Has Church Growth Become Big Business?

Long gone are the days when the Spirit of the Lord drew people into churches. He's now been replaced by slick marketing techniques, self-promotional advertising, giant billboards, church growth consultants, and mass mailings. Inside the church, it's all about technology. No respectable church these days would be without Power Point, carefully designed lighting, projected big screen announcements, lavish praise bands with the finest music equipment, and the latest in wireless microphones. But if that isn't enough, some churches sponsor huge giveaways to attract people to their services. The Church By the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida, gave away $15.00 iTunes vouchers for 3 weekends in a row, to each new visitor, to promote a series of "I" theme services. They also gave away an iPhone and an iPod nano to advertise a Saturday night and an early Sunday service. A man claiming to be a pastor there, explained it this way on a discussion board at gizmodo.com, "We know not everyone is going to agree with our tactics. We are OK with that. We believe that Jesus has called us to be fishers of men. When you fish, you use bait. This promotion is simply a tool to get them here and expose them to the truth of Jesus Christ. In addition, the Apostle Paul says in 1Corinthians 9 that he became "all things" to "all men" so that he might "win some." We take this example and advice pretty seriously and literally. We will utilize technology, advertising, marketing our creativity, etc....to expose this world to Christ."

Element Church, in Chesterfield Missouri, took it one step further, by giving away two trips to Disneyland, valued at $3,000 each, to promote their teaching series, "Life's Short, Have Fun."

The question becomes: Is the motive for such gimmicks to win people to Christ, or to add to the numbers on the church roll, thereby increasing the finances? Some would say such promotions amount to bribery, and put the focus on materialism.

In Christianity Today, Mark Galli commented on this commercial trend, in his article Do I Have A Witness?, "About 30 years ago, the church growth movement exploded onto the scene; churches became enamored with the efficiency of businesses like Disney and McDonalds, and they began...to meet people's needs in the same sorts of ways-except that their product was the gospel. So churches became places where thousands could be served efficiently. And where the message was served in McSermons that could be easily digested and applied...Should it surprise us that in this era, pastors increasingly think of themselves as "mangers", "leaders", and CEO's of "dynamic and growing congregations", rather than as shepherds, teachers, and servants of people who need to know God?" (He compares it to selling cheeseburgers, fries, and a shake.)

In my research, I encountered creative design marketing firms such as Dream Churches and Holy Cow Creative. I found myself vacillating between amusement and disgust. My greatest question and concern is, as Christians, why do we feel that we need all the glitz and glamor of the world to sell the Gospel? The Gospel has always been a simple message, with a simple method of sharing-word of mouth. We are called to be "witnesses" not "merchandisers". We may be "salesmen" in a spiritual context, but we are not called to be vendors. Adopting the methods of the popular culture will never replace the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who draws men to Christ. The Gospel is not a commodity to be peddled by hucksters, who simply have an eye for profit. Computerized demographics cannot replace a warm, caring, neighborhood church that reaches out to the surrounding community with love and concern. To compromise the Gospel in order to make it more "seeker friendly", is to dilute its message and meaning.

Gary E. Gilley, in an article entitled, The Market Driven Church: A Look Behind the Scenes, writes, "Growing churches are creating an atmosphere, an environment of fun. So fun has replaced holiness as the church's goal. Having a good time has become the criterion of an excellent, growing church, since fun and entertainment is what church consumers want." But when the church is consumer driven, the desire of the customer becomes predominant. This results in a watered down gospel, presented as quickly as possible, in a way that no one is offended or made to feel uncomfortable. Gilley feels that psychology has invaded the church in this new paradigm. "...Sin is reduced to sickness and addiction. The sinner is not seen as depraved, but as a victim." He feels that when the seeker sensitive church offers psychological answers, then Biblical answers are ignored. He adds, "Rather than challenge and confront the world's system, the modern church is seeking to sanctify it."

I have heard it said that the gospel message stays the same, but the methods of presenting it change. To some degree, this is true. It is good for the church to be relevant, reaching each generation for Christ. But the message must never be diluted for the sake of popularity. Oswald Chambers addressed this years ago, "We must never confuse our desire for people to accept the Gospel, with creating a Gospel that is acceptable to people."

In closing, we are all aware that a new technological world is upon us. We know the value of having a web site, an overhead projector for song lyrics, and wireless mikes, so that the pastor can move from behind the podium, and interact with the congregation. Many of these changes have enhanced the church experience without question. But no amount of marketing, church growth consultants, or demographic analysis can take the place of the anointing on the Word of God, that draws people to Jesus.

Sources: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iheaven/church-gives-out-itunes-vouchers-god-is-tempted-291054.php
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/octoberweb-only/140-42.0.html
http://www.holycowcreative.org/
http://www.dreamchurches.com/defaultpage.cfm?pageID=24
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/market_driven_church.html