This is a somewhat funny video that basically asks the question, "Would Starbucks make any money if they treated their customers the way visitors are treated at church?" Its a valid question and one worth pondering.
The video is produced by a group that calls itself 'Beyond Relevance.' It was begun by a husband and wife team who both left marketing positions in corporate America to work with churches (i.e. help them market themselves better and reach more people). It's a familiar story -- corporate executives come to faith then bring their expertise in sales, marketing, management, etc. to the church.
I know these folks sincerely want to reach the lost and they have some good insights but at some point we have to say, "No. Thanks." While we can draw crowds via marketing Christ has promised to build His church through the foolishness of preaching and the sacraments. Let's put our confidence in those things rather than catchy advertising.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable.
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6 comments:
In 1964 Joseph Bailey published The Gospel Blimp -- a satire on a church that poured out tracks over neighborhoods and stadiums. Talk about a 60's flashback....
I don't understand the video.
DVZ
I've heard about the Gospel Blimp. Joseph Bayly's two sons, Tim and David are colleagues of mine. The blog at http://www.baylyblog.com/
Anonymous,
I think that the video is summarized by this question: "Would Starbucks make any money if they treated their customers the way visitors are treated at church?" The answer is a resounding, "No."
The video's producers are trying to show that if such techniques won't work for Starbucks then why does the church think that it can grow by treating visitors like this?
But do churches really do stuff like that?
Yes. In the video there are greeters who ignore visitors, there are people who judge them based on their clothing, and others who aren't very interested or helpful. Did you see the locked door at the beginning? These are pretty common faux pas that occur in church.
Churches need to evaluate themselves from the perspective of a visitor who might walk in the door cold on a Sunday. What is he or she going to see or notice? Will anyone care for them? Will they be treated as a visitor or as an evangelistic contact? Will they be judged or welcomed?
Again, the video does a good job bringing up that stuff but the answer really isn't better marketing. Marketing might get people to visit but a commitment to truth wedded to genuine love and concern will cause people to stay. That's what Francis Schaeffer argued for when he saw the church as being a 'pilot plant': a place where human beings are treated like human beings.
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