They say sex sells, and one church in Pennsylvania is hoping it might be just the thing to reel in some new worshippers.
The Restored Church of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania have taken out a huge billboard on Route 309 that reads:
‘‘I love sex,’ – God’
The church is hoping to promote the biblical Song of Solomon, with Pastor Dan Nichols telling the Huffington Post:
"What we want to do is let people know that the Bible is relevant to everyday life. When it comes to sexuality... God is the the inventor, author and creator of it.
“If the culture can be so bold, I think the church can be so bold and speak directly on the subject and be up front about it."
Nichols, hopes the billboard will attract millennials from local colleges to the church. Although the married 26-year old said the church’s overarching message emphasizes sex between a husband and wife, one of the sermons will address sex in single life to appeal to the interests of a younger audience.
"We want to reach college kids, but the message is multi-generational," Nichols said.
Restored Church opened its doors in September 2013 and has a congregation of roughly 100 members.
This isn’t the first billboard erected by the church, who adopted a grand opening billboard that read "No perfect people allowed", with the intention, Nichols said, of highlighting Jesus' own perfection.
The strategy worked at the time, but the feedback over the recent billboard has been mixed, with particularly harsh criticism from other Christians in the community.
