Apostolic Tinkertoys

Just when I thought it was safe to check my e-mail, I got another notice from Strang Media.  Another marvel of an opportunity.

It's called "Businistry Works."  Here's a sampler from their web site:

Let Us Help You Build Your Ministry.

Businistry Works is offering a great package to promote your ministry. It is an all around marketing package that will boost your ministry to new heights. Benefit now from this amazing special that currently runs for $2499.00 only.

I'm not sure I want a marketing firm that finds that last sentence not only acceptable, but desirable to advertise their services.  I definitely want a brave knight to ride in on his great horse and slay the literary chimera, Businistry.  I'm reminded of the Barney Miller episode in which a literature professor tore down an advertising sign that declared some breakfast cereal to be "the crun-crun-crunchiest!"

As to their promise of helping build a ministry, I don't necessarily object to the idea of a charitable outfit raising awareness for their cause through advertising and promotion.  But, it's way too easy to forget that business is not ministry is not business.  Ministry is a one-way transfer of what you need from what I have.  Business is a two-way transfer of as little of what I am forced to part with for as much as I can get of what I want from you.

A friend of a friend once warned, "When you try to build a ministry, you end up ministering to a building."  Doesn't mean that every ministry that should avoid the type of service offered by Businistry Works.  It just means that ministries need to be very careful about how much they adopt of business models and practices.  It's a slippery slope once we agree that we are building a ministry, and that we can buy someone's help to do it.