When asked whether the Church of England was a brand and whether companies could learn from it, Coles said no, though said there was temptation to \u201cmake sure we give the right kind of message\u201d to address the haemorrhaging of numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone said we needed a mission statement,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what we do is so different to our [wider] culture values. We have problems, and I kind of like that. I like that we\u2019re seen as hopeless and bumble around; that we\u2019re not afraid of failure.<\/p>\n
\u201cMary Magdalen went to the graveyard expecting a body in the tomb but she found a life transformed. That\u2019s really what we\u2019re for and I don\u2019t think that that is something we can easily articulate.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a similar vein he cautioned against a drive to bring more young people into the church. Instead, they should go out and live life to the full \u2013 the church will be there for them later, as it was for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a vicar I spend a lot of time with older people but recently I have spent a lot of time with young people and they are stimulating in a different way. Younger people don\u2019t know their limits yet. It makes them exciting, risky and bold.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n News alert from Keep The Faith \u2014 Read this story and more at https:\/\/t.co\/OE2Z209h8n<\/a> #keepthefaith<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/6Uvpcsr4n3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Keep The Faith \u00ae mag (@KeepTheFaithmag) March 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n