I sat and watched in amazement several days ago when the I-phone was released. Thousands of people all across the United States sat in lines for days to obtain a product that will be obsolete by the time my newborn daughter sees her fifth birthday.
Why the buzz? Why in the world did people go crazy over this revolutionary piece of technology that is going to be made fun of one day? AND why in the world is it that Apple can get people to line up for their product—but the church can’t? I can think of four reasons…
#1 - Apple Keeps It Simple
In going to Apple’s website I have discovered that they do Macs, I-pods and I-phones—that’s it. Sure, there are so many other “opportunities” that they could explore—but they have decided to be great at a few things rather than good at a lot.
One of the things I have learned in leading NewSpring over the past seven years is that the larger the church gets the more some people expect the church to do. However, I think if a church wants to continue to be effective it needs to do less—not more.
We are constantly asking, “Is there anything that we are currently doing that we have to generate excitement about?” Why ask that question? Because if the paid staff have to pretend to be excited about it—how do the rest of the people in the church feel?
One thing pastors and church leaders often forget is that people are BUSY!!! They have meetings, soccer games, gymnastics meets, and a TON of other things as well. That is why I think the church is more effective when they say, “Give us an hour or two a week…and we promise that we are going to make that hour you give us WORTH your time because of what we put into it.”
#2 - Apple Generated Excitement
Everywhere I turned I saw and heard about the I-phone. It was on television…it was all over the internet. I seriously considered getting one just because of how pumped up everyone was!!!
Here is where Christianity SHOULD have the trump card on apple—after all, the tomb IS EMPTY!!! It’s sad—Jesus Christ and His church are the most exciting things to ever take place on the planet—and it has taken Christians 2,000 years to make them both boring and irrelevant.
When an I-phone generates more excitement than Jesus…folks, I would say we are getting our butts kicked!!!
Oh yeah, just my two cents here…the best way to generate excitement is to make sure that a Sunday service is the most exciting thing a person will experience during the week…and that takes BOTH prayer and planning. If you are not willing to do both—then apple will continue to dominate.
#3 - Apple Continues To Maximize Technology
What someone would have called an impossibility 5 years ago in regards to a cell phone—apple made it become reality. ALL because they embraced technology instead of resisting it.
It amazes me that some church still resist technology. They will look at a church like NewSpring and criticize the light and the screens, saying that the church should not depend on technology. BUT…just let the air conditioner go out in their church on a hot Sunday and see how much THEY miss the technological advances that mankind has made!!!
Folks, every church embraces technology—from heat and air to lights to indoor plumbing to HD video screens. Technology is NOT the devil…it is a tool that, when used properly, can radically impact this world for Christ. If apple can use technology to generate buzz for the I-phone—what could the church do?
(By the way…I have seen churches go overboard on technology. You can have the best lights and sound in town…but if you don’t preach Jesus then the church is going nowhere!)
#4 - They Made The Product Available Everywhere
OK…work with me here—I think it was either North or South Dakota that didn’t get it—but that was because the service was unavailable.
BUT…for the most part you could go anywhere and get the I-phone. They made sure their product was available.
MAN…the church sure could learn this lesson. Trust me…to many Christians get out of church on Sunday, head for the restaurant and, unfortunately, the LAST thing on their mind is sharing Christ with their server. Nope—they would much rather sit there and silently criticize them for working on Sunday! (When, in actuality, they are the reason that “pagan” is working!)
I saw this firsthand when I worked in the restaurant industry. Christians were the loudest, most obnoxious people in the place—stayed at a table forever—and ALWAYS LEFT LOUSY TIPS!!!
We should make Jesus available everywhere—because HE IS! In the restaurant, at our workplace, and the grocery store—folks…why not? Isn’t He more relevant than an I-phone?
Those are just a few of the observations I made. I don’t know if I will ever get an I-phone…but I do know that while it will one day be out of style that Jesus will never be…and the church should be WAY more passionate about our product than Apple is about theirs.