Churches…advertising?

OK…now I have heard all types of advertising. I am listening to a rock station here in DC and a local church just advertised its “services” (almost a wordplay, right?).  The speaker (hard to say if it was the pastor) quoted, get this, the SPICE GIRLS (about stuff in your past). If this is not a naked attempt to appeal to a younger set, I don’t know what is. In any case, the speaker informs us that therapy and/or drugs can never help us get rid of guilt–only forgiveness can (of course one can forgive or be forgiven through the help of therapy, but whatever). And then, he tells us to go to a website to learn more.  Now, I have heard of membership drives and spreading the word, but I truly haven’t heard a church advertise on a mainstream radio station. This tells me two things–the church is seeking to increase its membership from a certain age demographic and the church has decided to do things in a more 21st Century fashion–get them where they are.  Interesting. I would be very interested in knowing if this type of appeal works. In theory, it should, at least stimulate some interest. I wonder if the church hired an ad agency, or a pr agency. This certainly is part of larger recruiting campaign.