So here is the question I’m wrestling with this week. Do service and marketing go together? If they do, then how does that work. The bigger question is, When a church is involved in serving the community, should the church doing the service get anything out of the deal. Let me rephrase it again, since I’m even confusing myself. Is it really service, if you’re exchanging one “service” for another?
Now I’ll try to explain why this confusing question is consuming my thoughts this week. There are a few facts that need to be stated as it pertains to this new church:
1. We are interested in serving the community and genuinely being a part of making it a better place. We want to help out what missions organizations are already here.
2. We want this church to grow. Not just so that we can have a large church, but because we care about growing the kingdom and saving lost souls.
Now here is the tricky part, or the part that I’m becoming pretty convicted about.
If given the opportunity to serve the community (i.e. hand out water bottles on a hot day, hand out batteries for smoke alarms) the temptation is to paste a logo on the water bottle, or have a note with the battery that says something cheesy like “protect your home from fire with ______ Christian Church.” I know, sounds like a great idea right? Serve… and as an added “benefit” someone will come to your church because of clever “marketing.”
So again I ask the question, “Is it really serving, if you’re wanting to get something out of it.” Serving means you have the community’s best interest in mind, not you’re own.
After being here a month, I’ve fallen in love with this city, which means that I care about making it a better place. The funny part is that doing that doesn’t automatically equate to more people at the church. And that’s ok. It’s ok that some things we do as a church might go unnoticed on a large scale.
One last question, “Have we destroyed the concept of serving, by combining it with marketing?”
Ok. one more, “Are we kidding ourselves to think that people are blind to our intentions?”
Serve because you care, even if you never will see the fruit.
September 1, 2007 at 1:51 pm
i think it’s all in your heart. sure, people will see that you’re advertising your church. at the same time, if you’re truly serving with a heart to serve even the people you know will never come through your doors, i believe that spirit comes across to people. sure, there are always skeptics who will find something wrong with it no matter how you do it. but i believe people are pretty quick on seeing others’ motives. so you do it with an attitude that says, ‘here’s something for free because we want to serve our community. if you want to check out our church we’d love that, but if not we’re still here to serve you.’ i think people are attracted to that.
September 1, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I relate to your question…however, could the answer be inside our own heart because God wants us to care and wants us to lead, teach, and help the lost to find Him. If I’m talking to someone in an airport (or Starbucks) and we start to talk about church, worship, being a Christian, etc. – am I doing wrong by trying to help them or encourage them to find a church to attend? Example: when I’m flying into Charlotte – I always mention Kinetic? Is that a sort of advertisement? I don’t mean for it to be. In my heart, I mean for it to be a “little something” that I’m leaving with them – they have the opportunity to persue it further if they desire to do so. I don’t know if that makes sense or not to you. Bonnie
September 1, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Hi Jake, I don’t think that it’s marketing to let others know who is willing and wants to serve them. You are only letting them know where they can turn to be served more. That’s what we’re here for.
September 2, 2007 at 1:24 am
it’s definitely a matter of the heart. There is nothing wrong with promoting the church. In fact more people should be as outgoing as you are in mentioning Kinetic. That’s outreach though, not serving the community. You’re serving God though in speaking so freely about church.
September 10, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Don’t ya just love those questions that keep you up late at night?
A couple of additional questions for your midnight conversations…
1. If you DID add the cheesy logo how likely is it that that alone would keep somebody away who was really wanting to find a church home?
2. How likely is it that it would make somebody really want to attend?
I think you said it best in your comment above…where’s your heart at? If it’s in the right place, it’s not really going to matter what you add or what you don’t. God will handle all the details, right?
Now go get some sleep!
September 11, 2007 at 7:57 pm
From one cracked pot to another! Thought it seemed appropriate…
The Cracked Pot (source unknown)
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts.” The pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Fathers table. In Gods great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.
September 11, 2007 at 11:58 pm
The real question is, does marketing belong in the church at all, or should we be doing all of our ministry through intimate relationships?
September 12, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Serving a community, in my opinion, is done so out of pure love for a community. Putting some form of branding on what you doing to serve shows and is an ulterior motive. I feel like when a church moves into a community, that place to should become better, there should be an impact of love and service felt among the residents. It is through creating, close, intimate relationships that we get the name of God out. So, should marketing even be a source of outreach for the church at all?
September 14, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Since you were a young man, I have seen a person with a heart for people. There in lies your answer. Just as Jesus has a heart for people. How you wrap it doesn’t matter as much as sincerely being from your heart. People can sense real quick a person of self interest. Building relationships with people and with Christ are the purpose. Keep doing what you are doing. I am convinced the we as a church must get outside the building and do for or be with others. Let Him lead. God bless you.
Your friend.