In response to a comment I got about the Apple Store, I wrote a post earlier this evening, about what churches might be able to learn from the Apple Store. But now that it’s later, and I’m a little more tired, and have had time to think about it, I need to make a few disclaimers…
I think everything I wrote is true. Many churches just plain need to get it together and do better in some areas.
But, after writing about churches improving their first impressions, their communication and the quality of what they do, we need to keep in mind something the Apple Store, as cool as it is, will never do for me:
If I’m hurting, they won’t check on me. If I’m making dumb, sinful, destructive decisions, they won’t try to correct me. And as cool as their products are, the truth is, their products are not exactly life-and-death. And they’re certainly not eternal. Their cool products still fall apart, actually way too fast – that’s what brought me to the Apple Store in the first place. It’s kind of ironic; I had an I-Pod that died too fast, and yet for some reason I wanted another one… and Apple managed to get me to want something else that will also likely die in a few years.
So anyway – churches do need to care about quality, and presentation, and perceptions, and clear communication. For the same reason Apple does – Apple cares because they want you to want what they’re offering. That’s what the church should want as well.
It’s just what the church has is infinitely more important than anything Apple has. So maybe we should put at least as much thought into what we offer, as Apple puts into what they offer.
