Marketing the gospel?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In one of his earliest movies, John Wayne tells another cowboy, “I don’t like branding—it hurts in the wrong place!” That comment made me chuckle, though it also got me thinking about how churches can hurt the gospel through an inappropriate use of marketing techniques like product branding. It happened in our history—seeking a marketing “hook,” our founder branded us the one true church. This approach compromised biblical truth as the gospel was redefined in order to promote the brand.

Sharing with Jesus in advancing his gospel

Our calling as Christians is not to market a brand, but to join Jesus in what he is doing by the Spirit, through the church, to advance his gospel in the world. Jesus’ gospel addresses several things: how forgiveness and reconciliation have been accomplished by Jesus’ atonement; how the Spirit transforms us (and what the transformed life looks like); the nature of our vocation as followers of Jesus sent on mission with him into the world; and the ultimate hope we have of sharing forever in the communion that Jesus has with the Father and the Spirit.

Cast your nets on the right side by Greg Olsen — *Cast Your Nets On the Right Side* by Greg Olsen
(used with artist’s permission)

There are some (though limited) ways in which marketing (including branding) can help us accomplish the gospel work to which Jesus has called us. For example, we can productively use logos, websites, social media, bulletins, newsletters, signs, mailers and other communication tools to help us spread Jesus’ message, inviting people to respond in faith. But such tools must serve, not diminish our calling to be light and salt in our communities. So I’m not against marketing, rightly used, but I do want to offer a word of caution, along with some perspective.

A word of caution

faith boutique — (with permission from LeadershipJournal.net)

According to George Barna (in A Step by Step Guide to Church Marketing), marketing is “a broad term that encompasses all the activities that lead up to an exchange of equally valued goods between consenting parties.” Barna further defines marketing by saying that activities such as advertising, public relations, strategic planning, audience research, product distributions, fund raising, product pricing, developing a vision statement and customer service are all elements of marketing. He then says: “When these elements are combined in a transaction in which the parties involved exchange items of equivalent worth, the marketing act has been consummated.” Let that idea of exchanging items of equivalent worth sink in for a moment.

Several years ago, several of our pastors read a book by the pastor of a Southern California mega-church. It promised, in essence, that if you will market your church in a particular manner, you cannot fail because everyone will be excited about what you are offering them and their community. Some of our pastors tried the recommended marketing techniques, but became discouraged when their congregations did not grow.

Church lite — (with permission from LeadershipJournal.net)

But should we be marketing the gospel (and our churches) the way Walmart markets t-shirts, or Sears markets tools—or even the way particular denominations and congregations use marketing to bring about numerical growth? I think we all would agree that we must not “peddle” the gospel as though it was a consumer good to be exchanged for something of seemingly equivalent value. That sort of marketing is not what Jesus had in mind in commissioning us to take his gospel to the world in order to make disciples of all people-groups.

As the apostle Paul noted, rather than being seen as attractive (like a desired consumer product), the gospel often is viewed as repulsive or foolish by those who, living according to the flesh, have a decidedly secular mindset (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-23). As those who follow Jesus, “We do not set our minds on what the flesh wants, but…on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:4-5). We’re certainly not perfect in that, but as we walk in step with the Spirit, our minds and actions are conformed to God’s will (and thus his work). Given these understandings, it’s no surprise Paul repudiated certain “fleshly” (secular) techniques for advancing the work of the gospel:

Having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:1-2 ESV)

Paul refused to use techniques that, though they might advance his ministry in the short-term, would ultimately compromise the message of the gospel. The only kind of “success” he wanted in life and ministry was that which comes from faithfulness to Christ and his gospel.

Some of the gospel-compromising, marketing-driven approaches being used by some churches in our day go like this: “Come to our church and your problems will be solved, you will achieve health and wealth, you will be richly blessed.” The blessings being promised typically have to do with power, success, and getting what you want. The bait-and-switch occurs when those who come are told about the conditions they must meet to get the blessings—things like having a certain level of faith, or joining a small group, tithing one’s income, actively serving in a ministry of the church, or spending a specific amount of time in prayer and Bible study. While some of these are helpful for growing as followers of Jesus, none are ways to get God to be favorable towards us—to obtain what we want in exchange for something God wants or needs from us.

