consumer service
For several years I have spoken (and written) about the culture of gross consumerism that exists in the American church. Often church leaders, myself included, lament the attitude of many people who are a part of churches that simply want to be “fed”, find some music they can tolerate, or find a place that serves the right cup of coffee. However maybe we should stop pointing the finger at those who are consumers and point the finger at the church culture that has been fostered by church leaders in America.
For so long we have made the presumption that people are like this in spite of leadership’s best efforts. However, it just may be that people are consumers precisely because of what we are doing. It may be healthy to pause and consider whether or not church leadership has enabled men and women to be the consumers they are. The true guilt may lie in the leadership of today’s churches who aid and abet those who are a part of faith communities to sit back and demand solid customer service.
Two weeks ago I was vacationing with my family in California. While there I met a young couple who were struggling with their faith. It was, as many are, a good struggle. They were asking important questions of themselves and God concerning life and how they should live. One of the big struggles they had was “going to church.” As they spoke I began to think about the vernacular that we have created.
We talk about “going to church.” By that we are referring to waking up on a Sunday morning and walking, biking, or driving to a building where some people gather to hear and/or sing some music, hear a teaching, give some cash, and maybe say hi to a few people. An event has become the church.
Another scenario is when we make plans with friends who live on the other side of town. So we say something like, “Let’s meet at the church.” By this we are referring to a building where the people on Sunday morning meet. Brick, mortar, steel, glass, wood. Steeples, stained glass, pews, candles, naves. A building has become the church.
These may seem like small things, but if we go beyond just the jargon to the way events and buildings came to be known as “the church” we may see one way in which we help others to become the consumer.
For years the central idea of church has been the all-important hour on Sunday morning; over time it has become known as “church.” Since this hour has become so important, a consistent place to meet has also become necessary. Overtime these places have become known as “church.” Meanwhile the very group of people who gather on Sunday morning (an event known as church) in a building (a place known as church) have no idea who they are anymore (some call this group church).
These people go to a building where they like what is happening at the event on Sunday. When what is happening inside the building no longer suits their tastes they leave. It is that simple. For them they are not leaving a family or a community of faith, they are simply going to better restaurant, or at least one that better suits their tastes. This should come as no surprise.
I have heard many pastors tell others that they should be consistent with their “church” attendance. Meaning, “you should gather with some people in a building on Sunday.” For many this is the hallmark, or at least gateway, to the full life that Jesus talked about. If someone is struggling with a tragedy, an addiction, or sinful behavior, they may jbe counseled to “go to church.”
Several weeks ago I was speaking with a friend who said, “I really feel I am doing well in my walk with God. I am even going to church.” Another friend who follows Jesus gets frustrated because many feel he lacks any commitment to God because he does not “go to church” often. While he has a community of men and women with whom he gathers in homes, for some it is not enough.
This kind of thinking causes people to think about church as an event. If we are expected to “go” to “church” then can easily be telling people to “go to an event at a building’ (both of which are called church). When left to this without any explanation, sitting in pews then becomes something that one is to do when trying to be a good Christian. Add to this, the many communities of faith that add every possible accoutrement to their buildings, sell all kinds of drinks for attendees to enjoy while taking in the program, and the fact that many of these events are created to look like a concert or a Broadway production; and you have given the person who is supposed to “go to church” criteria by which they can choose your place or the one down the street.
Adding all of this stuff to a gathering of believers is in many ways accepting the consumer culture, and even capitalizing on it. If people will choose to go to a certain place because they like this or that, and church leadership responds by finding out what the masses want and delivering it, then we are simply feeding the problem. Churches today do demographic studies, talk about their “target audience”, imitate the most popular restaurants, attempt to look and sound like the latest hip entertainers, and often give sermons that only serve to scratch what itching consumer ears want to hear. Maybe making the all-important hour like Disneyland has only fueled this. It is no wonder we call these gathering "services."
Some will say that we should use the culture to communicate the message so that others will more easily understand. However, we cannot forget that the medium is the message. What happened to reaching out to anyone and everyone? What happened to the community of God living as an alternative to the prevailing culture, rather than being poor imitators of it? What happened to the message of Jesus and the prophets? I suppose that in today’s church culture Jesus would not have many people who would want to “go to his church”.
