Why Strategic Marketing Should Be Taught In Semina

Why Strategic Marketing Should Be Taught In Seminary

by: Hugh Breland

Why are so many churches content with being culturally irrelevant and creatively archaic? If you train someone to be irrelevant, they will be. If someone is given archaic ideas for presenting relevant material, the material will no doubt be perceived as boring and outdated. Seminary is not the cause for antiquated portrayals of a pertinent message, however it can be a prominent contributor to waking up a sleeping giant.

The fact is millions of dollars are spent each year to fill our minds with immoral images, our children with sugar charged & fat loaded foods, and our homes with more stuff to keep up with the Joneses, and yet many church youth programs are mindnumbing and the church around the corner from the seminary hasn’t grown in twenty years.

If we want to change the course of history, we must learn from the past and take strategic steps in the present. Appreciative of those who came before, progress will be made because we stay on the cutting edge not because we squeeze tightly to tradition. Recognizing too that positive and productive relationships are essential to the life of any church, outsiders must find it easier to say ขyesข than ขnoข as they walk by kicking the tires. For example, a fifteenyearold studentathlete must be excited to invite his friends, not embarrassed. While at the same time, a fortynine year old mother of two should feel comfortable inviting her business colleague that recently went through a divorce. The future is bright if we prioritize properly and discard anything that could derail our vision.

Strategic marketing provides focus – a focus on what is most important. It helps to bridge the gap between knowledge and success. Instead of ขsheep swappingข with other churches, a creative and compelling plan is designed to reach people that have no church background.

W.W.J.D.?

Jesus was strategic. Do you perceive Jesus as inefficient, disorganized, and unintentional? If Jesus were in ขcorporate Americaข, do you think he would be a failure or a raging success? It is obvious that Jesus was intent on accomplishing his goals, that he was deliberate in choosing his disciples, and that his daily tactics lined up with his ultimate plans.

Jesus was creative. The word pictures that Jesus drew for his audiences evidence his creative thought and attention to innovation. Creativity is compelling. Just as it is essential to spend exhaustive hours learning the message, it is vital to design captivating presentations. God is the ultimate creator – simply look in the mirror and realize He designed you to be creative too.

Jesus was relevant. Though he did not waiver in his message, Jesus made sure that his presentation was relevant to his audience. There is a difference between theology and methodology. As a minister, it is imperative to identify your theology and fervently stand by it as you share it. Seminaries across the country do a phenomenal job teaching students theology. However as it pertains to methodology, the way in which theology is presented, there is a disconnection.

The fruit of seminary is seen in the growth of churches around the globe. Yet as I step into local church after local church to observe their daytoday and weekendtoweekend operations, there is a lack of creativity and relevancy. The training ground for tomorrow’s church leaders must align itself with forward thinking methodology. Remember, the piano was cutting edge at one time – let’s create new and exciting ways to reach people! Godcentered people with Godgiven creativity can implement Godsized plans that produce Godblessed results!

About The Author

Hugh Breland is currently the CEO of GoLo Sport. Educated at Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and an NCAA Division 1 Athlete, Hugh has a unique background. Before taking over as CEO of GoLo, Hugh was a pastor for almost a decade. He is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant known for his creativity and innovation. For more information visit www.GoLoSport.com.

Hugh Brelandกs Strategic Marketing Principles are a trademark of GoLo Sport, LLC, www.GoLoSport.com

