As a marketer, I have learned more about marketing and growing a “built-to-last” business from Rick Warren’s PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH book than I have from any other book, seminar, etc.

Rick talks at length about the issue of transfer growth and how he “… makes no effort at all to attract Christians from other churches to Saddleback.” This jibes with your thinking on trying not compete with other churches and instead, achieve organic growth by reaching the unchurched.

This is a brilliant strategy for marketers marketing anything from cars to coffee to Christ.

From my experience, the unbranded customer has a freer mind not inhibited with past experiences and will be a more vocal evangelist for the brand. These previously brand agnostic customers will be more vocal to share their story with others because the brand has helped them to actualize their aspirations of living a better life. Same goes, albeit on a much more powerful level, when the unchurched becomes churched.