How To Begin Unbranding

If we have fallen into the branding-marketing mindset within the church, how to we begin to unravel these threads to reveal our true mission and purpose? Furthermore, what is the role of these media and marketing tools in the church if we are willing to finally step away from the damaging marketing mindset? Let me suggest four foundational thoughts:

Stop trying to attract and keep an audience. Church growth strategy, which in North America has become a cottage industry, is centered on attracting a larger audience by programming to meet the needs of prospective attendees. Inevitably a church that focuses on attracting and keeping an audience will fashion a faith out of answers and convenience versus truth and obedience.

An unbranded church seeks to be the church as in the Acts 2 example, dedicated to worship, the fellowship, service, prayer and scripture. Do not let your eyes leave the mission--the size of the audience will take care of itself. Practical steps:

• Make sure, above all other commitments, you are engaged personally and collectively in core disciplines outlined in Acts 2 daily. You cannot lead people where you are not yourself going.
  
  
• Stop setting any goals or marks based on numerical attendance or growth.

Find your church's identity solely in Christ. Many North American churches spend time and money crafting an image of the congregation and its mission for the primary benefit of the surrounding unchurched community. This methodogy is useful for selling them used cars, but will not impact generations for Christ locally or globally. Worse, it can lead to a church whose identity is found in their mission statement or vision or a set of goals or causes. All of these can change over time and thus cannot form a solid foundation for the church.

Instead, seek Christ, personally and as a congregation. Study Christ, pray to Christ, act like Christ, obey the commands of Christ, and seek to know as much about Christ as you possibly can. The identity of church will never be more powerful, more unique, more radical, more zealous or more memorable than when people see Christ when they look at you and the members of your congregation. Practical steps:

• Disciple a group through a study of the Gospels. Pay special attention to the example of Christ. As you study, ask yourself "What is Christ modeling here or commanding there?" Live that out in your own life.
  
  
• Drop anything from your mission or vision that won't matter in 100 years. Forget trends, demographics, economics, patterns of growth or decline, current issues and events, technologies or media. You don't need nimble, infinitely-flexible methodogies that allow you to "turn on a dime." In Christ, you're an eternal being who is not on the clock. Think beyond next week. Think beyond your lifetime.

Know God's Word, really. An appauling lack of basic Bible knowledge I believe is the single most important factor in the overall decline of the North American evangelical church. Many view the Word as an "instruction book"--a life encyclopedia that gives answers to some issues but leaves others open to interpretation.

The Bible is, in fact, God's story about Himself, His creation, His nature and purposes and His plan. It was not written so that we could apply God's moral code to facets of our lives. It was given to us so that we could know more about God. And though many of us profess to live by its teachings, we scacely know it or understand it, much less believe it enough to stake our lives on it. We must elevate scripture in our lives individually and submit ourselves to its ultimate authority. Practical steps:

• Devote ample time to study the Bible every day. Cease any other activities that prevent you from doing this, including family and ministry commitments. If we are truly and wholly devoted to Christ, time in His Word will be the absolute most important thing in our lives, before all other interests and relationships, without exception.
  
  
• Memorize scripture, in large blocks if possible. Right now millions of Muslim children are engaged in the systematic memorization of the Koran. If we believe our Bible contains God's Words and is our ultimate authority, then we must saturate our minds with it.
  
  
• Continually teach, model and program in the church organization based soley on the scripture. Don't let any church program or activity interfere with Bible study.

Quit searching for relevance and connection. God's Word and the church are never irrelevant. God never fails to connect with people. We do not need to add anything to what God has already given us in some vain effort to make Him more attractive. Stop pursuing a voice for the church in whatever culture you live in. We must follow God's Word like our lives depend on it, and sacrifice our dreams, desires, possessions, families and careers to obey Christ above all else. That kind of church will be so radical, so different, it will get all the attention it wants, and likely some that it doesn't.

Don't assume that the unchurched want you to solve their problems, give them a vision for a bright future, or share God's perspective on the story of the month. They only hunger for two things: meaning (why are they here) and truth (how they can know the answer to the meaning question is real). Answer those two questions and all others will be of lesser value. Practical steps:

• Study the church in Acts 2 and strive to be more like its example. Simplify wherever possible.
  
  
• Don't program based on cultural phenomenon or media trends. Take what you are learning in the Word and re-teach that. Don't worry about how "in tune" your Bible study topic is with the latest fad.
  
  
• Serve the poor in your own community and around the world. Don't put all your effort into seeking out your social and economic peers. Put your time and resources toward those less fortunate, and challenge your peers to do the same.

  Go to the Imagination Mindworks.