On this 38th year in the life and mission of CFC/CFC-FFL, we are changing our name. Let us reflect on the story of the cure Jesus did, as told in John 5. “One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.” (Jn 5:5). Now while CFC/CFC-FFL has been and is a great blessing to us all and to the Church, in some ways it had also been ill or infirm.
What were these infirmities or shortcomings? Basically this was about not rising up to the extent of God’s plan for us. Failure to see is blindness. Failure to act is paralysis.
- In 1981 CFC was a part of Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon, and as such was like an independent church, functioning apart from the mainstream Church. It did not grasp the intent of God for it to do rapid, massive and worldwide evangelization.
- With the re-founding in 1993, CFC started its Family Ministries and moved stronger on evangelization, thereby establishing the makings of being Families on Mission. It also moved closer to the Church, but was still a parallel church, running alongside the mainstream Church but not intersecting. It still basically looked to its own priorities and agenda rather than to that of the greater work of Christ in the Church.
- With the restoration of 2007, CFC-FFL pronounced itself a servant to the Church, moving closer to the mainstream, but basically still did not have an accurate vision for the New Evangelization.
- With the introduction of LCSC in 2011, LCSC, and by extension CFC-FFL as its backbone, became a servant of the Church. But CFC-FFL up to now still has not been vigorous in its embrace of LCSC, such that the mainstreaming of Catholic lay evangelization is not as yet being fulfilled.
Jesus healed the man. “Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.” (Jn 5:9). With the grace of the name change as it signifies a greater grasp of God’s vision, there should also be a corresponding significant change in how we go about our life and mission. We must by now have a clear vision, and steadfastly live out that vision.
Later Jesus told the man, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” (Jn 5:14). To sin is to “fall short.” It is failure to attain to the fullness of what God intends. So we have sinned, and we hope to sin no more. The times are too critical today, and we as a community are being thrust by God into the fray. We must step up and strive not to fall short. Otherwise, we will not only experience the difficulties and conflicts we are today experiencing, but even worse.
The nature of rebranding
Secular wisdom says, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” Well, for the CFC name, it is broke, or perhaps, there are infirmities, as mentioned above. But even if not broken, there are many positive reasons for changing our name. A name is changed not necessarily because it is broken (though that too) but in order to keep the entity at the cutting edge.
Consider the secular examples below. Re-branding is done for various reasons: a shift in strategy, providing a fresh start after a scandal, embracing innovation, the current name no longer representative of what they do, the brand becoming stagnant or controversial, for legal or practical purposes, etc. These seem to be our reasons as well!
Imagine changing “Kraft” to “Mondelez” and “Michael Kors” to “Capri Holdings”!
We of course are not secular but spiritual, not corporate but pastoral. Still, Jesus did commend the dishonest steward, saying that “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light” (Lk 16:8b).
Michael Kors is just the latest company to announce its intention to change its name, following a precedent set by a number of the country’s most famous brands. Most frequently, a name change reflects a shift in strategy, but sometimes it can provide a fresh start after a scandal.
THEY EMBRACED INNOVATION.
https://www.echostories.com/rebranding-burberry-case-study/
They cite three main reasons: First, if the name no longer represents what they do, and may even constrict them; second, because the brand has become stagnant or has gotten caught up in some controversy that tarnishes its name; and third, for trademark, legal or more practical reasons, said Naseem Javed, chief executive officer of ABC Namebank Inc., a corporate image and naming consultancy with offices in Toronto and New York.
When rebranding, make a strong statement and then stand behind it, even if it seems to be bold or unpopular at the time. Your unwavering commitment and dedication is what people will remember, and suddenly, the bold, fresh step you took becomes the norm. Just look at smoking on airplanes and in restaurants to see an example of this philosophy in action.
https://neilpatel.com/blog/rebranding/
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For any further questions, please email the SG at fapcfc@gmail.com.