As church leadership, we must first look within before we point the finger at the problems we see in our faith communities. We just may recognize that our failures occur not in spite of our best efforts, but precisely because of them.
For so long we have made the presumption that people are like this in spite of leadership’s best efforts. However, it just may be that people are consumers precisely because of what we are doing. It may be healthy to pause and consider whether or not church leadership has enabled men and women to be the consumers they are. The true guilt may lie in the leadership of today’s churches who aid and abet those who are a part of faith communities to sit back and demand solid customer service.
Two weeks ago I was vacationing with my family in California. While there I met a young couple who were struggling with their faith. It was, as many are, a good struggle. They were asking important questions of themselves and God concerning life and how they should live. One of the big struggles they had was “going to church.” As they spoke I began to think about the vernacular that we have created.
We talk about “going to church.” By that we are referring to waking up on a Sunday morning and walking, biking, or driving to a building where some people gather to hear and/or sing some music, hear a teaching, give some cash, and maybe say hi to a few people. An event has become the church.
Another scenario is when we make plans with friends who live on the other side of town. So we say something like, “Let’s meet at the church.” By this we are referring to a building where the people on Sunday morning meet. Brick, mortar, steel, glass, wood. Steeples, stained glass, pews, candles, naves. A building has become the church.
These may seem like small things, but if we go beyond just the jargon to the way events and buildings came to be known as “the church” we may see one way in which we help others to become the consumer.
For years the central idea of church has been the all-important hour on Sunday morning; over time it has become known as “church.” Since this hour has become so important, a consistent place to meet has also become necessary. Overtime these places have become known as “church.” Meanwhile the very group of people who gather on Sunday morning (an event known as church) in a building (a place known as church) have no idea who they are anymore (some call this group church).
These people go to a building where they like what is happening at the event on Sunday. When what is happening inside the building no longer suits their tastes they leave. It is that simple. For them they are not leaving a family or a community of faith, they are simply going to better restaurant, or at least one that better suits their tastes. This should come as no surprise.
I have heard many pastors tell others that they should be consistent with their “church” attendance. Meaning, “you should gather with some people in a building on Sunday.” For many this is the hallmark, or at least gateway, to the full life that Jesus talked about. If someone is struggling with a tragedy, an addiction, or sinful behavior, they may jbe counseled to “go to church.”
Several weeks ago I was speaking with a friend who said, “I really feel I am doing well in my walk with God. I am even going to church.” Another friend who follows Jesus gets frustrated because many feel he lacks any commitment to God because he does not “go to church” often. While he has a community of men and women with whom he gathers in homes, for some it is not enough.
This kind of thinking causes people to think about church as an event. If we are expected to “go” to “church” then can easily be telling people to “go to an event at a building’ (both of which are called church). When left to this without any explanation, sitting in pews then becomes something that one is to do when trying to be a good Christian. Add to this, the many communities of faith that add every possible accoutrement to their buildings, sell all kinds of drinks for attendees to enjoy while taking in the program, and the fact that many of these events are created to look like a concert or a Broadway production; and you have given the person who is supposed to “go to church” criteria by which they can choose your place or the one down the street.
Adding all of this stuff to a gathering of believers is in many ways accepting the consumer culture, and even capitalizing on it. If people will choose to go to a certain place because they like this or that, and church leadership responds by finding out what the masses want and delivering it, then we are simply feeding the problem. Churches today do demographic studies, talk about their “target audience”, imitate the most popular restaurants, attempt to look and sound like the latest hip entertainers, and often give sermons that only serve to scratch what itching consumer ears want to hear. Maybe making the all-important hour like Disneyland has only fueled this. It is no wonder we call these gathering "services."
Some will say that we should use the culture to communicate the message so that others will more easily understand. However, we cannot forget that the medium is the message. What happened to reaching out to anyone and everyone? What happened to the community of God living as an alternative to the prevailing culture, rather than being poor imitators of it? What happened to the message of Jesus and the prophets? I suppose that in today’s church culture Jesus would not have many people who would want to “go to his church”.
As church leadership, we must first look within before we point the finger at the problems we see in our faith communities. We just may recognize that our failures occur not in spite of our best efforts, but precisely because of them.