| "If any man comes after me, let him deny | | | | While it is tempting to assume that the sermon |
| himself and take up his cross and follow me. For | | | | that leaves a goodly number of parishioners in |
| whoever would save his life will lose it, but | | | | tears is a good one, it may just be the result of |
| whoever loses his life for my sake and for the | | | | clever emotional manipulation on the part of the |
| gospel will find it." (Mark 8:34) | | | | preacher. Conversely, we may be quick to judge |
| 'Marketing the Gospel' - is it a contradiction in | | | | the sermon that has parishioners storming out |
| terms? The concept sounds sort of | | | | during the service as a bad one, but isn't that |
| self-defeating, like trying to get the church to run | | | | exactly the sort of response the Lord Jesus |
| a protection racket or to set up a brothel as a | | | | regularly received? |
| form of Christian outreach. And at a glance, our | | | | Now I know that we are taught to 'know the |
| Gospel text would suggest that, if there is such a | | | | tree by the fruits', which means that good |
| thing as Gospel marketing, Jesus obviously didn't | | | | outcomes should indicate good marketing, but I'd |
| know how to do it. | | | | suggest that we need to look for those fruits |
| And yet, strictly speaking, we preachers are | | | | further down the track. Teary parishioners and |
| always doing marketing. Whenever we present a | | | | large amounts of cash in the offertory are not |
| 'product' of any kind, we are marketing it, and | | | | necessarily the good fruits we need to look for. |
| that's as true of our presentation of the Gospel | | | | Changed lives that go the distance - now that's |
| as it is of any other product. It's just a question | | | | fruit. Think again of the message of the Lord |
| of whether it's good marketing or bad marketing. | | | | Jesus Himself. Over time, it turned human history |
| What I mean is that you can never present | | | | upside-down, but in the short-term, the only |
| anything in a neutral way. The way you dress, | | | | obvious result was that He got Himself killed. |
| the way you speak, the way you present | | | | Let me cut to the chase here. The missing |
| yourself to others, always shapes the way your | | | | criterion by which good marketing ought to be |
| message is perceived. If you preach the gospel in | | | | judged is... truth! This is the ingredient that |
| a way that is fiery and aggressive, that is going | | | | differentiates the marketing of Jesus and the |
| to affect the way your message is perceived by | | | | Apostles from so many of their modern-day |
| your audience. If you wear clerical robes that are | | | | representatives. |
| colourful and symbolic, that is going to effect the | | | | Telling the truth, and marketing in a way that is |
| way people hear you. If you try to remove | | | | true to the message - that's what puts the |
| yourself from the process completely by simply | | | | Gospel into Gospel marketing. |
| reading pieces of Scripture in a monotonous tone, | | | | Good Gospel marketing functions to make the |
| that too is going to shape what your listeners | | | | Gospel clear, not necessarily attractive. It means |
| hear. | | | | communicating to people in a language that they |
| There is no neutral ground. Every time you | | | | can understand, but without importing the values |
| present anything by way of dialogue, written | | | | that they are comfortable with. |
| article or sermon, you package it in some way or | | | | Does this mean that we should disregard results |
| other, and so you market it. Admittedly, some | | | | as a means of judging our success? Undoubtedly |
| preachers package the gospel in such a way that | | | | the answer is 'yes' - at least in the short term. |
| the message seems to be more about the | | | | We must focus on faithfulness rather than results, |
| preacher than about Christ, but that just means | | | | and leave the long-term results up to God. |
| that they are marketing their message badly (or | | | | Does this mean that we should disregard all the |
| marketing the wrong message). Either way, we | | | | obvious marketing mechanisms that appeal to the |
| can't escape marketing. What we need is | | | | basic human appetites for sex, youth and beauty? |
| marketing that is appropriate for servants of the | | | | Well, first and foremost we need to be true to |
| Lord Jesus. And there's the rub. | | | | the Gospel. |
| The problem with most marketing, as I see it, is | | | | For the Christian faith does celebrate the |
| that it is judged solely in terms of its results. If | | | | 'abundant life', but it's an abundant life that includes |
| lots of people buy your product as a result of | | | | sacrifice, suffering and death, and these are |
| your marketing, it is good marketing. Conversely, | | | | difficult concepts to 'sell'. And we do celebrate |
| if only a few people buy it, you have marketed | | | | beauty, but if you can't see the beauty in offering |
| poorly. This is obviously is not sufficient for the | | | | a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty, |
| Gospel marketer. | | | | well ... you're not ready to market the Gospel. |