Creating Eternal Value through Strategic Management

Business as Mission Metrics – Measuring the Effectiveness of BAM Efforts (part 1)

One of the root challenges for BAM leaders is managing the numerous demands on their business. The BAM leader’s responsibilities of planning, organizing, managing resources, and leading are all shaped by the availability of information, the expectations, value systems, and influence of key stakeholders, and (to the extent they are used) business and management principles and theories. Significant attention has been given by the corporate sector to studying each of these factors.

Recently, the popularity of social and environmental responsibility has increased focus on “sustainability”^[1] and the “triple bottom line” of financial, social and environmental performance as value systems for measuring business success. Integrating mission/ministry into business activities introduces a different set of relevant information, expectations, and principles. The result is a very broad spectrum of values and criteria that influence BAM companies. Until all of these factors are truly understood from a kingdom perspective, it is difficult to know where a BAM leader should focus their attention. It is even more difficult to objectively measure the business’s impact. ^[2]

Our research provides insight into what BAM leaders prioritize in the management of their organizations and what their experience has shown to be good measures of the effectiveness of BAM operations. Survey data indicates that BAM practitioners do not strongly emphasize any one category (business, social, environmental, spiritual), but emphasize some measures more than others within each category (Exhibit 8).

Drivers of the BAM movement

What can be learned by examining which measures are accepted by the majority^[3] of the Business as Mission movement?

Analysis of the measures that 80 percent or greater of respondents agree with suggests three main drivers of acceptance:

• Alignment with Biblical values;
• Direct impact on the company’s own stakeholders and interests;
• Fit within the understood boundaries of the business (particularly in respect to the distinction between corporate and individual roles and responsibilities).

The measurements that significantly less than 80 percent of respondents agree with can all be interpreted as not meeting one of these criteria. ^[4]

Within the financial category, the majority of respondents agree with the effectiveness of all of the measures. Within the social, environmental and spiritual categories, all measures that less that 80 percent of respondents agree with either directly benefit a group or element secondary to the company or may address activities or impact that is not considered a universal responsibility for all businesses.

Social

• Number of employees from marginalized groups. (62 percent)
• Participation of local employees in civic volunteer activities. (57 percent)
• Number of partnerships with social service agencies. (45 percent)

Implication: Hiring employees from marginalized groups can meet a need in society; however, it is difficult to quantify any direct benefit to the company, especially if preference is given to marginalized people groups without consideration of ability to fulfill the requirements of the job. Civic volunteer activities and partnerships with social service agencies do not directly or explicitly contribute to the core purpose of a BAM organization, presumably because the target of these efforts are groups and needs that are external to the company.

Environmental

• Reduced ecological footprint. (60 percent)
• Reduced consumption of energy and non-renewables. (53 percent)
• Zero waste operating measures. (51 percent)
• Existence of recycling programs. (49 percent)

Implication: Environmental impact is not the same all industries. For example, manufacturing firms consume more raw materials and natural resources than service firms and thus have a greater impact on the environment. As a result, some measures of environmental impact are outside the scope of a business’s responsibilities. Environmental concerns can not be assumed to be applicable to the entire BAM movement.

Spiritual

• Growth in employee giving to local churches. (71 percent)
• Participation of local employees in evangelistic activities. (61 percent)
• Regular worship at work. (34 percent)

Implication: Of the three categories, spiritual impact is the most susceptible to questions of fit within a business’s responsibilities. Employee giving, employee evangelism, and worship at work are all subject to debate (whether it is the responsibility of the company or if it is appropriate in a business context).

Creating Eternal Value through Strategic Management

Business as Mission Methodology – BAM Business Organization and Resource Coordination (part 2)

Impact of Company/Business Attributes on Business as Mission Objectives

Research suggests that links exist between respondents’ perceptions of how different attributes of an organization (development stage, size, and geographic focus) impact BAM goals (Exhibit 7). ^[1]
(Note: The colored bars on the scale reflects specific opinions pertaining to General Businesses (not explicitly BAM) [yellow], Missions Organizations [red], and Business as Mission Companies [blue], respectively.)