False advertising and deceptive marketing

Attracting people to a church or a ministry by telling them how they can contract with God to get whatever they want is false advertising and deceptive marketing. It is nothing but paganism in a modern wrapper. Christ did not die to meet our selfish consumer needs. He did not come to guarantee us health and wealth. Instead, he came to bring us into a gracious relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit and the peace, joy and hope that is the fruit of that relationship. In and through that relationship, we are empowered to love and serve others with God’s kind of costly, transforming love. That kind of love will, at times, be offensive to some (perhaps many), but it will always direct others to the very Source of that saving, redeeming and transforming love.

Should we market the gospel as an exchange of equally valued items between consenting parties? Certainly not! The gospel is, by grace, freely given to all. And all we can do is receive this gift with empty, up-turned hands—thankfully receiving the blessing of belonging to God. That relationship of grace and love is lived out in a life of grateful worship—a response that, itself, is enabled by the Holy Spirit, who opens our eyes and sets aside our pride and rebellious demand for independence from God to live for his glory.

A glorious exchange

With those thoughts in mind, I do want to point out that in the life we have in and with Christ, through the Spirit, there is an exchange of sorts, indeed a glorious exchange. Note Paul’s comment:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

We give Jesus our life of sin and he gives us his life of righteousness. When we give away our lives, we find his life at work in us. When we surrender our lives to Christ we find real purpose for our lives so that we no longer live for ourselves but to advance the reputation of God our Creator and Redeemer. That exchange is not a marketing technique—it’s grace. We get the whole God, Father, Son and Spirit, and he gets all of us: body and soul. We get the righteous character of Christ, and he takes away our sins, totally forgiving us. This is certainly not an exchange of equally valued goods!

If anyone believes in Christ, he or she is a new creation—a child of God. The Holy Spirit gives us this new life—the life of God living in us. And as that new creation, the Spirit gracefully transforms us to share more and more in Christ’s perfect love for God and for others. When our lives are placed in Christ, then we share in his life, in both his joy and in his long-suffering love. We share in his sufferings, in his death, in his righteousness, as well as in his resurrection, ascension and eventual glorification. As God’s children we are co-heirs with Christ who share in his perfect relationship with the Father. In that relationship we benefit from all that Christ has done for us to become God’s beloved children, united with him—forever in glory!

Celebrating the glorious exchange,
Joseph Tkach

Advancing the gospel in Bangladesh

This update is from Rod Matthews, GCI’s Mission Director for the Southern Asia & South Pacific region.

In affiliation with the Bengali Evangelical Association (BEA), GCI is taking part in a fairly extensive operation to advance the gospel in Bangladesh, a country with over 175 million people. BEA operates there from a mission base located in the remote Bengali village of Sathsimulia. In March, I was part of a team (pictured below) led by Dr. John Biswas (BEA director), that visited the area to encourage gospel workers and strengthen and expand BEA’s ministry programs. Below is a trip diary and summary of BEA ministry programs in the region.

Left to right: Don Fredricks (BEA friend), Robin and Arlene Connelly (BEA board members), Naomi and John Biswas, Ruth and Rod Matthews.

Trip diary

We arrived in Dhaka on Saturday where we met with BEA supporters (over 80 attended). On Sunday we undertook an eight-hour van trip to Barisal in the south. Two hours out of Dhaka we took a 40-minute ride on a vehicle ferry (pictured at right) across the wide Padma River. Lunch had been arranged through John’s friends at a Baptist facility near Faridpur. Then it was another four hours to Barisal where we arrived around dark. John and his local assistants had to negotiate with the hotel which had double booked a room or two due to pressure from a local politician.

On Monday we drove over an hour from Barisal to the mission base where about 250 people met with us, packed into a meeting room in the newest building there (see pictures below). The people joyously praised God in song in a service that included my biblical message in English with Bangla translation.

On Tuesday we met with leaders working in Barisal and the mission base area to introduce Learning-for-Life, a mutual sharing and learning program that includes the development of effective speaking principles. On Wednesday the gospel workers and supervisors of the various outreach programs met to give reports on the year’s progress and to outline the needs and challenges for the months ahead.

