My Response to "Why Churches Should Not Market" by Matt Farina

**This article was written in response to a post written by Matt Farina called

"Why Churches Should Not Market" **

Re: Matt's Article:
1. To Matt: I appreciate you taking the time to think about and write about this topic.

2. David's comment on Matt's article has a good point - we need to strike a healthy balance between reaching out to new people and really living with the ones we are currently walking with. I find a great parallel to the "God Does Not Post To YouTube" video. (*see bottom for note*)

I took some marketing when I did my business degree. Marketing means, basically:

1. Finding a need or niche not being well met by others
2. Creating or improving a product that will truly meet that need
3. Communicating that the solution is now available to those who you sought in step 1 (the niche).

A common misunderstanding of marketing is that it's simply about putting on an infomercial and pushing crap to the masses. That's simply scamming, not marketing, in the purer sense.

If we look at that model, then the church could learn something. Again, let's look how Jesus "marketed:"

1. Jesus knew and understood his audience - i.e. the woman at the well.
2. Jesus was certain that he had a "product" they really needed - i.e. living water (himself, relationship, healing, wholeness, holiness)
3. Jesus communicated the solution to the right audience at the right time in history, etc. He introduced what he (still) offers in the context of the troubled history of Israel and moreover mankind. He communicates his "product" via disciples and discipleship. Via relationship.

Mass marketing (such as tele-evangelism and flash-flood salvation spectacles in Africa) doesn't seem to fit Jesus' style. Although some are surely saved by these methods through God's mercy, Jesus was definitely into deeply knowing people, and cutting them to the core with healing truth (like a surgeon.) In the early days of the church (Pentecost), people were mass-converted, and that's ok. We don't have statistics for how many stayed on after the big event. But observation tells us that if they were not discipled afterwards, then they most likely fell off the bandwagon after the raising of the dead and the speaking in tongues quieted down.

Basically, people love spectacles, miracles, shows, and flashy things. It allures them for a short while. But what keeps people in a church family is tight, meaningful, loving relationships. Add to that critical and inspired consumption of God's food (the Word) and you have a sustaining family. Nobody wants to jump ship when they know in their heart that they truly are part of a family. You can choose your church, but you can't really escape being adopted into a family once you truly are grafted in.

In conclusion, I'm saying - Jesus told us to make disciples (students) of all nations, and He would build His Kingdom. He told us to love our neighbours and our enemies. He showed us not to accept lukewarm teaching or languishing existence.
Our "marketing" processes should be driven towards:
1. Understanding the World's needs (not just the 'wants' they say they have, nor simply the things they are too lazy to do themselves)
2. Sacrificing ourselves to produce a product _____ (love) that truly helps Them (and helps them know God)
3. Communicating that we offer this _Love_ to our personal niche. Each of us has a sphere where God has put us, where we know those people's needs and hurts. It is in that sphere that we can have the greatest chance to show people the love of God.

Perhaps we just need to look at "the low lying fruit" in a different way. Perhaps the best way to do the Commission is right around us as we speak.

(*A note on the "God Does Not Post To YouTube" video: I am certainly not advocating going Amish! My take on the videos is just that, for me (an über geek, technology lover), it reminded me to focus on real relationships. It told me that I should try to avoid technology consuming my real life and those real chances to relate to the people around me. I still love technology and I think God's servants have posted lots of cool stuff to YouTube ;)
For the record, I met Matt on Twitter - so technology definitely does have the chance of making new relationships.

-Danny
More about me at http://sites.google.com/site/dvanderbyl/dan-s-nexus