THIS time of year, advertising is filled with religious imagery. But typically, little of it is actually sponsored by religious organizations. That is starting to change as churches seek to take advantage of the seasonal opportunity to communicate with prospective members.

The change comes as anecdotal evidence suggests that the worsening economy may be sending more people to churches, synagogues and other houses of worship as financial setbacks bring some to their knees — at least figuratively.

Denominations like the United Church of Christ have tried advertising before, running campaigns that play on the unexpectedness of encountering a pitch for religion amid more prosaic spiels for soup, soap and soft drinks… read more at Advertising – Churches Use Novel Approaches to Attract Members – NYTimes.com.

Flickr photo credit: wallyg