Church Segmentation

Have you noticed that the church has taken on many marketing techniques? In the past I have worked close the world of marketing, so I am familiar with Marketing approaches and strategies.

In the past 25-30 years, marketing has consistently used a practice called segmentation. Basically, what that means is that you take an entire group of people (market) and divide them into sub-categories based on their buying and behavioral characteristics. For example, Young Women between the ages of 18-25 who live in Suburbia -- that may be considered a "segment". Or middle age white men between the ages of 45-60 could be considered a "segment" (there is much more we can say about this but this is not my point).

Have you noticed that within the last 20 years, Church's have used segmentation? Now of course there is some element of "segmentation" in the scriptures. For example, older women are to teach the older women how to love their husbands and children, to be busy at home, etc (Titus 2:34-5). But this seems to be more intentional and to go beyond what the scripture teaches. We have a number of specific ministries that seem to divide the church according to 1) felt need, 2) age; 3) gender; and 4) interest.

Singles ministries, hip hop youth ministries, married couples retreats, family-centered teachings, wealth building seminars, worship conferences, radio ministry cruises, African American Sunday school lessons, Women's study bibles. The church has attempted to segment according to meet need, but has this segmentation turned into fracturing? Have we become to anthropocentric rather than Centered on our savior who is Christ?

I am interested in your thoughts here. I have more to say in subsequent blogs, but for now, let's discuss in an interest of dwelling and reasoning together on-line in Jesus.

Christ is all.