In his recent book Transforming Church, Kevin Ford examines how radically our economy has changed in the last two hundred years. It has moved from being an agrarian economy (the pre-industrial age) to a production economy (the Industrial Revolution) to a service economy (post-World War II). And now, here at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we are witnessing yet another shift—the experience economy.

Take your ordinary cup of coffee, for example. In the production economy of the industrial age, coffee beans were a raw commodity, ground and packed in tin cans and sold at your local grocery for the equivalent of a few cents for a cup of coffee. In the service economy following World War II, that same cup of coffee could be had at a diner for just a few cents more as customers were willing to pay for both the production and the service. However, in our current experience economy, the same cup of coffee is now premium roasted, exotically flavored, converted into latté or espresso, and sold at Starbucks for three dollars a cup!

The bottom line, as Ford observes, is that “today’s consumers are no longer interested in merely purchasing a product; they are buying an experience.” The same is true for companies like Barnes & Noble and Borders. They have successfully reshaped the bookselling business—not just by discounting prices, but also by offering an enjoyable ambience, complete with lounge chairs and refreshments. In other words, they have turned book browsing into a sensory experience.

What impact has all of this had on the church? Plenty. Congregations today are becoming increasingly consumer-oriented. That is, they are trying to offer the worshipper an experience—and the more sensory the experience, the better. Hence, there is the arrival of screens in the sanctuary, music that energizes the participants, and the use of multi-media during the service.

Please don’t misunderstand—these are not bad things, in and of themselves. In fact, I believe they may be essential. If screens in the sanctuary will help us carry the message of the gospel to the next generation, then I say, “Let’s do it!”

My concern is not with the mechanics—screens, multi-media, etc.—it is with the consumer-oriented focus apparent in so many congregations today. Let’s face it, churches can offer all kinds of exciting, experiential programs to attract people, but if those people are not being transformed in their daily lives, or sent out into their homes, offices, and communities as ambassadors of Jesus Christ … then, on some level, the church has failed to fulfill its true calling.

How we present the message of the gospel may change. (Indeed, some would argue that it should.) But the message itself cannot. After all, Christ did not commission us to go into all the world and make consumers. He commissioned us to make disciples!