In her landmark church communications book Less Clutter, Less Noise: Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales, Kem Meyer of Granger Community Church writes:
“In theory, more choices may lead people to find exactly what they want. But, research shows people actually feel worse. Too much choice leads to one of three results: regret, shutdown or paralysis.”
And this is what contemporary churches often give their people:
- Choices between “traditional,” and “contemporary” worship services.
- Sometimes even a third choice, usually labeled something like “mosaic,” or “ancient-future.”
- “Ministry Fair” styled choices between many affinity-based small groups.
- Church bulletins and websites overloaded with information, some of which isn’t even related to the church
- So many competing micro messages that the main message and vision of the church gets lost
In The Paradox Of Choice: Why Less Is More (How The Culture Of Abundance Robs Us Of Satisfaction), Barry Schwartz elaborates on the problem of too much freedom in the Western world. He provides case studies that back this thesis:
“A large array of options may discourage consumers because it forces an increase in the effort that goes into making a decision. So consumers decide not to decide, and don’t buy the product. Or if they do, the effort that the decision requires detracts from the enjoyment derived from the results. Also, a large array of options may diminish the attractiveness of what people actually choose, the reason being that thinking about the attractions of some of the unchosen options detracts from the pleasure derived from the chosen one.”
If you are old enough to remember, say, 1985, think about Continue reading
Kristen And Bobby Gilles 