N-G is for Need for the Gospel

Jim Stapel, Consumer of the Gospel

Then I asked him what "the church and consumerism" brought to mind. "I tend to see the Gospel as a product-after all, I sell products all day long! You can't sell a product without a need for it. That is why the Law needs to be said. And you can go too far either way, just need or just benefit. You need a healthy balance for people to 'buy it.'"

I asked Jim to bring his marketing expertise to bear on church life today and tell me what he sees. "Remember the value equation? In churches, it looks like this. If a congregation, or generally a whole tradition, places no demands on its people, then they think of it as 'cheap.' Since it's cheap, people don't expect much service or quality. Community churches have high demands. They seem 'expensive,' so people expect more quality and service."

I asked about churches marketing themselves, and Jim turned to the way worship has changed. "90 years ago we gave up German. 50 Years ago we gave up the King James Version. Now there is 'contemporary' worship.

"Contemporary worship is looking to a different public; it does not speak to me. But I understand 'church language.' 'Grace alone' means a lot to me, but how can my 9th grade students explain it to their classmates at school?

"On the other hand, I am wary of churches majoring in what is immediately appealing to 'market' themselves and draw people in. Worship can be planned with the main goal of creating a shallow 'good feel.' Or the message that is presented as God's Word to us can be cheap grace. In either case, relying on such immediate appeal for the long haul of building a company of the saved, is like a construction worker relying on cheap tools to carry out his trade. The consequences are often both predictable and disastrous.