Published on February 14th, 2008 | Articles, Technology
When is the marketplace not the marketplace? When it’s acting like the church. The paradigm shift taking place in businesses around the world is astounding when compared with the shifts in our nation’s churches. Recently, I listened to a recording of a telephone interview with a panel of entrepreneurs from the marketplace. After about five minutes into the conversation, I could have sworn I was sitting on an Elder board in a local church.
The theme was focused on the corporate world and how they were trying to take full advantage of the changing landscape. They all recognized that the rules were changing and that the institutionalized methods would never thrive in the next decade. While listening to them, I realized the mistakes that have occurred in the corporate world are the very same ones being made by the Church.
One of the panel members was Seth Godin, an entrepreneur who recently wrote a book called “Meatball Sundae.” In this book, he addresses the changing landscape in the corporate world and how best to position ourselves for this new paradigm.
In the marketplace, new ideas, new technologies, and new media are beginning to emerge. Larger institutionalized corporations are trying to tap into these by simply transplanting or adding those methods into their current business model. What happens is that these great new methods end up becoming more like an appendage rather than the new business model they were intended to become. What these entrepreneurs are quickly discovering is that this kind of thinking will never work in business world.
If it will never work in the marketplace, it most certainly will never work in the Church.
I believe that God is speaking loudly from the marketplace.
What Is He Saying?
I believe He’s saying that the landscape of the institutional Church as we know it is changing. There are emerging voices with very different choices and ideas on how to do church differently in the 21st Century.
The institutional Church has missed it the same way the corporate world has. People simply don’t want to spend their entire lives sitting in some cubical or in a pew somewhere to simply become fodder for some rising corporate star or charismatic leader. (Ouch!)
What the Church needs to learn are the lessons from the corporate world – that the landscape has become much more relational, far more social than we have ever imagined possible. If the Church is willing to think outside the box, we can uniquely position ourselves to take full advantage of the changing climate over the next decade.
History Lesson
This is not the first time that God has spoken through the marketplace. We only have to look at Joseph, who in one day became the corporate CEO of the entire nation of Egypt.
Joseph, in many ways, was a pioneer – an entrepreneur. Because of his relationship with God, Joseph was able to accurately forecast a seven year bull market. He knew by revelation that the hottest commodity would be food; more specifically wheat.
When the bull market ended seven years later, he knew (again, by revelation) that a bear market would begin and last seven years. In fact, because of the great famine, it was more like a stock market crash. Joseph took full advantage of every business opportunity, every leverage, in order to obtain great riches for the nation of Egypt. Joseph became uniquely positioned to be a provision; not only for his family, but for the entire earth.
The rest is history. Joseph made a killing (financially speaking) and saved millions of lives, creating new jobs in the process. During his life, Joseph became the second most powerful man in the entire world.
God works in the marketplace to advance His own purposes.
Lessons Learned
What we need to learn is that in the Church, as in the marketplace, there are pioneers and there are settlers. Pioneers are those who explore new technologies and new ways of thinking. Settlers are those who embrace these new technologies and further expand them by helping to fully develop and establish other practical uses for them.
We need pioneers to push the envelope; to explore uncharted waters. However, we also need settlers who will occupy the land and establish new businesses based upon emerging technologies. In any healthy corporation, as in any church, we need to embrace and appreciate both types of individuals. We need to honor and appreciate their gifts, talents, and abilities and help to further develop them for the greater good.
Pioneers and settlers both view the emerging landscape quite differently. Neither is right or wrong – they simply approach it from a different perspective. If we can appreciate our differences and realize that in a healthy environment it is not simply one or the other but by necessity both, then together we can excel and the possibilities will be endless.
We need to learn these lessons if we want to harness the power of the pioneering spirit while fulfilling the social needs of the settlers. Both bring values to the table. Both need to be embraced.
In the Church and in the marketplace there are ministries and businesses that are running parallel to their older institutional counterparts. These are the pioneers – these are the entrepreneurs in the Church and in the marketplace. Once new ground is taken, the settlers (social relationships) must be encouraged to follow and do what only they can do best – take this new ground, expand it and develop it.
I believe that some of the greatest ideas and concepts have yet to emerge. I believe some are still lying dormant, deep in minds of those sitting in a cubicle somewhere or still sitting on a pew.
Let’s find them and help to develop them for the greater good of all.
Charlie†
Besides helping people understand the Bible, I’m also pretty good at helping them to understand and embrace new technology. For the past twenty years I’ve made a career of helping people just like you get the most out of their computers. During that time I’ve seen a great many changes. Along the way, I have literally helped thousands of people understand emerging technologies and how best to utilize them.