Key Insights:

Development stage (7.1-3)

• Respondents believe that start-up companies are more influential than established (95 percent agree start-up BAM companies are better; 87 percent agree start-up businesses are better). (7.1 and 7.2)
• The preference for start-up missions organizations is not as significant (only 64 percent agree). (7.3)
• Development stage is strongly linked to all Business as Mission objectives, with the greatest correlation with building the economy and blessing the nation.

Implication: the newness of an organization creates perceived benefits that are valued by the Business as Mission movement. Primary among these is the creation of new value in the form of products/service enhancements, additional wealth, and jobs in the economy. Start-up companies could also be assumed to be more dynamic and flexible which theoretically would make it easier for the company to incorporate BAM goals. Of course there is a trade off between the benefits of newness and the efficiencies and learning that a company gains as it develops. It makes sense that respondents seem to favor the benefits of maturity more for traditional missions organizations given that missions organizations do not create as much market value to offset early stage inefficiencies.

• The development stage of a missions organization is not correlated to profitability or the ability to provide access to locations. (7.3)
• The development stage of a company (both BAM and regular) is negatively linked with the ability to provide access to locations. (7.1 and 7.2)

Implication: the relationship between a company’s development stage and “Provides access to many locations” may result from closed-access countries valuing existing companies more than entrepreneurial efforts. The established size and structure of a mature business may lessen the government’s fear of exploitation.

Size (7.4-6)

• Respondents prefer large Business as Mission efforts to micro-enterprise.^[2] (7.4)
• In general, respondents favor large companies over small; however the preference is not as pronounced as it is for BAM companies. (7.5)
• Respondents prefer small missions organizations over large. (7.6)
• A focus on micro-enterprise is believed to limit the benefits that profit can create for the kingdom. Additionally, respondents associate micro-enterprise with the goal of providing access. (7.4)
• Larger companies are perceived to have a greater impact on building the local economy and blessing the nation. Larger companies are also perceived to have a negative impact on ability to evangelize and focus on developing nations. (7.5)
• Large companies are negatively correlated with providing access to many locations while large missions organizations are positively correlated. (7.5 and 7.6)

Implication: the preferences exhibited toward organization size highlight that size is proportional to perceived impact within a host country. However, the BAM movement strives to maintain a balance regarding size because of the perceived trade-off between size and ability to evangelize. The results suggest that there is a size at which it becomes more difficult for a BAM company to effectively evangelize. This belief (if validated) will greatly influence the goals set by the Business as Mission movement in terms of growth targets. Similarly, respondents may recognize that some developing nations or remote regions do not have the infrastructure needed to support larger companies, which tempers size preferences.

Geographic focus (7.7-9)

• Respondents overwhelmingly embrace the global focus of the Business as Mission movement. (7.7)
• Global presence is believed to impact all Business as Mission objectives. The biggest impact is believed to be on profitability and ability to build the local economy.
• Global presence is negatively correlated with providing access to many locations.

Implication: the results reinforce the central role that globalization plays in creating opportunities for Christians to further the kingdom through Business as Mission. The negative correlation between global focus and “Provides access to many locations” most likely is a consequence of reactions to the simplification of Business as Mission as a means for overcoming prohibitions against missionaries in closed countries.

According to a Jan 19, 2010 USAID Fact Sheet, at least 65,000 people are estimated to have died. Another 200,000 people have been displaced and the total population who has been significantly affected is approximately 3 million people. The global response to this crisis has been amazing. As of February 3, 2010, $644 million has been contributed to private non-profit organizations from US citizens (source: Washington Post). This is only part of the total world effort. Organizations like the American Red Cross, World Vision, and Compassion International have mobilized their base and are just some of the organizations contributing to the on-the-ground efforts.

Despite the tremendous magnitude of these first-response efforts, the road to recovery is going to be long and difficult. The challenges facing the country prior to the earthquake were great. The country is the only country in the Western Hemisphere (North America, South, Central, and Latin Americas and the Caribbean) on the U.N.’s list of the World’s 50 least developed countries¹ (source: UN-OHRLLS). According the the CIA World Fact Sheet, 80% of the population of Haiti live below the poverty line. Additionally the country is plagued by drug trafficking and human (both forced labor and sex) trafficking.

The need in Haiti is great.

