I find an interesting analysis of American culture, with all sorts of implications for ministry, to be Applebee’s America by Sosnik, Dowd, and Fournier.
The authors reflect on the second presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush that won against the odds, the success of the Applebee’s restaurant chain, and the fruitful work of Pastor Rick Warren. They draw from these very different figures some intriguing insights about what it takes to connect with American’s today.
The authors identify what they call “Gut Values Connections.” They argue that people want authenticity and community (not surprisingly two core values of the emerging/emergent church movement) as well as empathy, optimism, belonging, and purpose among other values. When a politician or a business or a church connects with people at an emotional “gut values” level, the authors contend that people will respond in positive ways.
For those of us who imagine that people should respond first to our convictions and our understanding of truth and its consequences, Sosnik, et al are merely showing that their research at the present time suggests we have to reach America’s gut at the same time we speak to its mind and heart.
Applebee's America offers countless implications for the vibrant church in its transformational and missional initiatives. Obviously values such as community, belonging, purpose, and many of the values Sosnik et al identify are very much a part of our understanding of what a healthy, vital transformational and missional congregation is all about.
Some questions to consider:
What “gut values” do our present congregational ministries connect with?
How can we shape our emphases in order to make effective “gut values connections” not only with our communities but with our own participants?
With Joy - E. Stanley Ott
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