In today's high-tech world, people don't buy things for functionality, but because they're cool. I did this when I upgraded my Bible software recently from Wordsearch 5 to 7, since the icons are a little smoother and not so clunky.

When I went to replace my ailing MP3 player, I planned to buy a similar model. However, the store had an IPOD NANO on display. It does the same thing as my old MP3, with the same functions and features. But, boy is it cool! There is a reason Apple is making more money now on music players than computers.

Should churches try to be cool?

Not at the price of giving up something more important. Not at the price of giving up our faith, beliefs, integrity, or identity. No way.

However, Paul told Titus to "make the teaching about God our Savior attractive." (Titus 2:10) The modern word for "attractive" is "cool." We should make the gospel attractive.

There is a generation of conservative evangelicals who have learned to minister effectively by being hip, yet not giving up their heart, soul or theology. Some examples:

West Ridge Church in metro Atlanta is growing fast, yet their current sermon series on the book of Ruth is old-fashioned expository preaching.

Although less than 10 years old, they have surpassed the 3,000 barrier and planted a number of growing churches. Their dream is not being a megachurch but playing a significant role locally, nationally and globally.

Mars Hill Church and the Acts 29 Church Planting Network are part of a rapidly-multiplying generation of churches reaching the next generation.

Then there's Southeast Christian in Louisville, Ky., which is cool without being particularly hip. No hard driving rock and roll at Southeast Christian. Still, there is that unmistakable mark of coolness. And growing? When we visited recently, we had to go up five escalators to find a seat in the top balcony.

Cool is amazing because once you are cool you can do anything. A few weeks ago, we visited Ed Young, Jr.'s Fellowship Church, an edgy, creative church. The service started with an old hymn sung by a female soloist accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Very simple and beautiful. And cool.

What is cool?

* It is like humor. If you have to explain it, it is not funny.

* It is like beauty. If you have to interpret it, it is not that beautiful.

* When something is cool, you just know it.

Like beauty, cool is in the eye of the beholder. What is cool to some would be downright dippy to others. My point? If you want your church to grow, you better be cool —maybe not by Ed Young Jr.'s standard, but to someone.

Naturally, what is cool today may not (in fact, likely will not) be cool tomorrow. Cool is about being fresh.

In fact, that is the new word for cool among my teenagers and their friends. To them, "cool" sounds dippy. "Fresh" is in. Anything that is good and positive is fresh. A car is fresh. The meal is fresh. Fresh is cool. But, to them, cool is not fresh.

What's in a name?

The name of a church can be cool—or not. Pick up the Yellow Pages and look through the list. What names are cool?

There is a church in my city, Las Cruces, that I think has a really cool name. To understand, you need to be aware the city's name means: "The Crosses."

Apparently, when some early settlers died in this region, survivors marked their graves with some crosses. The area came to be known as "The Crosses" in Spanish—"Las Cruces." Picking up on this, a congregation took the name, "Church of the Crosses."

Names tend to take on generational cycles. You can often guess a person's approximate age by their name. In a similar way, new churches all have similar sounding names: Saddleback, Willowcreek, Crosspoint or Harvest. These names are different from those of a generation before.

Some older churches have adopted secondary names that in time replace the old. I was in The People's Church a few weeks ago. For awhile, it was also known by as First Baptist Church of Franklin, Tenn. Gradually, they transitioned to the newer label.

Building and location

One of the rules on the mission field is that a church building ought to be near the same level as the city's banks, schools, shops and restaurants. Try this test. Visit 10 banks, schools, or restaurants where you live; then visit 10 average churches. Which are cooler?

My wife and I were talking about this the other night at one of our favorite, cutting-edge restaurants. "Look around this place," I commented. "It looks very different from the average church we are in. The atmosphere is just cool." Could you say that of your church?

Remembering ornaments

Nearly everything can be cool or not, whether that is PowerPoint, graphics, group life, music or Web sites. In Titus 2:10, the Scripture I quoted earlier, the Amplified Bible says, "so that in everything they may be an ornament and do credit to the teaching [which is] from and about God our Savior."

That is what being cool is—an ornament. Think of a Christmas tree. Ornaments are not the main thing. That is God and His grace and glory and all the rest. Being cool is just an ornament on the tree. But what is a tree without ornaments?

Josh Hunt is the author of You Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less and speaks nationally on church growth and adult education. You can contact him at www.joshhunt.com.