The Problem with a Consumer Mentality in the Local Church

Within the philosophical discussions related to church growth, you may hear someone talk about a consumer mentality that has developed over the last few decades. It basically means that people now have a tendency to shop around for a church that meets their specific needs or the needs of their children. Unfortunately, church shopping can become church hopping. And although it is good to find the right church fit, a problem arises when consumer preferences trump doctrinal purity. So is church shopping intrinsically wrong? Here are a few considerations for warning in a having a consumer mentality and some suggestions to overcome them.

Theological: Grace vs. Entitlement

Perhaps the deepest problem with a consumer mentality in the local church is the way it both reflects and affects an attitude of entitlement for a product or service. When we buy a product, we want to get what we paid for. But on a theological level, we are sinners saved by the grace of God, unable to pay for our salvation. The fact is that we do not deserve anything greater than hell as recompense for our sins. Yet we often sit in judgment of the local church experience as if we deserve much better service than that which is rendered. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a passion for excellence in ministry; in fact, whatever our ministry hands find to do, we should do it with all our might (Eccl 9:10). We should do what we do wholeheartedly as unto Jesus Himself (Col 3:23). There should never be an attitude of carelessness or a ministry devoid of passion. But nor should there ever be an attitude of entitlement that demands God (and by extension, His people) to jump through my preferred hoops if He wants my spiritual business. When we display an attitude of consumerism in church, we might be actually communicating the antithesis of the Gospel of grace. Perhaps a better attitude would be: Which church needs my spiritual gifts most?

Covenant: Ownership vs Lease

Some people shop for church in the way they shop for cars or for clothes: if it meets my current needs, I’ll buy. Some people look at their church experience as a time-defined membership rental. But as long as there is the option to leave for a better church experience, there will never be a true covenant commitment to a local church. Whenever anyone gets to a point that the church experience is a “get what you pay for” expectation, there is a problem with the lifetime perspective needed for covenant. We encourage future brides and grooms to think of marriage as a permanent commitment, not a temporary arrangement. So instead of the attitude of leasing a space or offering a temporary rental of my presence in a local church, why not follow the Biblical model of covenant? The first church model of Acts had people who were so sold out to each other that they shared everything as needed. But today, we tend to make unrealistic demands for a church to meet the needs of my comfort zone before it can rent my time or presence. There was a time when membership was defined by long-term ministy; now it is applauded for the number of short-term masses. And because crowding has replaced covenant, discipleship is sacrificed on the altar of entertainment. Perhaps a better attitude would be: where could I invest the rest of my life in service to the Lord, for better or for worse?

Mission: Alabaster Box vs. Financial Report

When Judas Iscariot showed his true nature (John 12:6), he masked it under the guise of ministry accountability. And although transparency and accountability are necessary to avoid mistrust or thieving charlatans (2 Tim 3:6), no solid financial report can replace the work of the Holy Spirit in calling His people to make sacrifices. Whenever a ministry is more about the bottom line in net income than it is about the missional thrust of the membership, it has already ceased to be a local church. Some churches have more dollars in the bank than they have spiritual influence in the community. When bankers are moved more by a local church than the lost man next door, it is a sign of consumerism over Christ. Thus, a consumer mentality can actually affect what the church does for Jesus. Jesus commended the worshiping woman with the “waste” of her precious ointment on His feet rather than on what made more logical fiscal sense. Perhaps we would also do well to look for a church that isn’t afraid to give and expend resources on the Lord’s work rather than hoarding it for a solid end-of-year financial report.

Because the average American will move almost 12 times in his or her lifetime, changing churches will sometimes be a necessity. But may we be more motivated by the church’s mission to the lost than by its ministry to our perceived needs. May we be a people on mission with God, more willing to serve through our covenant commitment to a local church, not a people of temporary consumption, moving on to the next trendy resource when the local attraction loses its luster. 

I would welcome your thoughts.