I’m using this highly alliterative title as a demonstration.

We, as humans, are oft-driven by an attraction to witty catchphrases. You probably noticed a superfluous repetition of the letter “S” in the title of this entry and immediately became relatively curious as to what I’m writing about.

In a way, you could say I’m marketing my blog to you by trying to “sell” it with a catchy title. In fact, we’re all bombarded by a fusillade of similar marketing pitches daily. Whether it be a product, a service, or an idea, someone’s always trying to sell you something. This marketing relies on the consumer-driven mindset of humans, which, in my opinion, is part natural and part cultural.

Human beings are naturally created, in a sense, to be consumer-minded. We’re created with reason and will and must inevitably make choices that will benefit us. This is part of the story of human survival; through a basic consumer’s attitude, we know not to eat poisonous mistletoe berries (which can be fatal), but instead enjoy blueberries and raspberries. This type of discrimination has remained with us to the present day, where it is brought out in very new situations.

Since the beginning, marketing has occurred to appeal to man’s consumer instinct. In the Garden of Eden, Satan craftily used marketing—in the form of temptation—to coax Adam and Eve into “buying in” to sin. Referring to the fruit of the forbidden tree, the serpent said, “in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Likewise, marketing today “tempts” people into buying into things by making lofty claims and promises or by appealing to a person’s insecurity and fear.

However, although marketing has persisted throughout the millennia as means of manipulating consumer-driven people, today’s culture is filled with an unprecedented level of propaganda and marketing. While humans have always been consumers, is is only in the present age that the “ism” morpheme has been attached to the word “consumer,” as our society becomes increasingly materialistic. Today, advertising has reached unbelievable heights as new media allows consumers to be reached and make purchases within the comfort of their own homes. There is an entire industry wholly dedicated to marketing; companies know how to sell things effectively.

But companies aren’t the only ones trying to sell something.

With a charge to be evangelistic, Christians are certainly trying to “sell” the gospel, to some extent. This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, we bear witness and give testimony in order that others might come to know Christ. If we want people to know Jesus, we’re undoubtedly going to try to get people to “buy in” to the gospel. What makes this dangerous, however, is our method of doing so.

Advertising God’s grace is not the problem; we are called to be ambassadors for Christ. However, much of our marketing, especially within the context of the local church, leads to significant issues. While we all have a consumer instinct, many of us are blinded by an unhealthy degree of materialism. So-called “seeker-sensitive” churches often only add to this problem. The goal of the church should be to avoid reinforcing the idol of consumerism within the congregation while also understanding that its members are, in fact, consumers.

Here are a few of my cautions:

• Don’t engage in false advertising.
  It is discouraging to see many Christians, as well as many churches, spewing out false teachings in order to promote a “sale” of Christianity to someone. Some may preach the health and wealth gospel that claims Christians should be happy and wealthy, which fails to recognize the Biblical truth of Christian suffering and sacrifice. Others may more subtly “sugarcoat” the gospel by making God out to be their “buddy” or “homeboy.” And still others may claim that one need not change a sinful lifestyle upon becoming a Christian to avoid offending people or driving them away. However, the Gospel is most powerful when left as-is. It’s not pretty, and it undoubtedly will be rejected by many. But a Christian can’t compromise the truth in order to “evangelize more effectively.” While we should be careful to avoid making enemies, we must represent God as is, no matter how difficult it may be accept to others.

• Don’t water things down.
  Believers in Jesus should uphold truth and not skim over particularly difficult issues. Sometimes, we must preach things people don’t want to hear. We shouldn’t avoid preaching on controversial topics such as hell and judgment, homosexuality, and gender roles. Instead, we should tackle such things lovingly and truthfully. We cannot be so afraid of offending people that we are too crippled to perform ministry of truth God has called us to. Furthermore, we should not make major issues (i.e., the substitutionary atonement of Christ) into minor ones, nor minor issues (i.e., eschatology) into major ones. We must be accurate and bold in our presentation of God’s message.

• Don’t go overboard with cultural appeal.
  I do not have a problem with contemporary church services in which one might find good coffee, electric guitars, and casual dress to be commonplace; it is good, in many ways, to be relevant to the local culture. However, we must avoid allowing culture to dictate to us how we are to run our church. Unfortunately, many churches compete to be “bigger and better” than the next in order to attract more members. The problem with this is that it encourages “church shopping” and most definitely reinforces an unhealthy consumerist mindset. While numbers might go up, the Body is going to be made up of people who continually ask, “what can my church do for me?” This undeniably stands in contrast to the Biblical mind of a believing community, as it is quite selfish. Since love and sacrifice are supposed to be the modus operandi of the Church, a selfish “church shopping” attitude cannot be justified. Disunity, stagnant community, and lethargic self-seeking spirituality are quite often products of an excessively “seeker-sensitive” church model.

• Don’t be about the numbers.
  Many churches will defend themselves on this issue by making the claim that “it’s about souls, and therefore, it’s about the numbers.” But new members only count as saved souls if the church also helps to make disciples of them; just getting them in the door doesn’t mean they’re going to be saved. And quite often, churches who pull the “it’s about souls” card lack healthy community and ministry that leads to spiritual maturity because they are far more focused on bringing people in than bringing people up. Too often is the phrase “it’s about souls” used to illegitimately justify a church’s stubborn pursuit of new members (which, coincidentally, amount to more money, publicity, and power), while an already-existing congregation is left in the dark. I’m not saying that a church shouldn’t be outwardly-focused, but members of many churches are often neglected in an immature state of Christianity. Although healthy churches do grow, more members should not be the greatest goal.

• Don’t run a church like a business.
  While many elements of ministry require business-like administration, we cannot make “church” into a business. It is unfortunate that many church leaders are more concerned over seating arrangements or types of coffee than community-building strategies and the solid preaching of the gospel. Church pursuits often appear wise, but such wisdom is usually worldly. Sermons should not simply be Powerpoint presentations or three-point motivational speeches that might be found in an office or board room. And while some attention must be paid to seating and coffee, the greatest focus of a church should be upon becoming a thriving community that reflects the gospel every time an outsider steps through the door.

• Don’t strive to be “seeker-sensitive”, but “seeker sensible.”
  By “seeker-sensitive,” I mean seeker-oriented. It is my opinion that non-Christians who visit a church want to see the way Christians act together in their place of worship instead of being called out and guilt-tripped into accepting Jesus. If non-Christians are going to be reached, they will most likely be reached through genuine relationships, and not fancy sound equipment or fresh Starbucks. Such shallow things cannot sustain a faith in Jesus. Church gatherings are a family thing; outsiders should absolutely be welcome, but the entire service should not be centered upon the visitor. This way, sermons can become more challenging and a healthy, deeper community can develop. At the same time, churches must be “seeker sensible” (Mark Driscoll’s phrase) in the sense that lofty theological terms should only be used if explained carefully and the community of believers must come around a new person to help bring them up in their faith through relational ministry.

I don’t claim to have all of the answers on this issue, but for what it’s worth, here’s my input. The most effective way to be missional and evangelistic as a church is not by offering what have been called “seeker sensitive” services. Instead, a careful examination of Scripture and culture should provide tremendous insight into the most efficacious strategy in delivering God’s radical, beautiful truth to others.