A local mega-Church is currently engaged in an ad campaign offering “free Yoo-Hoo or Mountain Dew” to all who would worship at their Church. When I opened the local paper and saw the ad I did a double take. Really? This was the message that the Church wanted to get out to people? Then the ad started to bounce around my head and my inner conflicts began to rise to the surface.
I am, admittedly, conflicted about the seeker movement of the 21st Century Mega-Church. There are times when I am envious, times when I am inspired to attempt to duplicate their success, and times when I am offended by their tactics. Often these three emotions swirl at the same time.
Now before you refer me to a counselor allow me to explain my conflict. There is some evidence that the rise of the mega-Church is a parallel development to the rise of Wal-Mart and the big box stores. In other words, the growth of the mega-Church may be what is killing the local church. Current research shows that overall Church attendance in the United States of America has been in a steady decline over the past forty years with less than 18% of the population attending Church on a weekly basis. Current data also shows us that 3,500 – 4,000 Churches close their doors each year. So while some of the Mega-Churches are showing 5-10% growth trends, most of that growth is coming from declining or dying congregations. The bottom line is that while the mega-Church is exploding, the universal Church (the amount of people who are demonstrably faithful to Christ) is dying.
This brings me back to the Yoo-Hoo at Church print ad. Who is the ad trying to attract? Is it reaching those who want more comfort or entertainment in their worship service (ie. Transfer members) or is reaching those who are seeking a relationship with Jesus Christ? If the campaign is successfully reaching the un-churched then my response is congratulations. If it is just an attempt to grab a larger market share of the same 17.7% of those who attend Church, then my response is disappointment and anger.
My brain then switched to practical mode. Did they have to pay trademark compensation for the advertisement? This led me on another path. Has the local church (which used to be based on neighborhoods and local communities) broken into regional tribes who gather around brand names and cultural tastes? The current research supports this assertion.
Most Churches gather (or split) over the traditional / contemporary music axis; the formal / informal fashion axis; and the liberal / conservative political axis. Sunday morning worship has rapidly become a tastes great / less filling argument, with people polarized over how and why they love Jesus.
While personal tastes in music or style offer no conclusive evidence on spiritual formation or maturity, it is important in marketing strategies and in discerning who your target audience will be. While we should never resort to separation based on taste issues, we must recognize that people will self-sort based on what they like. Some people just like the Big Mac more than the Whopper and will frequent their favorite chain accordingly: the same thing will happen when people choose a Church.
There was one other thing that hit me when I saw the ad; the advertisement appeals to the “junk food culture” of today’s young people. In a world in which empty calories are causing high caloric mal-nutrition in our urban regions, an appeal to free Yoo-Hoo seems counter-productive. This echoes one of the primary criticisms of the mega-Church movement. In its attempt to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to the masses, they are “dumbing down” the radical call to follow Jesus to a junk food derivative of the church; all empty calories and sugar water. It fills the belly, but offers little real nutrition. It is quite literally “Wonder bread alone.”
Junk food is a problem because in order to mass produce and distribute, certain changes have to be made to preserve taste, keep costs low, and keep a product on the shelf for months or years. So while a loaf of rye bread will spoil and mold in less than a month, the Twinkie that you find in the cupboard after three years is barely changed. The same concept is true when you grow an audience. I call it U2 syndrome. U2 is a major rock act that got its start as a group of Irish High School Christians. As the band grew in popularity, those who originally followed them began to become disenchanted. People complained that they changed. U2 had to change the way they presented their music when they shifted from 300 seat venues to outdoor arenas. While this may offend those who remembered the good old days of the intimate concert, success and scale will necessary change the way the music or the message is delivered. It does not, however, determine the value of the music in question. Bigger isn’t good or bad, it is just bigger.
So what have we learned from this strange and remarkable print ad? We know that more people than ever are living outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are more un-churched people in America than at any time of our history. These people are more connected to tribes based on taste and personal opinions than they are to the communities in which they live or even their families. And lastly, in order for First Baptist Church to grow in a godly fashion, we must find a way to reach out to these people.
The ad reveals the mistaken nature of our assumptions about church growth. Most of us grew up in a homogenized church culture in which Christians were distinguished by denomination but not by culture. We were all the same except the name brand that we hung on the door. Our name brand loyalty was denominational and all we needed to do was rely on that connection to maintain and grow the church. It was tribal but we understood the distinctions of our tribes.
Over time the way in which the tribes organized changed. Gone are the days in which people gather or separate based on the infant / adult baptism axis. Few find that communion style is a deal-breaker in regards to joining a Church. So, while the new axis of organization might be upsetting to us, it is not a loss of unity, it is only a change in how we separate ourselves.
We cannot reach out to all people and we never could. Though we desire to be all things to all people, our culture is incapable of understanding the message in Hebrew, Greek or Latin and we have neither the resources nor the inclination to begin worship services for those who do. We must communicate the gospel to a fractured people in their context. This demands that we self-limit our reach. In other words, in order to reach anyone for Jesus Christ we must first target who we desire to reach. We must first choose. That very choice will eliminate someone else. Picking Yoo-Hoo and Mountain Dew will probably cut out the Sierra Mist and Arnold Palmer crowd, but maybe someone will respond and begin the journey that will bring them into contact with our Savior Jesus Christ.
First Baptist Church can never compete with the Big Box Churches. Neither should we. We serve two different needs and two different purposes. We can however offer a much needed alternative. While restaurants and hotels serve the needs of hungry and weary travelers, we all know that nothing feels better that coming home to your own bed and a home cooked meal. So let’s acknowledge the need for the Mega-Church, but let us also remember that we have something important to offer as well. We are First Baptist Church: a place to call home.
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