The Church in an Experience Economy

I heard a story last week on public radio about problems at McDonalds, the worlds largest restaurant chain. Sales are down as the mega fast food store is facing stiff competition from other restaurants and a changing demand from customers.  What made McDonalds so popular in the past was the convenience of fast food that tasted good for a low price.  (OK, good taste is debatable, but you get the idea.)  But now customers are seeking healthier options and gourmet coffees. So McDonalds is trying to change, but it is struggling.  

Their recent marketing strategy was seen in their Super Bowl commercial to "Pay with lovin." Random customers are given their food for free if they will do something such as call their mother or give someone a hug. It has nothing to do with the food, and everything to do with the experience. 

A friend who is the manager of a shopping mall recently enlightened me on the change that has been happening in our economy.  The theory is that the primary driver of the economy has shifted over the years from the production of commodities to the offering of goods and services and now to creating experiences for people. In other words, customers are looking not just for a product to purchase, but also for an experience they have in the process. ("The Experience Economy" by Pine and Gilmore.) Starbucks is one of the best examples of this approach. It is the experience of people doing something nice that McDonalds hopes will appeal to customers.  

Who knows if it will work for McDonalds, but what does this mean for followers of Jesus? I have lifted up a vision for the United Methodist Churches in the Northwest District of Iowa that we will be successful when people are experiencing God, living out of their relationship with Jesus and can share their story with others. Experiencing God is not just something that happens in a church building. In can happen while reading the Bible, or while viewing a sunset, or in a baby's touch, or in a relationship with another person. It is a living relationship with God that gives meaning to every moment of our lives. 

The thing about an authentic experience of God is that it can't be manipulated and it's not for sale. It can only be, well, experienced. And that is what followers of Jesus can offer to others: a story of their own experience of God and an invitation to others to see for themselves. So a starting point for followers of Jesus is to indeed be aware of their own experience of God. I've been encouraged by another book entitled, "Shift: Helping Congregations Back into the Game of Effective Ministry". Author Phil Maynard writes that one of five mental shifts needed in churches today is the shift in thinking of worship as an event to worship as a lifestyle. Can you point to how you have experienced God this week? 

Next I encourage pastors and church leaders to ask themselves, "what kind of an experience do people have through a connection with our church?" What do people honestly feel during a time of worship? How do people experience God through serving outside the church in the community? Providing opportunities for people to experience God as a group and individually has always been a primary task of the church. 

Because living as a disciple of Jesus with a transformed heart is the ultimate experience.