believe in a church?

Maybe the good folks at First Baptist have some research that suggests this approach to church marketing is spot on.

But this billboard on the Tollway left me wondering if believing in a church is an issue.

Let's back up:
I'm not sure what it means to believe in a church. (To me, this is quite different than believing in the institution of the church.)

To believe it exists?
To believe it will have potlucks and attractive, shiny people?
To believe it will meet my spiritual, social and emotional needs?

I assume it's the latter option.

The church is people. And I want to believe in people. That they'll treat me well. They'll do what's right. They'll be selfless. They'll be encouraging. They won't let me down. They'll live by the Golden Rule.

Of course, people screw up. They don't do these things. They cheat, gossip, get small, petty and selfish. As a result, I lose faith in people. Perhaps the research and focus groups said they'd had a bad experience at a church. I get that.

Yet for an organization ultimately selling a higher belief, as well as a community united through that belief, this billboard struck the wrong chord with me.