Experience
Ronald Johnson used to be head of retail for Apple, Inc. Earlier this year, he left Apple to become CEO of J. C. Penney, and several news outlets wondered at the abrupt switch. Apple and J. C. Penney have little in common—except that they both have retail outlets. And that's why Penney hired Johnson, to do for Penney's what he did for Apple Stores.
In an article in Harvard Business Review, Johnson recently talked about his time at Apple and what makes Apple Stores a destination shopping experience. He said, "Apple products do pull people into stores. But you don't need to stock iPads to create an irresistible retail environment. You have to create a store that's more than a store to people...If Apple products were the key to the Stores' success, how do you explain the fact that people flock to the stores to buy Apple products at full price when Wal-Mart, Best-Buy, and Target carry most of them, often discounted in various ways, and Amazon carries them all — and doesn't charge sales tax! People come to the Apple Store for the experience — and they're willing to pay a premium for that."
When I heard Johnson's comments, I began to think about the church. Specifically, why do people choose one church over another? It's not really about the Gospel; all Christian churches, presumably, offer the same Gospel, the same "product" if you will. And maybe some of it is about the "packaging," the way the message ("the product") is presented. But I think Johnson, if he were looking at churches, would say the real dividing line between one church another is the experience. People flock to this church or that one because they feel loved, they feel welcomed, and there is something that connects to their soul in the midst of the worship and/or learning experience.
Think of this way: Both McDonald's and Starbucks have hot drinks I like (chai tea latte and peppermint hot cocoa, respectively). The drinks at McDonald's are cheaper, they both offer free wifi, so why do I go to Starbucks over Mickey D's? Because of the experience. I can relax at Starbucks, feel at home, comfortable. It's about the experience. At McDonald's, I always feel rushed and somewhat stressed (and cold!). At McDonald's, I often feel like I'm an imposition to the staff. At Starbucks, they call me by name. The place is clean and inviting. It's the experience that keeps me coming back.
John Wesley knew that, even in the earliest days of the Methodist movement. Though he never systematized his thinking on this (we did that much later), he was pretty clear that there were four ways in which we live and learn our faith: Scripture first (always), then reason, tradition (the practices of the church) and experience. While "experience" is certainly not the one we want to base all our faith on (that would be Scripture), it is critical because we are feeling and emotional beings. We want to not just "know" about Jesus; we want to "experience" him through the love of his people. The question we need to constantly ask ourselves as churches is this: are we providing an "experience" of the Savior for people, or are we just providing an hour's worth of words, music and half-hearted welcoming? Do people leave unfulfilled or do they leave having drawn closer to God?
As we prepare to enter the season of Advent, what better time to make sure we are a church that helps people experience the Savior, the one who came to change the world! To borrow from Johnson's former boss, Steve Jobs, let's give people an "insanely great experience" so that they want to come back and encounter Jesus in a deeper and deeper way.
In an article in Harvard Business Review, Johnson recently talked about his time at Apple and what makes Apple Stores a destination shopping experience. He said, "Apple products do pull people into stores. But you don't need to stock iPads to create an irresistible retail environment. You have to create a store that's more than a store to people...If Apple products were the key to the Stores' success, how do you explain the fact that people flock to the stores to buy Apple products at full price when Wal-Mart, Best-Buy, and Target carry most of them, often discounted in various ways, and Amazon carries them all — and doesn't charge sales tax! People come to the Apple Store for the experience — and they're willing to pay a premium for that."
When I heard Johnson's comments, I began to think about the church. Specifically, why do people choose one church over another? It's not really about the Gospel; all Christian churches, presumably, offer the same Gospel, the same "product" if you will. And maybe some of it is about the "packaging," the way the message ("the product") is presented. But I think Johnson, if he were looking at churches, would say the real dividing line between one church another is the experience. People flock to this church or that one because they feel loved, they feel welcomed, and there is something that connects to their soul in the midst of the worship and/or learning experience.
Think of this way: Both McDonald's and Starbucks have hot drinks I like (chai tea latte and peppermint hot cocoa, respectively). The drinks at McDonald's are cheaper, they both offer free wifi, so why do I go to Starbucks over Mickey D's? Because of the experience. I can relax at Starbucks, feel at home, comfortable. It's about the experience. At McDonald's, I always feel rushed and somewhat stressed (and cold!). At McDonald's, I often feel like I'm an imposition to the staff. At Starbucks, they call me by name. The place is clean and inviting. It's the experience that keeps me coming back.
John Wesley knew that, even in the earliest days of the Methodist movement. Though he never systematized his thinking on this (we did that much later), he was pretty clear that there were four ways in which we live and learn our faith: Scripture first (always), then reason, tradition (the practices of the church) and experience. While "experience" is certainly not the one we want to base all our faith on (that would be Scripture), it is critical because we are feeling and emotional beings. We want to not just "know" about Jesus; we want to "experience" him through the love of his people. The question we need to constantly ask ourselves as churches is this: are we providing an "experience" of the Savior for people, or are we just providing an hour's worth of words, music and half-hearted welcoming? Do people leave unfulfilled or do they leave having drawn closer to God?
As we prepare to enter the season of Advent, what better time to make sure we are a church that helps people experience the Savior, the one who came to change the world! To borrow from Johnson's former boss, Steve Jobs, let's give people an "insanely great experience" so that they want to come back and encounter Jesus in a deeper and deeper way.
i like this great idea!
ReplyDeleteA smile offered usually begets another. This is not always the case in a church. People seem to fear spreading the love of Christ even through a simple return of a smile. Are people really concerned about others? Or are they only concerned about a performance, a song sung, to reach those in the congregation. I find this odd. The smiles on stage vs. the ones not even returned after a service, let alone a simple hello when they pass by.
ReplyDelete