Have you ever tried to give someone a Christian book or tell someone about your idea or event regarding Jesus and you see that, far from a welcome reception, the person you approach obviously finds you intrusive, annoying and irrelevant?
Yeah. It’s happened to me too.
This can lead to the false conclusion that people are uninterested in Jesus. That’s impossible. Jesus is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them.
The negative reaction to our approach could be the result of the fact that, in this age of the interwebs and global transportation:
The value of attention or “the attention economy” is not a brand new concept . However, we in campus ministry probably haven’t fully considered how this changes the ways people respond to what we do. I believe that the obvious fatigue that we observe in others when we approach them with our “new thing” is a result of the altered expectations people have in light of the demands on their attention.
People say time is money. If time is money, attention is gold .
How will you earn the attention of people who know they don’t have to pay attention to you, even when you impose on them?
One possibility is earning attention through inbound valuing.
What is inbound valuing?
Valuing : I would like to drop the use of the word marketing in the non-profit/social sector; at least with regard to this non-profit: Cru. Marketing is a word that derives from commerce and markets specifically where items are bought and sold. That’s not what we do. We don’t carry cash registers on campus. We don’t have stores. What we do is value Jesus. The Christian word for value is worship but value is more broadly and easily understood. We value Jesus, therefore we value grace and truth, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, etc. When we approach a student to “tell them about Jesus,” we aren’t simply trying to convey information. We are trying to express the value of Jesus and all that is valuable because of him. It’s not marketing, it’s valuing.
Inbound : This graphic shows the difference between inbound vs. outbound marketing . This is an important response to the “attention economy” and the ability for anyone to force themselves into the attention of others. “Inbound marketing” is “any marketing tactic that relies on earning people’s interest” instead of using money to demand or intrude on their interest through traditional advertising.
So, what is inbound valuing? It is earning the interest of others by revealing the value of Jesus in an activity or place.
Some examples:
Lifelines : revealing how the value of Jesus improves the outdoor experience. Lifelines interests anyone who loves the outdoors. Lifelines reveals how the outdoors can be a place to experience grace and truth, boundaries, justice and mercy. These experiences are all expressions of what Jesus values and how his values heighten the experience of the outdoors. People often find Lifelines, asking how they can go on a trip with Lifelines to experience the outdoors. In the process they experience Jesus.
Haiti Relief : When Cru mobilized to bring help to the devastated country of Haiti, we created a valuable opportunity for people to help their fellow man. Many who don’t love Jesus joined in because they love to help others. The brave Cru staff who went to Haiti had the opportunity to show and tell the value of Jesus as the source of love.
Athletes in Action : AIA is a ministry by athletes for athletes. Through events and conversation, AIA invites athletes to see the value of sport and experience Jesus as the ultimate victor.
Many other examples could be offered to illustrate the point. What are you doing to add value, educate, and entertain your fellow human? How does Jesus add value to that endeavor?
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