Businesses exist to make money. They find or develop a product or service that can be sold for a profit. Income from the sales support ongoing business expenses (like staff, buildings, equipment, and office expenses), ongoing business investments (like consumer and trade marketing), as well as research and development for future business endeavors. The profits from the company are used to provide a return on investment for the owners/shareholders.
A business would look at the financials of Life Bridge and develop a business plan that would drive increased sales, cut expenses, or both. Money may be used in marketing to better get the word out and to outpace the competition (other churches).
While there is no Scriptural problem with marketing per se, competing against other parts of God’s Church is clearly working against Kingdom work (Mark 9:39-40) and God’s design for the Church to function as His Body (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4:1-16).
In addition to this, money cannot be the purpose of the church. The church has a mission (Matthew 28:19-20), but Jesus trained his disciples to accomplish this without making money their treasure (Luke 12:15-34). When he sent them on practice runs, two by two, he told them not to take money or possessions with them (Mark 6:7-11, Luke 10:1-12). People were rejected because they wanted to hold on to their money (Matthew 19:21-22). Not only that, we are condemned when we welcome “consumers” who have money over “non-consumers” who do not have money to spend (James 2:1-9). Clearly, God’s Church cannot work with the underlying goal of making money.
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