I hear this often, “The church is no place for business tactics.” Mmm hmm.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
We really give businesses too much credit. Is what they do really…. new?
Today, I weigh 228 pounds. You might look at me at disagree and think, “Uh, you’re pushing a good 250 there big guy.” I know this because some guy named Sir Issac Newton discovered gravity, allowing us to determine how much we weigh. I could also say I weigh 600 pounds… on Jupiter. Science, astronomy, doctors, marketers, psychologists and more are continuing to grow in knowledge of what already is - God’s creation and the way it all works.
The business community is simply observing what is true about God’s creation: how the brain works, what motivates us, what captures our attention and how to better communicate. Segmented markets are based on personality and interests. They are examples of these observations put to use. These are not business ideas. Often, they are simply doing a better job observing what exists, what God created, than churches. We can learn from the way God created us and our world to develop effective means for communication, care, love and systems that work. Let’s not give the business community more credit than it deserves. But, let’s give them some credit. We can learn from their observations. Jesus certainly knew how to connect and cared about what He said and how He told stories. I can’t speak to what He knew at the time, but, He was pretty effective. :) If I were a betting man, He had a pretty good sense of his Father’s creation.
Why do businesses show greater care to guests than a church? I have experienced far better service at a hotel or restaurant than many of the churches I’ve secret shopped.
Why do many businesses show greater fiscal responsibility and care for return on investment than churches?
Why do businesses recognize and often create culture changes while churches lag entire generations?
God is not surprised by the concepts of project management, time management, budgets, personality tests, marketing or customer service. These ideas are not owned by the business community. We all have the opportunity to learn from what God has already created. These same ideas allow us to better capture attention, connect with our culture and develop effective structures for growth. Come on church. Observe what already is and take steps to be more effective. God is way ahead of us- step into what is already true.