LaVrai – The Truth

Wow. This has apparently been a business for a long time, but this is the first I’m hearing of it. There are mystery shopper companies that cater to churches — yes, churches. Check out the reasons given for hiring a complete stranger to come to your worship service to judge everything. No longer are church leaders concerned about saving men’s souls, it’s apparently now just about filling the pews. If big, flashy worship bands is what attract your worshipers, you may want to find out why their flesh is so concerned with a show. If you find yourself having business meetings about how to make your church relevant, you may instead want to consider having meetings about going out to evangelize the masses. It’s about souls, not a body count. These church leaders may want to consider consulting the LORD on this matter. HIS consultation is totally free and always spot-on — and hits the core, instead of skimming the service.

Excerpt:

At least half a dozen consulting companies have introduced secret-church-shopper services in recent years. The A Group, a Brentwood, Tenn., marketing firm for churches and faith-based groups, now conducts mystery-worshipper surveys at 15 to 20 churches a year, up from a handful five years ago. Church marketing company Real Church Solutions in Corona, Calif., introduced mystery-worshipper services five years ago. “First-time guests, they don’t come with mercy, they come with judgment,” says the company’s president, Chris Sonksen. “They’re looking for a reason to leave.”

… Churches eager to adopt cutting-edge business practices have emerged as the latest market willing to pay for blunt advice. The cost can range from around $150 for a one-time visit to between $1,500 and $2,500 for multiple visits and a detailed report.

… Some theologians warn that mystery-worshipper services will drive “spiritual consumerism.” Evaluating churches as if they were restaurants or hotels might encourage people to choose their church not according to its theology, but based on which one has the best lattes or day care, says Paul Metzger, professor of theology at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Ore. “We tend to look for religion or spirituality that will give us what we want, when we want it,” Prof. Metzger says. “There’s a pressure for the church to be something that the church is not.” (Source)

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