Posted by:
The Oncoming Storm - bc
(
)
Date: June 25, 2013 10:58AM
LDS Inc is taking the wrong strategy with online missionary work.
1) The internet is a loosing battleground for them. Let's face it - an area of open communication and the ability to review all sides of the issue does not stand in their favor. I'm sure what they are hoping to do is mask and hide the other side of the story on the internet but this will not be successful. In fact the silly dogmatic answers given by the lay church members and young missionaries online will just make the church look trite. Even FAIR which has a higher level of contributor does the same.
2) The way LDS inc brings people in is "high touch". They get converts by creating the personal connection and heartsell. This is how they are effective. People joining do so largely for social reasons. They have close friends, family, or a romantic interest who is Mormon and/or they develop a very tight knit relationship with the missionaries. The internet is "low touch".
The church is playing to their recruitment weaknesses not strengths.
Same goes for church tours. They have misread their numbers that those who received a tour were more likely to join. They failed to apply the appropriate data for why these people joined - my guess is its not because the tours inspired these people, but only because those who received the tours were already more likely to join - who else would go on such a tour?
No one is going to be that interested in such tours and they certainly wouldn't be super excited and inspired by it. This really is just going to be another guilt trip for the members because they aren't going to want to have their friends tour the ward buildings, but will feel guilted to do so. It may be effective for missionaries to take investigators through before attending church for the first time to make them feel less anxious about attending, but that is the only potential benefit.
As others have stated. Were the church smart at all they would have the missionaries fill the unproductive time with true community service. That would increase their "high touch" approach and even as a strong church critic I would have to grudgingly admit that was a least a positive contribution.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2013 11:00AM by The Oncoming Storm - bc.