Jesus Cropped from the Picture

More Identity, Less Method

leaving the outcomes to God, Pragmatics tend to judge a ministry’s legitimacy on measurable outcomes, especially attendance, buildings, and cash. If these are increasing, it is assumed ministry is effective, legitimate, and blessed. Jethani said, “What if we are not the primary agents behind bountiful growth or its absence? What if we stopped judging ourselves and others based on outcomes which rightfully belong to God, and rediscovered the humility of the sower—the one who rises day and night, casts the seed upon the ground and marvels as it grows?” 137 For Pragmatics who are on the brink of burnout, this paradigm shift may be a source of relief—and “just in the nick of time.” In fact, it may seem “too good to be true” that the Pragmatic can actually get off the treadmill of “numbers as a measure of success.” Innovating Appropriately Some Pragmatics may be tempted to use Sacred Roots as another way to appeal to the individual consumer. Their familiarity with the Marketing Concept will drive them to use narrative and mystery as tools to meet individual needs, or as a new way to package the message for mass appeal. The challenge for Pragmatics is to use innovation without being driven by it . For example, David Wells said, “Relevance is not about … the hottest marketing trend, the latest demographic, the newest study on depression, what younger a generation thinks, Starbucks, or contempo- rary music … Studies on contemporary life, whether of a demographic or a psychological kind, ... are helpful in understanding the way life is in a

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