McDonald’s and Evangelism: Why shopping online affects Christian witness
At our church home group last week, my husband referred to our society as a “McDonald’s” generation – our technology-driven industry means that we’ve grown accustomed to demanding and expecting instant results at the click of a button. Fast food, fast results, fast life.
The music industry and publishing world have also lent themselves to the success of the internet – with mp3 players, mobile phones and tablets becoming increasingly more versatile and affordable. Music, movie and e-book downloads are rocketing, and even Christian artists and authors are promoting their work for online downloads. One click, and a PayPal page later, and it’s yours.
So what’s the problem? Shouldn’t we embrace our success in technological advances? There is most definitely a place for all the internet has to offer – its communicative, informative and resourceful purposes are second to none. However, the ease at which music, movies and books are available online has an incredible detrimental effect on small, high street bookshops. More and more of these independent, or small-chain, shops are closing their doors for good, and the danger is even more heightened for Christian booksellers.
But why is this an issue? If Christian books and music are still being bought, read and listened to, why does it matter where they are sourced? Simply put, Christian bookshops are not just small, independent businesses. They are the face of Christianity on the high street. As a part of this struggling industry, we, at Quench, are acutely aware of the effect our shop has on regular passers-by. Whether consciously, or otherwise, non-Christians are impacted by the titles and messages we display in our windows.
Yes, business is obviously a primary focus of our existence, but we believe so much more in the evangelistic opportunities afforded to us in this situation. Church can be a daunting experience for the majority of our society, and we offer a safe middle ground. Those with genuine, seeking questions are free to come into our relaxed, retail environment to discuss the big issues. I don’t hesitate in stating that without the presence of Christian bookshops in city centres, the Church loses something of her witness. (Even our postman has stopped to ask us questions about our faith, and left with a copy of John Blanchard’s Ultimate Questions in hand).
We understand the ease, and even price difference, of shopping online, but the value of supporting your local Christian bookshop is so much greater than saving a few pounds or minutes of your time. With your regular business, we are able to sustain our relationships with the local community and churches (and the postman!). We do strive to offer you the best deals we can – such as special pre-order prices on certain new products – and if we don’t have what you are looking for, we can usually get it for you.
So when you’re next online and you’re thinking about downloading that CD, or buying that book – think of us and our ministry. Your support is invaluable to us, and helps to keep the presence of Christianity on the high street.