The lives of the men, women and children there were hard before January 12th. They’re even harder now. They face threats and hardships every day that we are isolated from. Things you and I can not even imagine. Hope for progress has suffered a major set back. Before people were struggling to make the most of their existence given how little they had to rely on and work with. Now what little they had has been destroyed.

As I sit and write this I don’t have to think about where my next meal is going to come from or where I’m going to sleep tonight. I do worry about the safety of my family but the threats I imagine are exactly that: imagined. Although it’s tenuous these days, I still am fairly sure the bills will get paid. I’m confident that there is work to be had.

Not only that but I live in a world where the things I need and want, the conveniences of life, are available. To get to work this morning I had a car to drive, roads to drive on, and gas to power the car. My computer is plugged into the wall, I don’t think twice about whether the lights will turn on when I flip the switch. Not only is there going to be plenty of food at the grocery store but there is a store to go to! There is food on the shelves because there is this amazing infrastructure that connects the farms from around the world to processing and packaging facilities to distribution centers to stores. And I don’t see any of it, I just trust that food will be there.

The message of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 ESV) is that we are to love our neighbor. Our neighbor is identified any person we meet on our path who is in need. We are to show mercy to those in need.

But what is interesting is that the Samaritan shows mercy in two phases. First he bandages his wound and brings him to shelter — he tends to his most immediate needs with compassion. But what he does next is even more amazing (the importance of this is often lost): he invests in continued care and rehabilitation.

³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

See, he doesn’t bring him to the inn and drop him at the door. No, it explicitly states that the Samaritan “took care of him” at the inn. It is after this intense investment of caring for the man himself that the Samaritan make additional provision for continued care, making a down payment with the innkeeper and promising to return and pay for whatever the man needs.

How are we planning to invest in continued care for Haiti?

There are a number of ways to do this, but I want to highlight two in particular that must be a priority.

First, it is important that we build up the Church in Haiti.

Whatever your views on the spiritual history of Haiti, the people of that country are utterly and completely in need of Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord just as you and I are. And it is local churches — proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom of God, caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the people, and coordinating and leading people to live their lives as children of God — that the love and redemption of Christ will flow through.

I want to draw your attention to Churches Helping Churches, an organization founded by James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll to “address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people in the spirit of Galatians 6:10—“…let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” If you are interested in how you or our church can support local churches in Haiti, I highly recommend you check out Churches Helping Churches.

Second, it is important that we build up infrastructure in Haiti.

This means investing in the physical structures, services, and facilities necessary for the Haitian economy to develop. Recent studies have argued that foreign aid doesn’t work. At the same time, a lot of attention has been given to the role business plays in developing economies. In recent years, Christian business men and women have been leveraging the power of business in order to spread the Gospel in countries whose governments are hostile toward Christian missionaries. The global Business as Mission movement has developed as more and more people are awakening to how God can use their business talents as part of his redemptive plan.

Haiti needs Business as Mission companies now more than ever.

The need and opportunity to develop creative business solutions to many of the problems facing the people of Haiti is great. If you believe that this is a way that you can get involved I want to encourage you to do something. I wish I could point you to specific ways that you could help but I don’t know of any right now. Many organizations are rightfully focused on meeting the immediate needs in Haiti. But as the dust settles our efforts must not lose momentum.

To help spark ideas about potential business opportunities I’ve include some facts about Haiti below. These factors will help identify what opportunities for business exist  in Haiti. Obvious needs are infrastructure and construction. Additionally, the Haitian people will need resources to get back on their feet, so opportunities for micro-finance might exist. I’ve also included quality of life statistics in the hopes it might spark some ideas about opportunities to address some of the less critical issues facing the people there.

If you or your organization are serious about engaging in Business as Mission, I offer a number of services that will help you develop an appropriate Business as Mission strategy and maximize the impact of your efforts. You can contact me through my company website: http://www.unconventionalmethod.com/contact/.

Facts about Haiti

source: originally published at The Resurgence; Data from the CIA’s World Fact Book

Location and Size

Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic (which is two-thirds of the eastern side of Hispaniola). The terrain is mostly rough and mountainous.

17,243 sq miles (slightly smaller than Maryland).

