Thanks for the clarification…

Where Mark and I are in agreement, though, is that we can help influence the dialogue people are having about our ministry. Remember, 75% of the people who show up for the first time are coming because of the invitation of a friend. We can call that “evangelism.” Mark calls it “buzzmarketing.” All I’m suggesting is that I learned some principles from Mark’s book that might help our ministry remain relevant in today’s media intensive culture.

And, not to be arrogant, but I think the business world has the chance to learn some best practices from the church. So, I’m glad Mark was willing to point others to WiredChurches.com even though a couple of his facts weren’t exactly accurate. For example, I don’t do sermons…outside of my blog. :-)

How about his statement of “I’m a business speaker, inspiring and teaching. He delivers a sermon, inspring and teaching. Both Tony and I are on a mission to spread the word about spreading the word (in my case Buzzmarketing, in his case religion)”?

I am not saying that marketing is bad, but if the gospel can truly be advanced by just marketing appeal, then where is then the power of the Gospel? How are we really depending on God?

What then can we make of the following words from Paul: “Hasn’t God exposed [the world's wisdom] all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.
While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God.” (The Message’s rough equivalence of 1 Cor.1:18-25)

Please hear me out – I am not one of those who against mega-church. I read your blog daily because there are much to learn from your ministry. I just want to hammer out some of “in the world but not of the world” practicalities here.