To Re-brand or Not to Re-brand CSAF

CSAF is not alone in attempting to rebrand itself with a name change, and there can be all kinds of reasons for doing so, and for not doing so. Indeed, many cities around the world have already gone through, or are considering, changes of identity. For instance, Peking was renamed to Beijing, Bangalore to Bengalooru, Saddam City to Sadr City, etc. These cities were wiped from the global map, primarily because such moves are a long-overdue reassertion of local identity, or their society simply needs to forget all negative memories of the past. But an identity change does not necessarily guarantee an overnight transformation unless the underlying values that define their original greatness are properly protected and strengthened.

Since its inception decades ago, CSAF has been "earning" its reputation through an intersection of three distinctive attributes: spiritual maturity, gifted talents, and resourceful freedom. Any time this group of working-age adult Christians are motivated spiritually to labor together in one accord, there will be no limit to its collective impact both inside and outside the church. But any time we wavered in our purpose, vision, and trust in God, CSAF became wanderers in the "wilderness", as we probably are today.

Being conscious of age, an outsider may see the notion of "Adult Fellowship" as a negative factor deterring the younger counterparts from joining in. But the challenge to any fellowship group is idleness, not age. Being an adult fellowship implies our maturity, thoughtfulness, and experience. A youthful adult would say, "I am old enough to worry, but young enough to care less." It's just a matter of perspective.

CSAF should pass on its values, not just a fancy name. And we should give our younger counterparts a better example to follow in the future. It's the quality of our ministry and the vigor of our attitude towards God that really count. In the long run, a name is no more than just a name, but good work will inspire more good work.

Aging is a natural process we all need to face. The secret hinges on how well you age and what kind of legacy you want to leave behind. A good name may help if and only if we can really live up to the ideologies that the name implies. Unless the new identity or name is bestowed from above by God, like Jacob being renamed to Israel, there will not be any magic bullet to effect a face-lift for CSAF. To all who are willing to fellowship with us, we at CSAF would like to say one thing with a warm smile, "Welcome to AF!"

Finally, I was surprised to discover that a simple Abercombie & Fitch (a.k.a. A&F) tee-shirt carries a huge $35 price tag. Apparently, the A&F brand has a trendy reputation among teenagers that allows its products to command a high premium as a symbol for "casual luxury". Likewise, CSAF can be a premium "brand" in the Kingdom of God as a symbol for "serious difference", so long as we remain focused on "branding for God" as opposed to "branding for ourselves".