Natural resources

bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

Agriculture products

coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood

Industries

sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts

Labor force

agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% (1995)

shortage of skilled laborers, abundance of unskilled laborers
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
80% of the population is below the poverty line

Population

9,035,536

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 1,735,917/female 1,704,383)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 2,621,059/female 2,665,447)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 120,040/female 188,690) (2009 est.)

Ethnic group

95% black, 5% mulatto and white

Urbanization

urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

Government

Type: Republic
Port-au-Prince (capitol)
Independence from French in Jan 1, 1804
Their constitution was approved March 1987

Note: Suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991 military government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006

Infant Mortality

total: 59.69 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 37
male: 66.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life Expectancy

total population: 60.78 years
country comparison to the world: 181
male: 59.13 years
female: 62.48 years (2009 est.)

Total Fertility

3.81 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS-adult prevalence rate

2.2% (country comparison to the world: 28)

Living with AIDS

120,000 (2007 estimates)

HIV/AIDS deaths/year

7,200

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Natural hazards

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts

This is the third installment sharing highlights from the BAM Survey 2007 Report. Today we take a closer look at the global leaders of the Business as Mission movement and the beliefs that drive their efforts in spreading the Gospel through global business entrepreneurship.

The BAM Survey 2007 Report is an in-depth assessment of the state of the Business as Mission movement based on survey responses from 497 people in 38 countries. You can purchase an electronic copy of the BAM Survey 2007 Report for $14.99 here.

Who are the Business as Mission leaders? (part 2)

Embracing the Priesthood of Believers

Our research shows that businesspeople around the world are enthusiastically responding to God’ s call for them in the workplace (72 percent of respondents believe they are called to business) and are forging ahead to use their business activities to create transformation (83 percent of respondents believe that Work in business is a ministry^[1]) (Exhibit 3).

Results highlight a greater prevalence of being called to business versus being called to missions.

• Nearly three-quarters of all respondents indicated that they believe they have been called to the business world (72 percent). A slightly lesser percentage of respondents believe they are called to Business as Mission specifically and to missions (69 percent and 67 percent respectively).
• 86 percent of respondents from the Business field feel called to business compared to 72 percent of Non-Profit respondents that feel called to missions.
• Of survey respondents that indicated they are “Very Familiar” with Business as Mission, 82 percent indicated that they feel called to business compared to 75 percent that feel called to missions.
• Of survey respondents that indicated they are either “Not Very Familiar” or “Not At All Familiar” with Business as Mission, 63 percent indicated that they feel called to business compared to 43 percent that feel called to missions.

Respondents from different age groups demonstrate different degrees of feeling called to business, missions, or Business as Mission.

• Of respondents in the 18 to 29 year old group:
  • 66 percent feel called to business.
  • 64 percent feel called to missions.
  • 58 percent feel called to Business as Mission.
• Of respondents in the 30 to 44 year old group:
  • 75 percent feel called to business.
  • 72 percent feel called to missions.
  • 79 percent feel called to Business as Mission.
• Of respondents in the 45 to 59 year old group:
  • 71 percent feel called to business.
  • 63 percent feel called to missions.
  • 67 percent feel called to Business as Mission.
• Of respondents in the 60+ year old group:
  • 71 percent feel called to business.
  • 74 percent feel called to missions.
  • 66 percent feel called to Business as Mission.

Feeling called Business as Mission is linked to feeling called to either business or missions.

• Respondents that feel called to business (relative to those who expressed no opinion or do not feel called to business) are 2.6 times more likely to feel called to Business as Mission (84 percent compared to 32 percent respectively).
• Respondents that feel called to missions (relative to those who expressed no opinion or do not feel called to business) are 1.4 times more likely to feel called to Business as Mission (76 percent compared to 54 percent respectively).
• Of respondents that feel called to both business and missions (45 percent of all respondents):
  • 91 percent feel called to Business as Mission.
  • 2 percent do not feel called to Business as Mission.
  • 8 percent expressed no opinion.

News broke today that the conflict in Walnut Creek, CA has escalated to such levels that the local government has resorted to unconventional methods for annihilating the squirrel population. According to East Bay News:

There are squirrels everywhere and doing damage, but the people would rather see them plucked from the sky than be poisoned on the ground. Beth Slate is with Contra Costa County’s Agriculture Department. She says the county is luring birds to come here to help solve what some say is a crisis.

