Downfall of Creating Experiences
I read this post from Brad who I think is the lead guy of Catalyst.
I've been thinking about this for a while. Lifechurch.tv has been handing this book out for years to staff and potential staff, or they've told potential staff to buy it.
Brad states his ideas and philosophy very concisely and it helps me understand why Catalyst, Life Church and the like are successful at drawing great crowds. We did youth ministry like this 10 years ago, but never, ever as good as these guys do worship "experiences". Frankly there will be no one who does the experience better than the churches now creating these experience. The Perry Noble's, Ed Young Jr.'s, Craig Groeschel's and Andy Stanleys all create fantastic experiences because they are amazingly observant, intuitive and masters of dealing with perception. How they are perceived. How their churches come across to the people who attend them.
I'll say it again. We are seeing the churches that are creating the best produced "experiences" we will ever see.
But my hunch is that it will prove to fold in on itself. Because the trajectory of moving commodities to transformation and the managing of perceptions has two edges to it. There's the side that will be wildly successful at least in getting people in the door for an experience, but there is a darker side, which we can't quite see yet. The very reasons creating experiences is "successful" is the very reason it will fail.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not hoping for doom or failure for these churches. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and the fact that the leaders of these churches are often hard to get time with doesn't help me understand. I'm sure that there are people they are talking to though and maybe I just need to be patient. It's a significant fault I must confess.
Creating experiences is (not) the future though.
The people who are working out the future of the church in the western world are people you've never heard of. Ordinary folks who don't create experiences, but only provide presence. Being present is enough. The experience often, we may find out gets in the way of something else.
But until then I'll say it.
There is no greater example of modernity and the church than what we see in these churches right now. If you are a part of one and it works for you right now, I'm glad. We shall see if it is the future or if this is the final glorious (and amazingly technological) expression of a church that is no longer relevant.
Much love to the leaders of these churches. They are risk takers, and striving for faithfulness in their contexts. God bless them and the people they lead.
It’s been a while since I last read Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore’s book The Experience Economy. If you haven’t read this book, trust me. Go buy it and start reading it right now. If you have a product or service that you offer (we all do, whether in business, church, or the non profit arena), it is imperative that you grasp the context of the Experience Economy.
I am reminded of it because in a conversation yesterday someone asked me how I would recommend they keep their product from becoming a commodity. From just being lumped in with all the other similar products in their space, and being seen as just an option instead of the only option. Where price determines what the consumer chooses vs. other factors like emotion, connection, and memories.
In the book, Pine and Gilmore lay out the four levels of economic value : commodities, goods, services, and experiences. Progression happens by moving from commodity to experience. Think about coffee. Coffee beans are a commodity, ground coffee is a good, a cup of coffee at dinner is a service, and a latte at a trendy cafe is an experience.
Or about birthday parties for kids- a cake is a commodity, a customized cake is a good, a birthday party with friends is a service, and a full fledged laser tag birthday celebration is an experience. Think about Apple stores. Disney World. You get the point.
The question is how are you creating an experience with the product or service that you offer? How are you allowing your customer to be so engaged with your product that they connect emotionally? Does your product or service creates memories for your customer? Do they want to tell their friends?
There is also a fifth level of economic value, which is transformation. Incredibly hard to reach this level, but our goal should be to get there.
I've been thinking about this for a while. Lifechurch.tv has been handing this book out for years to staff and potential staff, or they've told potential staff to buy it.
Brad states his ideas and philosophy very concisely and it helps me understand why Catalyst, Life Church and the like are successful at drawing great crowds. We did youth ministry like this 10 years ago, but never, ever as good as these guys do worship "experiences". Frankly there will be no one who does the experience better than the churches now creating these experience. The Perry Noble's, Ed Young Jr.'s, Craig Groeschel's and Andy Stanleys all create fantastic experiences because they are amazingly observant, intuitive and masters of dealing with perception. How they are perceived. How their churches come across to the people who attend them.
I'll say it again. We are seeing the churches that are creating the best produced "experiences" we will ever see.
But my hunch is that it will prove to fold in on itself. Because the trajectory of moving commodities to transformation and the managing of perceptions has two edges to it. There's the side that will be wildly successful at least in getting people in the door for an experience, but there is a darker side, which we can't quite see yet. The very reasons creating experiences is "successful" is the very reason it will fail.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not hoping for doom or failure for these churches. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and the fact that the leaders of these churches are often hard to get time with doesn't help me understand. I'm sure that there are people they are talking to though and maybe I just need to be patient. It's a significant fault I must confess.
Creating experiences is (not) the future though.
The people who are working out the future of the church in the western world are people you've never heard of. Ordinary folks who don't create experiences, but only provide presence. Being present is enough. The experience often, we may find out gets in the way of something else.
But until then I'll say it.
There is no greater example of modernity and the church than what we see in these churches right now. If you are a part of one and it works for you right now, I'm glad. We shall see if it is the future or if this is the final glorious (and amazingly technological) expression of a church that is no longer relevant.
Much love to the leaders of these churches. They are risk takers, and striving for faithfulness in their contexts. God bless them and the people they lead.
Labels: Church
posted by mark at
10:38 PM
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