We have already seen that branding aims at creating a unique product that will satisfy the desires of the consumer. But can this be said of both consumer goods and religious desires? Can we market the church the same way we market consumer goods and services?
Barna’s definition of church marketing does not differ much from the secular understanding of marketing as he defines it in his book “The Frog in the Kettle: What Christians Need to Know about Life in the Year 2000.” He defines Marketing as the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from the producer to the consumer, to satisfy the needs and desires of the consumer and the goals and objectives of the producer.
Can this definition of marketing be applied to religious desires? Is the church a product, or put yet in other words, is the church’s ministry a product that can be geared toward people’s desires? To what extent can the church satisfy the desires of its members and how is this related to the desire for goods and services?
A critical examination of the nature and mission of the church is helpful in this discussion. The nature and mission of the church is found in God’s will for human society. As Ray Anderson writes in “Minding God’s Business,” “God’s will for human society is that it fulfill his covenant purpose and promise here on earth and be prepared to be a people of God destined to share his eternal glory.” The will of God is expressed in a community that lives under God’s rule and so becoming a sign of the kingdom of God. This community is called the church.
The church seeks to bring the gospel of the kingdom to all of human society, liberating the world from its fateful bondage to self-serving strivings, and healing its estrangement from God’s gracious purpose and promise. The church is therefore not here about itself but about God. Its sole purpose for existence is not to serve the desires of its members but to fulfill God’s mandate. Thus, the church is both an apostolic body and a missional being.
The church is the agent through whom the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed to the whole world. This gospel is the source of the church’s apostolic mandate to proclaim Christ to the world through specific mission activities. the mission of the church becomes, therefore, not the satisfaction of its members’ needs and wants, but the propagation of the will of God on earth. How the church goes about this is more important than what it actually achieves. The end, in God’s way of business, never justifies the means.
But just how is the church supposed to go about its business without offending God? This will be the focus of our next discussion.
Have a great weekend!
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2 comments:
I feel that we should channel our individual and personal energies into Desiring God, and making him our number one desire - and just as when people can see that I am deeply in love with my wife by the way that I interact with her, that they will see the same thing in the way that I manifest my desire for God. In that way, the body and bride of Christ will grow with people who are desiring Christ, not coming to Church to fulfill their natural desires. We need to build a house of worship that will draw them because of their supernatural God-Given desire to know the King and the Father. If we build the churches to give out goods and services to "fill" peoples already selfish desires - then we are perpetuatinig the cycle of "me, me, me" and I do not believe that this is the type of Bride that Jesus, the Honorable and noble one, wants to return for. The mature, spotless Bride is about deep desire for her Lord and Savior - directly opposite the woman Folly, who is loud and selfish. If we cater to the fleshly, selfish needs inside of people, you will have a self centered, narcissitic church with "Teen Age" desires, that is not the Bride that the Father so desires for his Son. Let's worship with True Desire, fill our lamps with the oil of worship, praise and true desire, and share our testimonies and experiences as we supernaturally connect with the One True God. God wants people who will WORSHIP HIM, not themselves, in Spirit and Truth. Our worship will move the heavens, not Harvard Marketing 101. What do you think Amon.????
And Christ could never stick to the marketing strategy-As the ultimate lawgiver who breaks his own rules, Christ would be thrown out on his ear, as has happened. Marketing's cry is always 'show me the money' but when Jesus saw the money-changers, he threw them out.
Oh what a joyous adventure to be with The King of Kings and Lord of Lords when he is healing the wounded, feeding the hungry, giving sight to the long blinded, making the poor rich in his mercy and grace! As Jacob Marley said to Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol', "Mankind was my business, their common welfare was my business," so we can joyfully join the business of seeing mankind come to the knowledge of Christ!!!!
Blessings Amon!
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