When I say "market driven" I am referring to the contemporary ethos in culture whose only value is infinite growth and production. This market-driven culture is equally present in the contemporary evangelical church.

This is very different from the Hebraic mindset of the Word of God the church should be taking its cues from. The following are the characteristics of this market-driven culture:

1. The market culture celebrates growth more than quality. In the present market-driven culture, bigger is better, having more is a sign of blessing and human identity, and self-worth arises out of the amount of possessions one has.

In biblical Christianity, obedience to the will of God is the highest goal. That being said, the focus of the New Testament was on equipping the saints for the work of the ministry and making disciples, not just gathering big crowds that come from good event planning, good location and having access and relevancy to growing communities.

Although God wants every seat filled in church buildings, He does not want that to be the ultimate goal but rather a means to an end, which is making disciples who will change the world.

2. The market culture favors competition rather than humility. The present market economy thrives on competition, which ensures the highest quality of customer satisfaction and service because people will shop somewhere else in a free-market system if they are not satisfied. While this is a good quality for business, it is not healthy for the body of Christ since it can cause pastors, churches and denominations to be in competition with one another for membership. This is against the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-23 when He says the world will know that He was sent to the world when the church is one with Him and with each other. Competition among leaders is also condemned by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 3:4-5.

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