Personalization: An Old Strategy or a New One?

Why Christian organizations lost personalization — and why we need it back

Personalization: to make personal or individual.

In the Christian world, personalization is an old and effective strategy that has been lost in a culture of numbers.

There are four books in the Bible called the Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each has its own characteristics, audience, and author. What they have in common is the story of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark was written by Mark, with strong influence from Peter, one of the 12 men who walked with Jesus Christ and learned at His feet. It is a book focused on the actions of Jesus Christ, where we find precious lessons about His intentions and His heart during His time on earth.

Unlike what we often see today, Jesus Christ did not focus on the crowds following Him. In the Gospel of Mark, we see that, more often than not, His priority was the 12, not the crowd. In a McKinsey article, we notice that one of the realities of our world today is personalization. Business is about working for the masses, but also learning to personalize products to create memorable experiences and loyal customers. Companies’ desire to personalize is tied to their need to survive!

Companies’ desire to personalize is tied to their need to survive!

Christian ministries — those rooted in the teachings of Jesus — should be all about personalization. But too often, instead of personalizing ministry, they are becoming more dependent on numbers. They are being swallowed up by business tools that drive numbers as the force behind their strategy. Organizations are serving abroad and training hundreds every year, hitting "targets" and keeping donors happy with numbers, but missing the opportunity to personalize. This is not meant to attack organizations that are doing good in the world; it is simply the reality of today. Reports and numbers are driving our interest when we ask for names, photos, and prayer requests — rather than the desire to connect personally with those our work can impact most.

Personalization was and is the best way to reach the goal of taking the gospel to those who have never heard it. Personalization brings multiplication! The best example of this strategy is Jesus Christ empowering the 12 disciples to do the work when He ascended into heaven. Numbers should not drive ministries; personalization should. Numbers can be a helpful outcome, but they should not drive the vision. Let’s focus on Peter, John, and James, not the crowd!

Do you agree that personalization is more effective in reaching the goal of the Great Commission?