, really any organization, that finds itself struggling to be known in our culture. This book isn’t just for the mega-churches or huge ministries with hours of television programming. It’s for anyone who wants to stand out in the crowd of information and input that assaults us on a daily basis. It’s a great source of ideas and concepts for using today’s media in effective ways.
The concept of branding Phil presents is about telling your story. Why are you here? Who are you trying to reach? What do you want each person who comes in contact with you to experience? How will you impact the culture? Those are questions all of us have to answer, and “Branding Faith” helps us think through them.

As believers, we’ve already developed a bit of our own branding - we just don’t acknowledge it as such. We wear crosses (or have them tattooed on our bodies). We do the “holy hug” or “holy kiss” when greeting each other. I grew up saying “Brother Brannon” and “Sister Falls” to my elders. “God bless you” is a standard way of ending a conversation or email. That type of branding excludes those who aren’t club members.

With the help of the questions posed in “Branding Faith” we can invite people in, effectively tell our stories, engage the culture, and make a very real impact for the gospel.