29 March, 2024

Churches, Change, and Growth (Part 3)

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by | 23 July, 2006 | 0 comments

By Kent E. Fillinger

All I wanted was a tube of toothpaste. As I headed down the grocery store aisle, I was confronted with a confusing dilemma. The number of choices was overwhelming.

I had always been partial to Colgate, so I feverishly scanned the shelves for a tube to buy. I stood there in the middle of the aisle perplexed by the options available.

Did I need Colgate Total Toothpaste, Colgate Luminous, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 2in1, Colgate Sensitive, Colgate Fresh Confidence, Colgate Cavity Protection, Colgate Tartar Control, Colgate Sparking White, Colgate Baking Soda & Peroxide, or Colgate Simply White Toothpaste?

And that did not even include options for various flavors and the decision between gel and paste. I had 28 tubes of Colgate toothpaste to choose from, but no way of knowing which was the best for clean teeth and fresh breath. Which one would my dentist recommend? Determining the best choice seemed impossible.

I thought, Maybe I can just squeeze my old toothpaste tube at home a little harder and postpone this decision until I figure out what I really need.

Consider the similar dilemma for a spiritual seeker who wanders into your church on a Sunday morning.

He came for answers to life”s questions. He wants to know God and have a better life. He wants to find a group to belong to where he can study the Bible, but after peeking inside he leaves confused.

Does he need a Sunday school class, a Saturday morning men”s group, a Sunday evening elective, an accountability group, a mentor, a Wednesday night study, the What We Believe class, or a small group in a member”s home?

He leaves wondering, What is the difference between each of the studies offered? How can I decide what will best meet my spiritual needs? Maybe I can just read the Bible on my own and try to figure it out.

Market researchers have coined the phrase “overchoice” to classify the dilemmas described above. Research shows that “offering too many choices prompts the confused consumer to defer a purchase or run to the arms of a competitor with a less cluttered product line.”1

Some churches believe “more is better.” Taking a “buffet” approach to ministry programming, these churches cram as many choices as possible into their calendars. The result is a confusing array of options. Baffled by it all, many believers choose to not participate in anything beyond Sunday worship.

In a previous article (“What Churches Can Learn from Starbucks”), I argued for customization. Initially, there appears to be a contradiction between customization and overchoice. Does not customization require multiple choices? What is the happy medium? Let me suggest a strategy for solving this dilemma:

First, evaluate your current ministry calendar. Examine the complexity of the ministry programming you offer. Interview one of your new members to gauge the effectiveness of your spiritual growth opportunities. Was the new member able to determine the steps needed to mature?

Then, clarify your ministry priorities. Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, Kentucky) is known for asking members to give three hours each week to spiritual pursuits””one hour each for worship, Bible study, and service. In your ministry context, what experiences do seekers need to commit their lives to Christ? What do believers need in order to grow spiritually? What are the one-to-three spiritual commitments you want every member to make?

Next, determine the goal of each option. Design each ministry program to accomplish one goal. One of the worst outcomes of multiple options is captured in a New Yorker cartoon that shows a man arriving at a store with a simple question: “Do you have any phones that make phone calls?” Too often, our goal for a ministry is ambiguous, so we tack on as many options as possible in hopes that something will stick when the program is over. Intentionally establish your outcome and strive to achieve it.

Finally, communicate clearly. People want customization. Given the choice, most people will select the product that offers the greatest number of options available. People need multiple learning channels, but the available choices need to be presented in a clear, compelling manner.

Consider the example of Dell computers. Dell identifies their desktop computers in terms of who they are intended to serve. “The result is a “˜gaming” desktop, a “˜home office” desktop, an “˜Internet ready” desktop, and so on. Rather than worry about what specs you require, you get the desktop that meets your profile.”2

Ministry programmers can do something similar: determine the goal and identify the target audience for each growth option. Develop learning opportunities for seekers, new believers, growing followers, and mature believers. Communicating the intended purpose enables each person to select the best option. The result will be increased participation and retention.

Paul”s exhortation is an apt conclusion: “Be very careful, then, how you live””not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16).

________

1“When Product Variety Backfires,” Poping Lin, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 6 September 2005. Available at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4980&t=marketing.

2Ibid.




Kent Fillinger is president of 3:STRANDS Consulting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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