The story has even received national attention and is currently featured on the front page of CNN.com.

You’ve been warned people.

Notes:

• Unconventional Method is in no way affiliated with the development of Contra Costa County’s Agriculture Department’s squirrel “solution”… though we are responsible for helping other organizations develop some amazingly clever solutions to their biggest strategic problems.
• Honestly, when I first read that they were using “raptors” to eradicate the squirrels, I thought they were referring to velociraptors.

From a consumer’s perspective, I personally welcomed the change as the new brand distracts me from the reality that we shop at Target because we do not have excess discretionary income and they sell mostly quality products. The new brand really emphasizes the quality of Target’s products when compared to other low-cost competitors (like Walmart or Meijer in the mid-west). The message is clear: “up”; which has a positive connotation (i.e. “Things are looking up.”)

Strategically, the new brand seems like a great concept that aligns with how Target approaches its market. No problem, right?

Look at the new logo upside down:

It’s still a clean, aesthetically pleasing design. But now it says “down”.

Is this catastrophic? No. But the brand message is lost every time Target product gets placed upside down in the consumers home. For me, all I see now is “dn&dn”. Probably not what Target’s marketing team wanted.

As strategists, it’s our job to shine light on the unintended and unexpected by asking “What would this look like from a different angle?”

p.s. It’s not true.

The following is an excerpt from the BAM Survey 2007 Report, an in-depth assessment of the state of the Business as Mission movement that I wrote while developing the consulting services division of EC Group International. The report is based on survey responses from 497 people in 38 countries.

Though based on data collected in 2007, many of the insights contained in this report are valuable in understanding the state of the Business as Mission movement at the beginning of 2010. That is why over the course of the next several weeks I will be posting excerpts from the report on this blog. Additionally, you can purchase an electronic copy of the BAM Survey 2007 Report for $14.99.

Whether you are a BAM practitioner, a church or missions organization that supports Business as Mission, or an individual who is curious what Business as Mission is… this report will provide you with a comprehensive view of the global Business as Mission movement as well as an in depth analysis of many of the issues and trends that are shaping the future of BAM.

Introduction: Defining the Business as Mission Movement

In recent years the Business as Mission (BAM) movement has been mired by debate over the central principles of this special expression of ministry and missions that is occurring in the global marketplace. As individuals with traditional business or missions/ministry backgrounds approached Business as Mission, points of contention arose from the efforts to integrate the alternate worldview. Primary among these were issues with the implied/intrinsic inferiority of secular (or “lay”) vocations and with the sanctity of profit. Efforts to resolve these conflicts have been hindered by immature language and misconceptions among each group about the other. Feeling rejected for believing in the transformative power of business and facing difficulty in gaining acceptance, those who embraced Business as Mission disengaged from the church and proceeded in building their businesses.

During this period, the concept of Business as Mission was shaped by the relatively few kingdom companies in operation and was subject to much debate. Due to the broad scope of what it means to be a business and to be a mission, even within the growing BAM movement it was difficult to identify generally accepted interpretations of key issues and elements. This has been complicated by the tendency within the movement to personalize the definition of Business as Mission, manipulating it to encompass the particulars of one’s situation, to account for personal worldviews and goals, and to support personal agendas. Efforts to organize and address the subtle nuances and layered complexities created by the integrating business and missions have had limited success.

As a result, BAM practitioners have been operating without a generally accepted framework for describing what many feel is their calling in life, further isolating them from their communities and limiting their ability to get support on many of the challenges they faced. In 2004, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization hosted the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization: Business as Mission Issue Group, which produced the Lausanne Occasional Paper No. 59 (PDF). This paper for the first time defined the Business as Mission movement’s identity by clarifying many of its terms and addressing what Ken Eldred refers to as “significant barriers to the idea of Kingdom business being a viable missions tool.”^[1] One of the outcomes of the Lausanne conference was that Business as Mission was affirmed as a major effort of the evangelical church.

Since that time, Business as Mission has increased in popularity, particularly among traditional missionaries who recognize its potential for achieving their various goals. These events have helped to raise the level of awareness of BAM, especially within the church. As more and more people join the growing Business as Mission movement a number of things are beginning to occur:

Business as Mission operators are having their calling validated – affirming their beliefs and recognizing the challenges they still face in overcoming barriers.

