Disposable culture? Disposable ministry?

What’s with the long hiatus between articles? Simply put, too many other projects! I’m hoping to get back to regular writing here, but in the meantime, posts may be a bit sporadic.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin
(Similar quote attributed to Henry Royce)

It’s no secret that we leave in the age of Walmart, “fast fashion” and Keurig K-Cups: inexpensive products for instant gratification. Of course, they come with an unspoken social agreement that it’s all going to end up in the landfill anyway, and that heirloom products (e.g.: furniture that didn’t come from IKEA, hand-stitched leather boots, etc.) are reserved for the ultra-rich.

Sadly, that cultural value has continued to thrive as an invisible ministry value in post-pandemic churches… urgency asks us to build fast which excuses us from the burden of having to build well.

In other words, the “needs” in our ministries are presented as so significant that we are encouraged to prioritize function and immediate impact in our work, even if the long-term sustainability is questionable. Without critique, ministry models reflect the culture from which they come.

So maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that eventually the sweetness of our “low price” projects (e.g.: yet another “new and groundbreaking” leadership approach for $9.99 on Kindle; the decision to promote emotionally and spiritually immature volunteers in order to grow a program; an entire conference dedicated to “tips you can use right now!”) are forgotten.

Like the anguish felt when water pours out of the ceiling in a newly built home, “the bitterness of low quality remains after the sweetness of low prices [has subsided]” in ministry.

Without critique, ministry models reflect the culture from which they come.

Every post-pandemic ministry leader knows something about this bitterness:

• It turns out your formerly enthusiastic church members weren’t mature disciples after all.
• The “rapidly educated” pastors around you are painfully lacking in depth, unable to speak wisely into complex issues.
• “Innovative and brave” new ministry strategies completed their evaporation into ineffectiveness post-pandemic, turning out to be little more than gimmicks.
• As ministry gurus and “successful” networks imploded, ordinary leaders are fearfully left to make sense of why.
• Despite spending millions of dollars collectively on new models and approaches, the church has less penetrating relevance and a more damaged reputation within Western Culture than ever before.

Ultimately, we are where we are because we built quickly instead of well. We accidentally mirrored the “cheap and fast” ethic of the culture instead of the “slow and rich” ethic of Jesus.

How do you know if you’re embracing “cheap and fast”?

So how do we know if we’re doing this? In some ways, we all participate in the “sins of our culture” (Jacques Ellul), but that shouldn’t prevent us from doing an honest self-evaluation:

1. You’re putting off what’s best because it will take “too long.”
   Urgency distracts, but don’t forget that time is going to pass anyway. While you may look back and realize that if you had committed to “best” instead of “quick” 10 years ago, you’d be in a better place today, you still have a lot of future in front of you! Instead of getting discouraged, get going! Change your thinking.
2. You’re dismissing “most healthy” in favour of “most fun.”
   Healthy is rarely “fun”… it’s generally an agony as we experience when we start going to the gym or commit to cutting caffeine out of our diets. Truthfully, we all find it much easier to spend $39 a month on a “miracle supplement” than we would addressing the patterns and habits in our lives that brought us into our current crisis. Change your thinking.
3. You’re focused on image instead of impact.
   Whether it’s fixating on a celebrity pastor or jealously emulating their social media strategy, in today’s “Instagram World” pastors don’t actually need to be successful in their ministry… they just have to look like they are. Image and persona carry a cost of substance (as Neil Postman aptly pointed out); but it’s more immediately gratifying to build a platform than it is to become a person who has something of substance to say. Change your thinking.

So… what can you do about it?

Here are 4 great ideas that launch you hard away from “low price, low quality.”

1. Start your next (or first) theological degree.
   I know, you’ve been putting it off. The ministry is too urgent and too busy. But the truth is that you’ll be a better practitioner in ten years if you are challenged to think critically and rooted in a deeper understanding of scripture and culture. Here’s the key… it doesn’t need to be a “full time” commitment. Personally, I took a few graduate courses a year for almost a decade while I pastored. And with the availability of quality distance-based learning, you can likely pursue that undergrad or graduate degree without an expensive commute (see the end of this article for a recommendation).
2. Complete a seasonal “no practical books” challenge.
   Going into the summer, you’ve likely got a list of books you’ve been hoping to read. Try this challenge: prune from the list all of the current books on method and practice and instead dive into brilliant authors who are engaging core ideas instead. I suspect that a summer of Leslie Newbigin, Jacques Ellul, CS Lewis, and St. Athanasius will have a greater impact on your ministry than five “Top Ten best-sellers” from the ministry conference book table. You’re already an expert on your local context… fuel your mind with good content and see what happens.
3. Prune and Invest.
   How many underfunded and poorly resourced ministries do you oversee? Which one has the best potential to utterly transform your church and community over the next ten years if properly supported? Use these questions to begin an evaluation process that will ultimately result in the cancellation and dismantling of less productive ministries (Hint: Are they doing a great job at discipling believers or reaching lost people? No? Bring on the axe…) so that you can redirect resources to the ones that are. Resist the urge to evaluate using an “immediate success” evaluation matrix. Plan for a 10-year impact and be steady.
4. Unfollow and Connect.
   Take a break from the “ministry influencers” and “celebrity pastors” that are dominating your social media feeds. Mute or unfollow them (temporarily) to clear your digital space, and instead seek inspiration in-person with a far less famous peer. Find a a rarely celebrated and totally underestimated mentor who has time for slow conversations and is actually interested in knowing you.

We can no longer afford “cheap”.

As we face a national clergy shortage, a universal 25% church attendance decline and innumerable cultural landmines, one thing the church cannot afford is anymore “cheap” solutions. We need rich, qualified, “built to last” approaches birthed in the hearts of disciples with substance… not easy, practical, “turn-key” approaches birthed in a clever marketing department.

Pursuing this method means putting our dreams of “results this season” on hold while we invest in a better future. I hope that future begins with you making that kind of investment into yourself.

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Education Recommendations

As you may know, I work full-time as the Director of the Youth Ministry Major in the B.Th program at Master’s College & Seminary (www.mcs.edu). I want to take this opportunity to reach out to pastors (especially youth pastors!) that have not yet completed their undergraduate education. Master’s offers a robust distance learning program and we’d be thrilled to help you complete. Of course, if you live in Eastern Ontario, there are even more opportunities with in-person learning.

If you’d like to begin your undergraduate training with a course in Youth Ministry, I’d be happy to connect in order to help make that happen. Please use the “request information” link here and we’ll be in touch.