This morning I had breakfast with my Executive Pastor to discuss the Sunday services and plan for the upcoming week. When entering the diner, we were greeted somewhat gruffly by a waitress that didn't seem too interested in serving us. The diner was cold and I was too intimidated by the waitress to even ask her to turn up the heat. After giving us the menus, she disappeared for some time. When the meal finally arrived it was okay, but nothing special. I left there thinking, "I don't think I'm going back there any time soon."
Welcome to the life of a consumer. A consumer is someone who buys goods and services to meet their personal needs. Contemporary culture in America is consumer driven. Naturally, this mentality is going to infiltrate the church world. That poses the question, "Should we treat our guests as consumers, catering to their spiritual needs?" I think the obvious answer is "Yes."
Consumers are people. Jesus wants us to reach the lost - consumers and all. What did Jesus do with the consumer mentality evident in first century Palestine? In Mark's account of the feeding of the 5,000 we see Jesus with the help of the disciples meeting the physical needs of the people. In John 6:26 Jesus addresses their consumer mentality and says, "You've come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs - and for free." (The Message)
When it comes to people, you've got to start where they are even if that means accepting them with their consumer mentality. The key to effective life transforming ministry is not stopping there but helping transition that consumer into a contributor. I've spent way too much time in my albeit brief ministry experience trying to redeem culture. I'm through with those feeble efforts. Instead, I've vowed to spend the rest of my life to creating culture, not merely redeeming it.
Therein lies the hard question: how do we create a culture of servanthood discipleship in a consumer driven world?
Monday, October 29, 2007
Reflections of a Consumer
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6 comments:
Great blog, David. That is the challenge... to meet consumers where they are and create within them a heart (culture) of a servant. So, I guess if Jesus was frustrated with the multitudes because they followed him when he gave them bread for their stomachs but then they left him when he offered them bread for their souls (John 6:66), we should not be surprised if people leave our churches when they are challenged to feast on Jesus' sacrificial way of life.
I want so desperately to bring people to Jesus, but I wonder if my efforts to bring and keep people to my church work against my efforts to bring them to a transformed life. I'm not talking about setting a nice table for people to dine, of course we need to do that, I'm talking about what I am serving for them to eat. Am I offering them "Your Best Life Now," or am I offering "the way to gain life is to lose it?"
I am convinced that it takes a genuine miracle of the cross to transform people, and all my methodology to keep people attracted to my church will never transform their hearts if they haven't repented of the addiction to "mammon." Jesus said you can't have it both ways. It is something I must repent of regularly. The cross is an offense and a stumbling block to the consumer mindset. It is easier to buy a cross for an accessory to my wardrobe than it is to buy it as a lifestyle to follow.
So, I agree wholeheartedly, we need to create an atmosphere of servanthood discipleship. I just think we need to be prepared for the fallout when we do.
Please, somebody, say it ain't so!
I do sincerely believe that we are living in a day when people are looking for the alternative to the empty way of their consumer mindset. My hope is that we can draw people to our churches precisely by means of preaching and demonstrating the alternative to consumerism - the sacrificial love for others demonstrated on the cross of Jesus.
Unfortunately, that is a harder message to "sell."
Well said, Bill. You're right in identifying the risk of creating a culture of authentic discipleship.
In fact, I've seen well over 125 people leave our church in the past 6 months for this very reason. However, God has replaced them three fold in almost the same amount of time.
If we intentionally reach out to consumer on their level (minus all the peripheral Jesus-wares), as well as challenge people to spiritual maturity, I think God will honor that commitment.
Albeit, there is an inherent risk that you might on one hand fall prey to a capitalistic form of Christianity and on the other hand preaching to empty seats - but it is a risk that in my estimation is worth taking.
Excellent comment David. Unfortunately in most churches, people are looking for the perfect church. If they find any flaws, then they turn into a church shopper. That is how a consumer operates. If they don't like the product that we are selling, then they complain and cause division within the body of Christ. I wonder how healthy these mega churches really are. they may fill the pews, but are there lives transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ? We have to be seeker friendly to bring in the lost, but we also have to help then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is a huge challenge. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of playing church. The same programs and services. We truly do need a revival in our churches.
I don’t know about you, but for me, there is nothing like a tall Starbucks coffee to start your day. I consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I have been a coffee drinker since I was a kid and I’ve even run my own coffee shop. However, I've been known to go back to the same place over and over again for the same bad cup of coffee for the simple reason of relationship. I believe that an important key in transforming our consumers into contributors is found simply in building quality meaningful relationships. The deeper our relationships grow, the more influence we will gain. Through this we will earn the right to challenge them on deeper levels without offending.
Of course we all know that this needs to start first in our own "inner circle". We won’t be able to convince the multitudes if we can't first convince those with whom we lead. Jesus gave us the perfect example with his twelve disciples. This is the true nature of exponential growth. Perhaps we need to target those leaders and board members in our circle of influence before we attempt to take over the city.
Great comment, Roger. Trust building always proceeds truth telling. If the truth be told, most people come to our church not because they like the preaching, but because they like the people. Authentic relationships are key to transformation. Like the old saying goes, "They didn't remember my sermons, but they remembered the way I lived my life."
Great subject... I have found over the past five years of being lead pastor that I can't give the consumer what I don't have to give. Paul said it best... "I have planted, Apollos has watered... but only God brings the increase." As a pastor and church leader, the Lord has blessed us with tremendous tools to reach the lost (buildings, ministries, outreaches, on and on...), but unless the "consumer" becomes "consumed" with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, then they will always find ways to criticize our tools because they haven't experienced the very reason for the tools... Simply put... God gives the increase in everything to every believer... we use the tools He's given us to provide for that opportunity.
One of the great fears of consumerism, is you rarely see a consumer become less consumer-ish; but with power, money and authority they usually buy more. Even the saints that have been committed to the Lord for a very long time have some of the same "consumer" mentalities of the unsaved we are trying to reach. It's just that they aren't willing to leave a church because "they don't like it", but rather will stay and complain about volume, style, platform attire, and the list goes on and on. But the older believers that have made that transition have been knocked off their feet by a supernatural experience, where they are no longer consumers trying to be pleased, but they are now Supernaturally consumed trying to be used by God for a greater purpose. I thoroughly enjoyed all of your thoughts... it's a great subject that hopefully we will continue to get great feedback.
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