Missions organizations are integrating Business as Mission into their strategies and operations – testing the compatibility of key elements of the business and missions worldviews and (in some cases) developing alternate approaches for BAM operation and support.

The roles the church will play in the BAM movement are being established - beginning to address the church’s own barriers and determining how it can identify and offer what the movement needs.

Support networks are forming – Business as Mission courses is being offered; capital is being raised for BAM investment; BAM “industry groups” are forming; the number of BAM publications is increasing.

The Business as Mission movement is entering a growth stage that, like any maturing industry, is marked by economies of scale, increased awareness, and new participants emerging. Given that the history of conflict that has shaped Business as Mission, it is important to study these changing dynamics in order to identify new challenges facing the movement.

For this reason, we set out to develop the first ever Business as Mission Survey with the goal of identifying how the BAM movement has addressed a number of its historic challenges as well as uncovering new ones that merit further research. The survey was sent to over 10,000 individuals in over 40 countries and received responses from 497 people in 38 countries (Table A). The survey was designed to be preliminary research across Business as Mission broadly and was not intended to be representative of all issues, components, geographies, or interest groups. We believe that survey data are suggestive of developments and trends in the Business as Mission movement and will serve as the basis for further research.

The practitioners, educators, and supporters of Business as Mission, as reflected in this survey, are coalescing in their understanding/views of what Business as Mission is. Light is being shed on previously divisive issues and the movement faces a tremendous opportunity to overcome many of the challenges and limitations of the past. But in order to capitalize on this potential, BAM practitioners and the church must put aside their differences, seek to understand each other, and work together leveraging the strengths and experience of each.

In your experience, how does research contribute to online excellence?
I think research is very important for ministries to be excellent online. I wish I had more time for it because it’s so important. If you don’t know where your audience is, you can’t achieve excellence. Having an understanding of where audience is is very important. You also have to understand how they interact with the different sorts of things that are online and what their goals are. Say we have 900 students who are fans of our Facebook page, but only 200 want to interact with us on it; it isn’t realistic for us to push the other 700 of them to engage more online. In this way, the understanding we develop through research helps us to set realistic goals.

What about the use of analytics?
Where research helps us establish our goals, analytics helps us to determine how we are doing in achieving those goals. In addition, there is research that comes from analytics. If our analytics shows that we have 50 hits a month from South Africa, that tells us maybe there is something going on there we need to pay attention to.

What other factors contribute to excellence?
This may fall under research, but you have to have an awareness of what your peers are doing. Not for comparison, but so you can gauge and have the opportunity to dialog with them and explore other things and stretch your horizons. There are a lot things that can be learned from that.

If we’re continually sharpening each other… but not for comparison, balanced by knowledge of who your audience is and what your mission is – I think that can contribute a great deal to being excellent.

I also think that learning an important part of excellence. If you’re not aware of what’s developing, you’ll find that you’re left behind because your audience will have moved on. Research is not something you do one time, but has to be an ongoing process. Being able to learn and grow and understand and be aware of what’s going on is important so that our priorities shift appropriately.

Online excellence is a process, not something you achieve in a one-time “oh we’ve arrived” sort of thing.

You can learn more about Denver Seminary and the great work they are doing advancing the kingdom here.

And you should definitely check out DJ Turner, she’s doing great things in online ministry. Find her on Twitter here.

Seems rather inane to state it like that, but a lot of people don’t know what to make of Facebook. Some don’t even know what Facebook is. Facebook’s incredible growth over the past year has far reaching implications not only for how people spend time online, but also how people interact in their daily lives. And this, in turn, affects the way we as the church operate. So the question is: how does a church make heads or tails of this bellwether of social media?

Since this article is long (1860 words, at last count), let me tell you where I’m going to go with this.

• First, we’ll try to understand the magnitude of growth that Facebook is experiencing.
• Then we’ll look at the factors that have contributed to this growth.
• I’ll present an interpretation of why Facebook is popular that should change the way churches approach it.
• We’ll conclude with a discussion of major implications for churches and their social media strategy.

So, just how popular is Facebook?

