Ain't it?

In the words of the great John Mellencamp, who seems to know the American people very well, ain't this America?

I read an article in the NY Times magazine this morning over my coffee, and stumbled upon a phrase which got my attention:
Saddleback is a megachurch, with an average attendance of 18,000 every weekend...

The article was about a pastor in California, who has written a book about how to get more bums on seats, mainly by doing a bit of market research into the church's surrounding community, and targeting specific "users" to address their needs more directly. (Sound familiar, software people?)

After recognising the needs of potential punters, some churches across the US have seen their congregations grow by some 20 percent or so... i'm sure this had absolutely nothing to do with a sprinkling of agnostic moviegoers having the shit scared out of them watching that Jesus film of recent days.

I love that the church is doing some marketing... what's next? A massage on arrival? Or perhaps you could get your car washed before you drive it into that church without walls...

''I love the idea of worshiping outdoors. It's a quiet and natural environment, like sitting outdoors with Christ,'' said Shirl Roth, who has been coming [to the Daytona Beach Drive-In Christian Church] for about six years.