Ministry programs

BEA conducts a wide range of social development, humanitarian, and evangelistic ministry programs through its small staff in the region. These programs provide tangible physical assistance in the day-to-day lives of the poor as a means to reach out into the community with practical demonstrations of God’s unconditional love for all people. Nothing is asked in return, which engenders questions and interest in what prompts these initiatives. In that way the programs are discretely evangelistic in a very sensitive environment where such initiatives can easily be misunderstood. BEA workers must conduct the ministry with utmost wisdom and discretion.

BEA trains nurse’s assistants through intensive three-month courses conducted twice each year. The young women who participate are chosen from surrounding communities, regardless of their religious affiliation. They are given a basic medical and health education so they can gain employment in area clinics, hospitals and nursing homes. Over 450 women have completed the course since the program began in 2003.

BEA runs 13 small elementary schools (see picture below). Children in Bangladesh are often deprived of a good education due to lack of schools or because parents are unable to pay for schooling. BEA’s schools address this need, providing books, school supplies and emergency health care support. Though most students come from Muslim or Hindu families, they recognize the value of the quality education offered, which is based on biblical principles, and promotes community responsibilities and good citizenship.

BEA provides goats to disadvantaged families (see picture above). Scant income from laboring in the rice or corn fields isn’t enough to support healthy, educated children. Providing a family with a goat, which they can breed with a neighbor’s goat, not only provides the family with goats to sell but enriches their diet. Goats can produce four quarts of milk a day, often produce twin kids, and can thrive in a wide range of environments. A well-managed goat can lift a family from deep poverty and greatly improve their health.

BEA trains gospel workers (see picture below) in order to equip people to appropriately answer the questions that come their way by virtue of the activities noted above. Over 200 workers have been trained in the last eight years. Meeting in homes and congregations, these workers share the gospel, answering biblical questions in a country where few people know anything about Christianity. As part of this gospel work, BEA distributes Bengali Bibles and prints and distributes small Bengali booklets explaining the gospel message.

Beware legalism

ChurchLeaders.com recently published an article by Frank Powell titled 8 Signs You Love Legalism More Than Jesus. This helpful article identifies the dangers of legalism. Here is an excerpt:

Legalism is adding anything to the gospel. Legalism takes the words “Follow me” and adds stipulations, clauses and barriers. It’s a facade, and, over time, you believe its lies. The ultimate lie being the simplicity of the gospel isn’t good enough. Legalism shifts the end goal from Jesus to something else. Legalism doesn’t care where you focus, anything but the risen Savior will do. And, it inevitably turns God into an agitated old man, skeptical about anything that breathes. If you’re exhausted with legalism’s demands, you can break free. It won’t be easy or quick. I’m still fighting for freedom. But you can break the chains, and it starts with recognizing you’re enslaved.

The article goes on to point out eight indicators that a person is trapped in legalism’s enslaving grip. To read it, click here.

Equipping for spiritual conversations

What if we equipped our members to have spiritual conversations with their non-churched friends? Here is a short video from Q Place that helpfully addresses this topic:

On Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/71586509.

For a related book, click here. For a related article, click here.

Death of Bob Wheeler

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Bob Wheeler, Assistant Pastor of GCI’s Eugene, Oregon church. The announcement below is from Bob’s pastor Tim Sitterley.

Bob passed away early in the morning of April 12. He had a severe heart attack the evening before. Though the hospital staff did everything they could to open Bob’s blocked arteries, the damage was too great, and he died on the operating table. Bob’s wife Linda and I were allowed in the room at the end, and I was allowed to pray for and anoint Bob before they turned off the ventilator.

Please pray for Linda, Bob’s son Matt, and his daughters Ruth and Rebecca. Also please keep the Eugene and Salem congregations in your prayers, as the loss of Bob will leave a large void. Bob was a good friend and able assistant in ministry.

Card may be sent to:

Linda Wheeler
5466 Sugar Plum Street, SE
Salem, OR 97306

Roger Lippross

We’re pleased to report that Roger will be going home from the hospital later this week (for the earlier prayer request click here). He will be receiving in-home physiotherapy for several weeks to assist with his mobility. The doctors are happy with his progress, but he will need to be monitored for some time.

Roger and his wife Anthea extend their thanks to everyone for the cards, emails and prayers of encouragement.

Cards may be sent to:

Roger & Anthea Lippross
1015 Coto de Caza Ct
Beaumont, CA 92223-8522