Church Segmentation - 11, Franchises and Brand Extensions

So a quick marketing lesson is in order. A brand is:

"a collection of experiences and associations attached to a company, organization, product or service; more specifically, brand refers to the concrete symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme".

In marketing, when a company or product has a brand that is viewed positively, they attempt to leverage the positive feelings toward the brand by "extending" the brand into areas the product has not previously been utilized. For example, Coca Cola is a core brand. But to extend into the market more they created, Coke Zero, Cherry Coca Cola, Caffeine free Coke etc. Lays potato chips is a brand, but they then developed, Wavy Lays, Baked Lays to capitalize on the consumer's enjoyment of the Lays brand. Franchises work similarly to brand extensions in that they take a trusted company and move the entire company into a new community. McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Target -- same company, different communities. They take a "successful" model and transplant it so that the consumer need not become acquainted with the brand, they can expect to find the same type of store transplanted into a new place.

Well, 21st Century American churches have copied this corporate model. In my area there are several churches who have extended into the local community. Harvest Gurnee, Harvest Lake Zurich, or The Chapel Mundelein, have recently been planted. These church plants begin a new local congregation in a new area, but take the positive aspects of the mother church to the new geographic location.

Church planting is great, but sometimes I fear that churches are attempting to plant their church model and then extend IT into other communities. The main message becomes, you can visit our new church that is just like the original "church model" but in a new community. Can you see how subtle this is? Can you see how quickly the emphasis can become the model that has worked in the past congregation rather than Christ-ocentric, Word-following ministry? The danger is that we attempt to duplicate a worship style vs. focusing on disciple making.

Christ is the only One who needs to be extended. He ought be pre-eminent in all things. O ur Lord Jesus Christ must be exalted in every way, at every opportunity, by every man and woman, in every place. We are who desire Jesus' brand - those who want to be totally consumed in our mind with the imprint of the Savior. We want more than to be associated with Christ through church affiliation, political practices, traditional morality, "family values", t-shirts or rubber bracelets...we seek to obey and love Him radically, unashamedly and consistently.

Let us be sure to never place a model, brand or idea in the center. May Christ remain our central focus and desire.