Can the Church learn from Apple? Consumers know that Apple makes high quality products, evokes deep customer loyalty and promotes a strong brand image. Apple continues to see increases in market share for its phones and ipad divisions. In January of 2012, Apple released its official 4Q earnings, stating that the company has $97.6 Billion in cash on hand.
So what can the Church learn from Apple? On Monday, March 12, 2012, London's English Standard Newspaper interviewed Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design. Ive is asked about Apple's philosophy of product development and his views on what makes a successful product. The Evening Standard's Science and Technology Editor asks Ive for his thoughts on Apple's competitors and why they don't measure up to Apple's standards. The answers that Ive provides are thoughtful and wise, calculated and full of insight into Apple's culture.
Reading this interview through the lens of a pastor, I think that Apple has a lot to teach the Church.
Here are a few thoughts.
1. Think systems... It is easy to segment Church life into different categories, all acting independent of each other. Apple's philosophy is to think systematically from the initial idea, to design and prototype to the finished product. I wonder how the Church could be more effective, if it thought in terms of systems vs independent silos.
2. Look for creative ideas to address simple issues... Creativity breeds confidence in your congregation and inspires others to think in non-traditional ways. Unity arises when an idea germinates into a specific plan.
3. Find people who are willing to be wrong... Seek out those who don't mind challenging the status quo and those who are willing to go out on a limb. Making mistakes means that you are trying to solve a problem and the willingness to be wrong indicates a healthy Church.
4. Knowing when to pull the plug and when to see the problem as an opportunity... This is a difficult one for Churches as programs easily become institutionalized and the, 'that's the way we've always done it' mentality takes root. Wisdom is needed to discern when a problem exceeds the effort given, and when a problem is an opportunity for growth.
Read the interview and comment on what you think the Church can learn from Apple... I would love to hear your thoughts....
2 comments:
Very interesting way to think about it all. I think you are right - the church can become stagnant when there is the mentality that we have always done it that way so why change. I think one way of changing that is to always open yourself up to new ideas and new thoughts - listen to the people. In fact a met a woman about a year ago through my work and have since tried very hard to take on her philosophy. She told me that her philosophy was to never say no, but instead find a way to make whatever was being suggested work. She said she got that advice from a very successful artist and from the moment he gave her that advice she has followed it and found a way to never say no, but instead to make it work somehow. She said it might mean some extra work on her part, but it always works and she puts her faith in the Lord.
I think when the church takes the philosphy that they will listen to the people and try to meet their needs and they are opened to change the people feel more welcome. They are also able to feel more a part of the church because they feel a commitment and desire to continue participating. That is one thing I like about this blog - it is yet another avenue to meet people where they are instead of trying to make them fit into a tiny little box!!
The systems thing is huge. Good systems with properly functioning subsystems will recognize and react to dampen the effects of errors while at the same time perpetuating desired actions.
For the Church, we need to recognize the sin (often that we help to perpetuate) in our culture will have ramifications. For example, when apple decided to outsource the exploitation of workers to Foxcon in order to provide us with cheap(ish) products, it turned its (as well as its investors') profits into blood money. Apple is acting out of self-interest - squeezing out every bit of profitability from its products for itself and its investors. This is an economic strategy the Church is actively helping to push in US policy. And in the name of "not being a burden" to our family and society we place our retirement investments in Apple and companies like apple. In the free market we trust... surely God will understand "we didn't know".... of course we didn't bother to find out either.
Fortunately, we have been given direction and examples for dampening out the effects of self-interest. They are given to us in Deuteronomy 15 and demonstrated in Acts 4:32-37.
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