When considering church outreach in 2008, consider this: There are nearly as many churches as gas stations and as many denominations as professional sports teams; however, church attendance is on the decline, atheism is on the rise, and the right that Christians have long enjoyed – to publicly worship – is slowly eroding away.

The world is changing. How will the Church respond?

In 1975, the Pepsi-Cola Co. introduced the world to “The Pepsi Challenge,” pitting Pepsi against Coke as a way to extinguish claims that both drinks were equal in taste. In this battle, well-chronicled in Malcolm Gladwell’s 2005 best-selling book, “Blink,” Pepsi is invariably selected as the favorite by “blind” tasters. Was Pepsi really that special? Gladwell suggests, “Yes.” Pepsi was specifically formulated to win taste tests. It was sweeter, and therefore, more palatable in the small doses used for the Pepsi Challenge. Conversely, Coke (a.k.a. “the real thing”) beat Pepsi hands down when tasters were asked to drink a full can of the sodas. By keeping it “real,” Coke sacrificed short-term gains for long-term victory.

For decades, churches across America have also used promotional strategies to market to their target audiences. To strike a groove with seekers, they’ve offered programs, Bible studies and “specials.” How has that strategy worked?

The Barna Group suggests that church attendance may have dropped as much as 15 percent since the early 1990s, and the number of people that tithe to their church is as few as 3 percent.

At the same time, pastors such as Bill Hybels (Willow Creek – South Barrington, Ill.), Andy Stanley (North Point – Alpharetta, Ga.), Matt Brown (Sandals Church – Riverside, Calif.) and Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church – Seattle) are reporting as much as 20 percent to 25 percent year-to-year growth.

How are these churches succeeding at tremendous local outreach in a declining marketplace? ...