The facts:

• According to comScore data, Facebook reached 200 million unique visitors in November of 2008, reflecting a staggering 116 percent growth over the previous year.  Now 20 percent of everyone on the internet uses Facebook. That’s one out of every five people. (Table source: VentureBeat)

Facebook achieves 116 percent growth rate in 2008.

• Facebook is a world wide phenomenon. Here are some facts about Facebook’s global reach:
  • Number of active users : 175 million
  • Percent of Non-English users : 40%
  • Percent of Non-US population : 70%
  • Available number of languages : 43

• Facebook is no longer just for college students. Here’s a look at it’s growth across age groups (Source: Neilsen):

Facebook's 2008 growth by age group.

• Though 55 percent of Facebook’s users are under the age of 25, it is seeing the largest growth among people ages 18 to 49.

CNN Money puts Facebook’s size into perspective this way:

If Facebook were a country, it would have a population nearly as large as Brazil’s. It even edges out the U.S. television audience for Super Bowl XLIII, which drew a record-setting 152 million eyeballs.

In this era of online churches, is it too much of a leap to start sending missionaries to serve online?

But what is even more significant to churches is the increase in time people are spending on Facebook.

According to Compete , US residents spent more time last year on Facebook than any other website. According to Neilsen between December 2007 and December 2008, the total amount of time spent:

• online (globally) increased by 18 percent;
• on ‘Member Community’ sites increased by 63 percent;
• on Facebook increased by 566 percent (!!!!!).

More than 3 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day. It also has the highest average time per person (three hours 10 minutes) amongst the most popular online brands. Not only is Facebook reaching more people but it is consuming more and more of their attention.

So what?

Well, there are two ways to respond to the Facebook phenomenon.

1. Me-Too-ism -or- The Relevance Trap

You may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t understand Facebook, but it’s clear that it isn’t going away so it’s something that our church has to do.”

Given that approximately 61 percent of Protestant Senior Pastors are from the Baby Boomer generation (source: Barna research), the increased popularity of Facebook among their age group may make venturing on to the site less daunting. And so someone from the church staff or  congregation volunteers to set up a “fan” page for the church. Local members begin to sign up, proudly displaying their affiliation. Maybe someone posts some pictures or starts a discussion about a sermon. And VIOLA!! your church has a Facebook strategy!

But what’s the benefit?

Increased awareness of your ministry? Yes. A reputation for being tech-savvy? Sure. Enhanced spiritual growth or gospel-centered community living among the body? It is possible. Enhanced teaching/missions/service/pastoral care/worship/evangelism? What about looking after orphans and widows in their distress? And how helping your members keep themselves from being polluted by the world? How do you do that when you’re giving them a tacit endorsement of Facebook and by extenstion MySpace (gasp!) by having an official church page?

The problem is that developing a social media strategy this way is reactionary and is not start with a true understanding of Facebook and why people are attracted to it. Nor does it incorporate ministry goals or define web-relational models and strategies that are appropriate for Facebook. You’re so busy getting your church on Facebook that you’ve never stopped to ask whether or not doing so advances the mission of the church.

This does not mean you can’t have success without a strategy. Like Woody Allen says, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Churches can not address the Facebook phenomenon without being on Facebook. And good things are happening as a result. There a many stories of life transformation, online conversions, deepening of relationships with Christ, and increased proclamation of the Gospel that are occurring online through tools like Facebook. The value of these can not be diminished. But the truth is that these are the exception, not the rule.

For your consideration: the percentage of the 50 million active Facebook users in the US that express personal interest or affiliation to the follow is disappointingly small (Source: Unconventional Method):

• The Bible – 2.81%
• Christian – 0.77%
• God – 0.69%
• Church – 0.57%
• Love – 0.45%
• Jesus – 0.19%
• Worship – 0.16%
• Theology – 0.10%
• Missions – 0.07%
• Social Justice – 0.05%
• Praying – 0.04%

Compare that to these other popular interests:

• Barack Obama – 6.38%
• Harry Potter – 3.39%
• Football – 2.20%
• Sleeping – 2.13%
• Gym – 2.08%
• Beer – 1.50%
• Food – 1.49%
• Breathing – 0.21%
• Sex – 0.14%

There are more people in the US who are willing to publicly promote on Facebook their affinity for “breathing” than those who would for “Jesus”. Despite our best efforts, the majority of the Body of Christ is not living out their life for Christ on Facebook. (Disclaimer: I too am guilty of this. My personal Facebook profile only mentions that I am a Christian. Though I am a “fan” of Tim Keller, so that’s got to count for something.)

