Almost every day I encounter a religious story that is unusual or simply odd. About once a week I find a religious story that requires time to process. Roughly once a month I encounter a story for which I have no prior frame of reference. This last group tends to linger in my mind, and often leads me to start some interesting conversations.
Introducing the Project
The McMass project is among the most out there ideas I have encountered this year. When a colleague first forwarded me the story, I initially assumed it wasn’t real. That possibility was disproved by the project’s own sites
Project Details
The McMass Project was founded by three people, including Paul Di Lucca who serves as one of the creative directors at Lux Dei Design – a church branding agency. The initial fundraising goal of $1 million would allow the project to launch the first ever combined McDonalds franchise and functioning church.
After more than two weeks, the fundraising effort has yielded under $300. Additionally, they are open to suggestions for a church site that would house the McMass project once the funds are available.
So What?
I am among those who have heard about the project and been moved to contribute wisdom rather than funding. While I am all for churches innovating, I don’t believe this pricey project is capable of the goal it aspires to: “we are revitalizing Churches as centers for conversation and cultural engagement by putting a McDonald’s franchise in a church!” Hundreds if not thousands of large churches in the USA already have a coffee shop, cafe, or similar establishment on their campus. Done well, these can contribute positively to the life of the congregation. Additionally, many congregations with less sizable real estate holdings use the space for a number of purposes beyond worship with some functioning as a community gathering space either as a community center, cafe, or coffee shop during the rest of the week.
In other words, the only innovative aspect of the proposal is the branding. And, rather than innovative the branding may simply be illegal. By incorporating the Golden Arches servicemark (a servicemark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product) into the McMass logo the group is likely to face legal action by McDonalds. To date, at least in the reports I read, McDonalds has yet to respond to any questions asked of them about the possibility of this franchise and/or the use of the Golden Arches.
- Will you contribute financially to the McMass project? Why or why not?
- Does this campaign make you more or less interested in considering Lux Dei Design should your church require the type of services their company offers? Explain the reasoning for your answer.
- Paul Di Lucca is troubled by the number of churches that are currently used only a few hours a week and are not in good condition. What (other than adding a McDonalds) are some innovative possibilities that such congregations might consider in order to increase the utilization of their physical space while also creating deeper connections within their communities?