You may have heard on the news last week that, in terms of “numbers of stores”, “Subway” is now the largest fast food chain in the world. How did that happen? Of course, they benefitted from the trend toward more healthy diets and away from more traditional “fast foods”. That alone, though, cannot be the secret to Subway’s success, because every fast food chain is offering “healthy” choices on their menus, so what makes Subway unique?
One article stated that they grew because they were willing to be creative. They were not locked into just one way of running a restaurant. Therefore, you can find a Subway restaurant in a Brazilian appliance store, a German Riverboat, a Detroit high school, a church foyer and not a few Saskatchewan gas stations. It is the same food just in a non-traditional outlet. Instead of making the customer come to them, they have decided to set up shop wherever their customers happen to be and it has worked.
As I read that story, I thought about church and wondered, “Have we learned this lesson?” Are we taking our message of hope out to where the people are, or are we sitting back in our “Christian stores” and saying, “If you want what we have, come and find us?”
In Matthew chapter twenty-eight, Jesus says, ““All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (verses 18-20).
You may know that some say that “Therefore go and make disciples” would be better translated “As you are going, make disciples”. One modern English version says, “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near” (The Message). The idea from the start was that God’s people would be a blessing wherever they went. “As they went” they would help, teach and live their faith and by doing so others would want to become Christians too.
Subway has become ultra-successful because they are committed to serving people wherever they meet them.
The church (and Christians in general) will only be successful, effective and “Biblically correct” when we learn the same lesson.
One article stated that they grew because they were willing to be creative. They were not locked into just one way of running a restaurant. Therefore, you can find a Subway restaurant in a Brazilian appliance store, a German Riverboat, a Detroit high school, a church foyer and not a few Saskatchewan gas stations. It is the same food just in a non-traditional outlet. Instead of making the customer come to them, they have decided to set up shop wherever their customers happen to be and it has worked.
As I read that story, I thought about church and wondered, “Have we learned this lesson?” Are we taking our message of hope out to where the people are, or are we sitting back in our “Christian stores” and saying, “If you want what we have, come and find us?”
In Matthew chapter twenty-eight, Jesus says, ““All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (verses 18-20).
You may know that some say that “Therefore go and make disciples” would be better translated “As you are going, make disciples”. One modern English version says, “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near” (The Message). The idea from the start was that God’s people would be a blessing wherever they went. “As they went” they would help, teach and live their faith and by doing so others would want to become Christians too.
Subway has become ultra-successful because they are committed to serving people wherever they meet them.
The church (and Christians in general) will only be successful, effective and “Biblically correct” when we learn the same lesson.
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