What are the key topics to consider in planning and developing a new Christian product for discipleship, evangelism, education, or other kind of engagement? What are the questions we should be asking ourselves as we consider ?
An initial thought about three P’s of product, protection, and promotion quickly expanded. Alliteration may have got the better of me or provided a framework for some valid thinking. Other p’s could be partnership, professionalism, pride (the good and bad kinds) , patience, perseverance, perspiration (effort and hard work), perspicacity (deep insight and discernment) , politeness (cultural sensitivity), pushiness, possessiveness (releasing organisational hold and letting community emotionally own products and process).
-
People & Purpose
If the main goal is to see people growing in God it’s not about having a great product and another community to launch it amongst. Engagement starts with looking at the community and their needs. Wherever possible this includes local partnership and increasingly local ownership (possession?).
-
Prayer
You can make a great looking product without anyone doing a lot of prayer. Your goal is for God to use your product. Involve him all the way.
-
Product
If you have a standard product you hopefully have some clear ideas about when to use it and some guidelines about how to modify it. If representatives of the community are choosing a product you have some ideas about what is appropriate.
-
Production
Making the product involves skills, resources and relationships. Fastest isn’t always best. Politeness, in terms of working within the local culture, may require equal expertise. Production covers creation of the initial product, presentation and publishing – creating the right number of copies, at the right cost per unit.
-
Protection
Copyright, archiving, and publishing agreements ensure the product can be produced, reproduced with clarity about permissions and responsibilities. This protection is essential to sustained use of the materials we produce and within the different cultural contexts to maintaining partnerships and relationships. Other areas of protection involve looking at a range of threats and taking appropriate steps towards risk management.
-
Promotion
The goal is not a product. The goal is people who are engaged and growing in God impacted and helped by the right resources. Promotion and distribution are not always the responsibility producers of the product.
-
imProvement
Monitoring and evaluation are key to learning and growth. Where next? Are there improvements to be made to the product? Is there a follow up? Are there strategies about use and increased impact?
There are plenty of other possibilities for inclusion on this list, and not everything has to start with the same letter. Some will be covered at a deeper level in other posts on the EMDC blog and via online seminars and training.