I believe that we, as the church, can and should do more. I believe that the global Body of Christ has the responsibility to engage Facebook (and other realms of social media) as ambassadors of Christ. I believe  it is the responsibility of churches not only to participate in Facebook (and/or) other social media, but to understand what need individuals are having filled at such sites and be able to minister to those very needs with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Which brings me to the second approach to Facebook.

2. Understand and Employ

Why is Facebook so popular? From a functionality perspective, Neilsen identifies the following factors that have contributed to Facebook’s rapid growth:

• Design – it has an organized, simple and easy-to-use interface which appeals to a broader audience;
• Broad appeal – Facebook isn’t targeted towards a specific demographic;
• Activity Focus –  it is focused on connecting as opposed to entertaining;
• Architecture – it combines inventive features and open architecture;
• Privacy – it offers high levels of control over who sees content;

Facebook’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for Facebook is for it to become the main place people live their digital lives. The strategy for achieving this has three components:

• Facebook as the main tool people use to communicate.
• Facebook as the central place for coordination and digital interaction (event organizing, media storage, entertainment and games, job postings and other classifieds, etc.).
• Facebook as the primary mode of personal identification across the web (Facebook Connect).

Neilsen has measured which aspects of Facebook people mention when writing about the network.

The most discussed aspects of Facebook.

As you can see “Friends” and “Profile” received the most mentions while other features d0 not receive as much attention. At it’s very core, Facebook is designed to facilitate interpersonal connections (friends) and online expression of self (profile). And it does so in a way that is accommodating to the preferences of the greatest number of people (simple design, customizable control, variety of features).

When you look at it like that, Facebook isn’t that different from the church. Fundamentally, the church exists to facilitate connections (with God and with others) and to facilitate expression of self (living life centered in Christ).

The difference is that with Facebook, there is very little accountability other than the self-policing that occurs within any group. There are no standards or requirements for participation. There is no commitment involved. There is nothing to promote progress or personal movement. There is no greater theme connecting it all together. It’s just people existing and interacting with others, just at a magnitude far greater than what is possible in real life. But unlike the church, Facebook itself has no meaning.

I was speaking with Tony Ferraro the other day and he believes there is a deeper, more spiritual reason Facebook is so popular. He said that because we are built in God’s image and He exists in relationship, we are compelled to live in relationship. Facebook has simply (and unknowingly) tapped into man’s need to be deeply known.

I think there is great wisdom in that. Sure, you can make the argument that the benefit of social media is how it facilitates interaction, engagement and participation among an audience. But deep down, at the root of the issue is our human need to be known. And in the absence of Jesus Christ, nothing (even Facebook) will meet that need.

So the question the church must ask itself is: are you engaging Facebook for your own good or for the good of others?

Don’t get me wrong, a church social media strategy is a great way to address many of the growth, marketing, and financial challenges facing churches today. According to social media marketers, the top benefits of a social media strategy are (Source: Social Media Marketing Industry Report):

• generating exposure for the organization (81%)
• increasing traffic and growing lists (61%)
• forming new business partnerships (56%)
• increasing search rankings (52%)
• generating qualified leads (48%)
• reducing marketing expenses (45%)
• closing business (35%)

So how do we add “introducing people to Jesus Christ” to the top of that list?

Despite the plethora of research out there about the Facebook phenomenon, ministry groups are only in the early stages of adapting their traditional evangelistic and ministry models to work within this context.

How can we promote activities on Facebook that we believe are central to being Christian and being the church? How do we lead others to use their self-expression and connection with others on Facebook to glorify God and serve His Kingdom?

Unconventional Method is embarking on a project that seeks to answer these questions. We seek forward-thinking churches who would like to participate in a study that examines the effectiveness of social media. We would love to work with your church (leadership, members, and community) in our efforts. In the next few months, we will be distributing an online survey that explores these issues in depth and seeking participants.

If you would like to participate, please email us at research@unconventionalmethod.com. Also, I’d love to hear your comments on how your church is approaching Facebook and what you believe is effective.

Thank you for reading.