On this platform, we’ll look at a great many companies and cultural touchstones with a special focus on some of my favorite companies and interests, one of which is Marvel.
welcome to the collision of church leadership and pop culture. (part four – marvel.)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a (mostly) great example of storytelling and strategic planning.
They took characters most people didn’t care about (at the time) and built a connected universe that shaped an entire generation’s idea of heroism, sacrifice, purpose, and community.
And they did it through a few strategic principles that translate beautifully to church leadership:
1. Consistency builds trust.
Marvel trained audiences to believe, “This is going somewhere.”
Churches have to do the same. Not in a manipulative way. In a shepherding way. People want to know the investment of their time, effort, skills and generosity matters. They want to see a pathway. They want to be a part of a story bigger than the current moment. Just like the post-credits scene every movie-goer came to expect from Marvel, your church is trusting you to deliver a clear direction that builds trust. They are waiting all the way through the credits to see a glimpse of what’s coming next.
2. The “post-credit scene” matters.
Marvel understood the power of anticipation – ending something while hinting at what’s next.
Church application: next steps aren’t an announcement; or a sign up table in the lobby, they’re a discipleship strategy. Don’t just end services – send people. Every sermon, every event, every service, every gathering should have a next step. Every person, whether they’ve been at the church for 30 minutes or 30 years, has a next step. So the movie doesn’t just end, it teases what’s coming next.
3. Not every character carries the franchise.
Marvel gave certain characters the spotlight at certain moments, then built teams, then moved focus again. Not every service, event, song, small group, or class needs to be a blockbuster tent-pole super hero movie. Face it, sometimes you’ve just got to power through “The Eternals” to get to “Spider Man: No Way Home,” knowing that “The Eternals” is going to be two hours and thirty seven minutes of my life I’ll never get back, but even at it’s worst, it’s still moving the larger story forward, you know, like that small group that meets every week for Bunko – there may not be a lot of next steps happening there, but at least people are in community together and that gives us a chance to move the plot forward.
And since we’re talking about not every character carrying the franchise, can I also say that not every announcement or event is a “can’t miss” moment. We use phrases like:
- “Don’t Miss It”
- “It’s going to be a life-changing experience.”
- “Make sure you invite a friend.”
But, man, we’ve got to be careful when using these phrases because let’s be honest, that Bunko small group is not likely to be a life-changing experience. And if I miss next week’s service, I’ll likely be able to catch a similar one the following week. And, when you produce an event, service or ministry that I can be proud of, then maybe I’ll consider inviting a friend.
At some point, if you feed people over-hyped, mediocre events, services and ministries constantly, the events, services and ministries stop feeling special.
“if everything is a big deal, nothing is a big deal.”
You don’t need an “epic” Sunday every Sunday. We need faithful people, not flashy. People who will love their neighbor even when no one is watching and even when it’s hard. We need people who will give up the end seat and move to the middle to make it easier for a first time guest to find a seat (HERESY!). Faithfully advancing the Kingdom of God in our communities, that’s what we need.
You need the whole MCU, even She-Hulk, The Eternals, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Well, maybe not Quantumania.
dc.
