Having been in business for almost forty years, I understand the value of “marketing and messaging.” Both can increase profit and earnings, and both are vital when selling a product or service.
The question I have is whether this same strategy applies to the Church of Jesus Christ, or perhaps a better way to ask this question is whether it should apply to the church.
Having been in church leadership in both independent and denominational settings, in churches large and small, I have seen evidence that the concern for “marketing and messaging” is genuine and practiced constantly.
Along with “marketing and messaging” is brand awareness, and some seem to hold the desire to guard their brand as closely as the need to protect an individual's witness for Jesus.
If we take all this at face value, we can assume that if everyone’s heart is in the right place, there is nothing wrong with having a healthy concern for how you are perceived.
It's a thought-provoking question: should “marketing and messaging “campaigns, typically used to promote products or commodities, be applied to Jesus? Is Jesus a product or a commodity?
For many, these questions may seem out of place. They may respond with a firm belief that Jesus is not a product or commodity but the Second person of the Trinity. I respect and share that sentiment. However, it's hard to ignore that churches and para-church ministries use “marketing and messaging” tools to actively promote Jesus.
This leads me to consider: Is the emphasis on “marketing and messaging “being practiced overshadowing the focus on the Savior in our efforts to live out the "Great Commission "?
Engaging in these considerations is crucial, especially when the way the world perceives Jesus is influenced by those who claim to follow Him.
Therefore, we must constantly guard against the tendency to promote Jesus as anything other than Lord. We must also remember that our lives will point others to Him, not a sign, slogan, or campaign.
There is “marketing and messaging” that should take place. The market is everywhere we go all the time. The message is Jesus is Lord, and His Word is true, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Matthew 28:16-20, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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