Why Christian organizations have lost personalization—and why we need it back.
Personalization, to make personal or individual.
In the Christian world, personalization is an old, effective strategy that got lost in the culture of numbers.
There are four books in the Bible called the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each one has its own characteristics, audience, and author. What they have in common is the story of Jesus Christ. The book of Mark was written by Mark with a strong influence from Peter, one of the 12 men who walked with and learned at Jesus Christ’s feet. It’s a book focusing on the actions of Jesus Christ where we find precious lessons of his intention and heart during his time on earth.
Unlike what we often see today, Jesus Christ did not focus on the crowds that followed him. In the Gospel of Mark, we see that often his priority was the 12, not the crowd. In this article from McKinsey, we notice that one of the realities of our world today is personalization. Business is about working for the crowd and also learning how to personalize products to create memorable experiences and loyal customers. The desire for companies to personalize is tied to their need to survive!
The desire for companies to personalize is tied to their need to survive!
Christian ministries—the ones rooted in Jesus’ teachings—should be all about personalization. But often, instead of personalizing the ministry, they are becoming more dependent on numbers. They are getting swallowed by the business tools that lead to numbers as the driving force behind their strategy. Organizations are serving overseas and training hundreds every year, reaching “goals” and making donors happy with numbers but missing the opportunity to personalize. This isn’t meant to attack organizations that are doing good in the world; it’s simply the reality of today. Reports and numbers are leading our interest when we request names, pictures, and prayer requests—not the desire to connect personally with those that our work can most impact.
Personalization was and is the best way to achieve the goal of bringing the gospel to the ones who have never heard. Personalization brings multiplication! The best example of this strategy is Jesus Christ empowering the 12 disciples to do the work when he ascended to heaven. Numbers should not lead ministries; personalization should. Numbers can be a helpful consequence but should not lead the vision. Let’s focus on the Peter, John, and James and not on the crowd!
Do you agree that personalization is more efficient to achieve the goal of the Great Commission?
Eduardo Mendes
Founder and President
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