Spiritual salesmanship

By John Meunier on

Adam Hamilton’s book Selling Swimsuits in the Artic includes the assertion by him that everything we do in church is sales. He is passionate about that and – obviously – has figured out how to translate that vision into a large and influential church.

But – and maybe I just don’t have the gifts for that kind of ministry – I keep finding the comparison between sales and spiritual work ill fitting – like a borrowed suit.

Are we in sales? Is preaching just another kind of selling?

Advertisement
Posted in: Preaching

7 Responses

  1. gavin richardson

    i suppose a better question is.. if you or i are in sales, do you/i believe in our product?

  2. Christopher

    We are commanded to sell…all that we have (big buildings included) to the poor and then follow Jesus. Perhaps Rev. Hamilton doesn’t really know how right he is.

  3. UMJeremy

    As a pastor, I’m not in sales. I’m in quality assurance.

  4. Earl

    Hamilton has it right.

    1. John Meunier

      Earl, I’d love to know your thinking on this.

  5. doroteos2

    There’s sales and then there’s sales. My problem is that we have taken the most precious and valuable gift in the world and then hawk it ala Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and late night informercials. The whole sales metaphor cheapens what we do, but then we do live in America where we tend to trade quality for quantity and integrity for celebrity every time.

  6. John Meunier

    I appreciate the responses.

    It seems the metaphor strikes different people in different ways. It gives me something to ponder as I sift through my own reactions to it. How much is me and how much is the metaphor?