BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Church remakes itself in the image of Starbucks: God and coffee DO mix]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/16/church-remakes-itself-in-the-image-of-starbucks-god-and-coffee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/16/church-remakes-itself-in-the-image-of-starbucks-god-and-coffee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/10/16/church-remakes-itself-in-the-image-of-starbucks-god-and-coffee/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I was drawn to a story in my local paper about New Hope Community Church outside Portland, Oregon -- two of my sisters have attended services there regularly, and it's a landmark in the metropolitan area. But what struck me as culture-changing was a quote from the developer who's working with church leadership. He has one goal as he plans an entirely new church-centered commercial complex: "We hope this will be a Starbucks experience from one end to the other."

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) has a funny relationship with God; after all, the chain famously offended a woman so much she boycotted its coffee. So how is purchasing and drinking a caffeinated beverage in a Starbucks outlet similar to going to church? Part of it is about the audience; churches (at least in my hometown) have moved away from the formal experience in which the members of the congregation are simply watching a show put on by the "cast" of the church, and toward more interactive experiences in which small groups, focused around common interests, meet to discuss Bible passages or work together on a project -- from feeding the hungry to overcoming addiction. The parallels in retail? Yep, less convention center, more coffee shop.

This is where Starbucks comes in.

Continue reading Church remakes itself in the image of Starbucks: God and coffee DO mix

Church remakes itself in the image of Starbucks: God and coffee DO mix originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>churchchurchescoffee hourCoffeeHourcoffeeshopcommunityculturenew hopeNewHopeoregonpdxportlandreligionsbuxstarbucksTue, 16 Oct 2007 16:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Porn vs. Catholic mass -- what should Telus choose?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/14/porn-vs-catholic-mass-what-should-telus-choose/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/14/porn-vs-catholic-mass-what-should-telus-choose/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/14/porn-vs-catholic-mass-what-should-telus-choose/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Telus Corp. (TSX:T, NYSE:TU) shares had a 52-week return of nearly 29% in New York and over 31% in Toronto, despite being hammered over 10% due to Canadian legislation that required income trusts to pay taxes like corporations. Now Telus, Canada's second-biggest telephone company, might have to choose between losing its Catholic Church contract or losing revenue from providing adult content.

Telus is the first wireless company in North America that signed contracts with providers of adult material. While adult content is freely accessible by all companies, Telus claims that this way, it is providing it in a safe, secure and legal manner. The company has started doing so after discovering that half of the top 25 web sites accessed by its customers are adult sites.

The details about the archdiocese's contracts with Telus weren't provided, but regardless, Catholics in general are unhappy. Archbishops are actually going to discuss this with schools and parishes, and followers may boycott Telus should the Archbishop cancel services. In a country where a third of the population is Roman Catholic, this could present itself as a problem.

Continue reading Porn vs. Catholic mass -- what should Telus choose?

Porn vs. Catholic mass -- what should Telus choose? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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