Jiffy Pop "Popcorn" had a monopoly on the market. This was ingenius, this was ingenuity at it's best. Prior to Jiffy's ingenuity, we would find a pot, pour some oil in it, drop some popcorn kernals into the pot, turn up the heat and wait (don't forget the cover!). Now with Jiffy Pop Popcorn, no pot, no oil, no mess, no having to find some popcorn kernals, no having to wash pots, no over pouring oil or not putting enough popcorn, you just put Jiffy Popcorn on the oven and "Presto" you had easy popcorn in a matter of minutes.
The problem with Jiffy is they lost their vision. Perhaps they became content with their success and saw no reason to keep striving for something better. I am 43 years old and one company that has impressed me since I was a kid, is McDonalds. This is a company I have watched over the years "re-invent" itself, over and over again. In 2004 there was an American documentary that came out called "SuperSize Me". It targeted fast food retaurants and made McDonalds it's primary target. I was living in Canada at the time and Canadians were scandalized by this documentary. People were afraid to eat at McDonalds, I couldn't get nobody to go with me. This documentary would have been a death blow to most companies. Most companies would have declared at their next board meeting, "the times, they are a changing, we enjoyed a great ride while it lasted, we all got rich, but this is a new generation that we cannot appeal too" (sound like some churches you know?). However, instead of doing that, McDonald's re-invented themselves. They began serving salads and also allowing you to substitute your french fries (don't know why you would do that) for a salad, at no extra cost. They began posting calories for any meal you would order. They have come up with wraps and healthy eating all the while staying true to who they are! What many churches don't realize is that you can "re-invent" yourself while still staying true to your core values. "Re-inventing" yourself doesn't mean throwing away your core values. Some churches to even speak of "change" is almost to speak blasphemy. The burden is all on God. It doesn't matter if we are still singing from hymm books and using the 18th Century Organ for our song service, it's God that's going to build his church. We know, certainly, "God will build His Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it", but that does not excuse a church with no vision. Even the apostles were quick to innovate with the times and switched the day of worship from the last day of the week to the 1st day of the week. To some, even to this day, that was sacreligious and 'til this day, still refuse to worship on Sundays.
The Church is moving on and those that will not adapt and get a vision, will be left behind and become a thing of the past, just like Jiffy Popcorn. Where is the Salvation Army today? Where is the YMCA today? They are passing thoughts, when we think of Salvation Army today, we think "used clothing" and when we think of YMCA we think "Gym, place to work out".
In the 1970's there was a movement that swept through the country that was called "The Jesus People Movement", hippies were being saved by the droves, however, most churches did not know what to do with them or how to reach them? One man, Wayman Mitchell, who was part of the Four Square Assemply caught a vision. He began to set up "Music Scenes," or "Coffee Houses" and use Rock & Roll, to reach these hippies, even though he himself couldn't stand Rock & Roll. While other Church's were protesting that "Rock & Roll" was of the Devil, he was seeing hippies being reached and watching his church grow from 35 people, in to the hundreds. That is why I say, "No Vision No Growth". Many of the other churches that were around at that same time, closed for lack of growth or could you say, lack of Vision, lack of willingness to adapt to the times.
1970 was a long time ago, Rock & Roll is a by gone era (I hate to tell some of you that) and RAP, HIP HOP is in and here to stay! Hymnals are out and song services with modern, cotemporary songs, guitars and drums, is in. We are now in a generation that is saturated in technology and media, what are you trying to do to adapt so you can reach this generation? Nothing! Well than that's why the church down the street is growing and you are shrinking. I know the excuse is, "oh that's just a worldly church, we have values and standards here!". Again, "re-inventing ourselves does not mean throwing away our core values. How has McDonald's stayed relevant in each generation, by continously re-inventing itself and at the same time staying true to it's core values. I was at a McDonald's recently, it was a Hip McDonald's for sure, even had the Cafe McDonalds where you could get a Capucinno and a slice of Cheesecake, I was amazed to see the Restaurant packed with Teenagers, enjoying the free internet, little game kiosks and enjoying McNuggets, Big Macs and their classic fries....ughhh, I mean salad. McDonald's has re-invented itself and is now earning more money today than ever before, in the midst of a slanderous documentary and a very health conscious society, it is thriving; and this is all for money, the mighty dollar, how much more so, should we, The Church, the Earth's last great hope, not be concerned about becoming insignificant.
Is your church insignificant" If your church was to close it's doors for good, would the community you are in even notice you were gone? Have you lost your significance, is it just the same group every Sunday, waiting for the Rapture? Surely God has more for you and The Church of Jesus Christ, than just a "fading glory" in these last days, but the question is, will you catch a vision for the future, will you adapt to the times, will you CHANGE!!! Where is Jiffy PopCorn today? Why didn't they see what was coming, why didn't they embrace new technology, ie: The Microwave? Why, because they were content with their success.
I was golfing with a man a few weeks ago and he said something that has stuck with me since. We were talking about the recession and jobs that have gone extinct and new ones that have started and the different carreer paths we have had to adjust to and he said, "Richard, I've had to re-invent myself so many times in the past few years, I have lost count". I would say he has and he has survived, he is successfull, in the midst of a recession. And the church must do so too, otherwise I really do fear, as it has already begun, that the church becomes completely irrelevant to this generation that we are living in. We must have a Vision, we must re-invent ourselves; otherwise we and our little church will become completely irrelevant in a time that it is more important than ever, that we be RELEVANT!
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