The Hartford Business Journal this week features a Hartford Seminary student and quotes Professor Scott Thumma in an article about churches using business consultants to boost attendance and support.

The article, As Churches Struggle, Parishes Embrace Business Consulting Firm to Find New Path, leads with the story of Asylum Hill Congregational Church, which used a West Hartford consultancy to improve attendance and to update the way it welcomes newcomers. The church’s senior minister, Erica Thompson, is a student in Hartford Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program.

The article also quotes Professor Scott Thumma on the trend toward faith communities using secular advisers.

“Churches really need someone who can help them think about what colors go well together or how to convey their brand,’’ he told the journal. “You’re taught in seminary how to communicate with people in the pews. But you’re not taught modern approaches to reach out to others.”