This article was posted on December 20, 2004

by Hugh Breland

Evangelicals Frustrated by Bush

Evangelicals Frustrated by Bush

by: Bob King

From an article by

Ralph Z. Hallow

THE WASHINGTON TIMES
กIกm not blaming the president, but religious conservatives have been doing politics for 25 years and, on every front, are worse off on things they care about,ก said Gary Bauer, president of American Values. ‘the gay rights movement is more powerful, the culture is more decadent, the life of not one baby has been saved, porn is in the living room, and you can’t watch the Super Bowl without your hand on the off switch.ก
Nope, Gary, you shouldn’t be blaming the President. Blaming opportunistic politicians for pandering a voting bloc to gain an election, making promises they know for a fact they cannot fulfill is something to be taken for granted.
The blame, Sir, is yours.
And it is a damning verdict testifying to your lack of faith.
How dare I say that?
Sir, I am one of many millions that can no longer stomach being called a Christian in public. It is not because I take issue with the words of Jesus, Sir; itกs because of the lies people such as you put in His mouth.
Jesus, Sir, was no social conservative. In fact, Mr. Baur, he used people such as you the Sanhedrin, The Pharisees and Sadducees as pointed examples of corrupt, legalistic parasites upon the dialog between Man and God.
The message of Jesus is both simple and profound that the relationship between Man and God is personal. That sacrifices are unnecessary. That if you do compromise toward the end of conservatism, itกs not for your sake, but for the sake of your brother who is weaker in the faith.
People like those you proudly claim as กGood, Faithful Christians.ก
Have you or they read Matthew 5 lately?
Love for Enemies
43กYou have heard that it was said, กLove your neighbor[8] and hate your enemy.ก 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[9] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt. 5, 4348
So be perfect, Sir, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
You are horrified that the republicans and George Bush are not doing their best to see that the sun and the rain (such as may be commanded from Washington) be granted or withheld from people you bless or condemn based on your legalistic (and rather arguable) views of morality.
By demanding a constitutional amendment that denies equal rights to all forms of families, you DIRECTLY offend the words of Jesus.
You place yourself above Him, you arrogate to yourself His position at the Right Hand of God in short, sir, you are a false prophet and I do not heed the words of false prophets.
Thatกs why I don’t call myself a Christian, nor do I associate with people who make a great big deal of entangling their Christianity with social initiatives designed to impose their morality by law, Sir.
Come to think of it reread Matthew 3 while you are at it. It speaks directly to those blinded by their own smug selfrighteousness.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: กYou brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, กWe have Abraham as our father.ก I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
People say, กGod works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.ก Iกve always thought that rather silly. Itกs not at all mysterious.
God works in the world through the words, acts and thoughts of people and is not bound by any superficial allegiances.
Those who will กcut you down and throw you into the fireก are those who have been offended by your words and deeds; they will judge you against the standard set by those words in red above, and you are found wanting.
Have you been a peacemaker?
Have you comforted widows and orphans, without condition? Have you shown mercy or compassion? Have you done your good works in secret, as Jesus tried to do?
The Calling of Matthew
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collectorกs booth. กFollow me,ก he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthewกs house, many tax collectors and กsinnersก came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, กWhy does your teacher eat with tax collectors and กsinnersก?ก
12On hearing this, Jesus said, กIt is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: กI desire mercy, not sacrifice.ก[1] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.ก
Rosie OกDonnell is starting a กgay family cruise lineก to build family values. You and YOUR family are welcome to join them and freely share your ideas of what makes a family.
กWe welcome all families, however you define them, to join us on this cruise,ก OกDonnell said in a statement launching the cruise, which will sail in July from New York.
Of course, folks such as you miss the point, focusing on the กsinก of homosexuality and therefore mistaking the nature of such an adventure to create a context of positive, beneficial family values that works for more families.
You hardly need to go on an expensive cruise to… well, cruise.
I believe Jesus mentioned something about straining at gnats and swallowing camels.
Tell me, Sir; what is the proportion of spousal battery and child molestation among those that attend churches YOU agree with?
When this statistic has been reduced to ZERO, sir, when your model of กfamilyก is demonstrably perfect, THEN you will have the right to say so.
Until then, do not presume to judge those who strive in their own way for better results for the families they have, rather than those you would permit.
You would forbid gay marriages and gay sexual behavior and gay pornography, or indeed any mention of gays in an approving or even a nonjudgmental sense lest there be an กoccasion of sin.ก
Yet you freely allow men and women, unmarried to each other, to mingle within your very houses of worship, under the eyes of GOD!
And has that not been, from time to time, กan occasion of sin?ก
My point is not that churches are hotbeds of illicit fornication though one might well come to that conclusion from watching the news but rather this; that Jesus did not much trouble Himself to avoid such กoccasions of sin,ก and Christians are charged to follow HIS example, not yours.
Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that กsinก was more a matter of thought than of deed, as seen in Matthew 5.
27กYou have heard that it was said, กDo not commit adultery.ก[5] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
31กIt has been said, กAnyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.ก[6] 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
These are two examples that we are to generalize from. It is not always possible to avoid divorce and yet Jesus clearly labels it a sin.
And certainly no man alive, have been able to completely avoid กlusting in their heart.ก Personally, I cannot speak for women, but I understand that they may be troubled from time to time in this way as well.
The oneกs whoกs hearts are still beating, anyhow.
The word กsinก means, essentially, กmistake.ก So the only truly damning sin is the mistake you persist in failing to learn from.
Selfrighteousness seems to be a particularly difficult challenge for some people. Certainly Jesus found it worth mentioning on many occasions as a severe problem.
So you are in no position to be judging or condemning those whoกs natural lusts lead them to turn their heads in other ways; their mandate is the same as yours; to somehow find a means of acting righteously in the world in spite of their lusts, hatreds, bigotries and preferences for how things should be.
God is all about forgiving sins. Thatกs what the New Testament is about. You know, that crucification thing.
So you have no right and no need to be concerned about the salvation or damnation of others based on the lapses you see in their personalities or personal associations.
What you AND they may judge is not the personal sin, if กsinก it be, for กsinก ultimately is personal; defined not by external acts but by internal intents.
We can only see results, and we have no way of knowing whether those results are because of or in spite of any particular bit of sin or triumphant selfrestraint. Nor can we know how the ability to recognize and resist any particular internal issue came about, save that it likely involved making quite a few กmistakes.ก
Sir; you are told by Jesus that the tree is judged by the fruit, and that no matter what the tree looks like, a tree that produces bitter fruit will be uprooted and discarded.
How do you like them apples, sourpuss?
DO NOT presume to think that by writing this, I am either for or against gay sexuality, gay marriage or really gay anything.
In point of fact, I have seen and known for whom an expressed sexuality and or a particular marriage and family was clearly an awful, horrible mistake. People of a number of different sexualities, including heterosexuals and those who were trying to be hets and failing miserably.
This article comes from GRAPHICTRUTH

http://nuke.graphictruth.com

The URL for this story is: http://nuke.graphictruth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=442

About The Author

Bob King writes regularly for Graphictruth.com and Wall/Fire eZines. He can be reached by email at [email protected].

This article was posted on July 12, 2004

by Bob King