Yes to all. I have largely stepped back from my own platform because I felt drowned by the faith as product zeitgeist. It was drowning. It is drowning.
This is so well-written and almost instantly begs a re-read. What strikes me most is that every ministry must die. Lots to think about and reflect in my own heart!
This is a fantastic piece and points to something I’ve noticed, which is that I’ve never seen someone becoming more joyful or charitable as their “following” grew. In fact, the more followers a person gains on YouTube or X or wherever, the more defensive and self-involved they tend to become (I’m talking on a grand scale here, not about someone going from 500 - 1000 followers over a few months!). That’s a huge part of why I deleted Instagram, not that I was ever going to become a celebrity!
That's a really profound observation. I'm a believer that it's not healthy for anyone to constantly see a "follower count," especially as it gets larger!!
Wow Rachael this whole piece is so excellent and can be applied to so many other areas besides ministry (though I think the profundity of it comes through most in this area -- that "prayers prayed" chart is just dystopian to me). I was recently talking with a friend about the publishing industry and how it similarly operates not on 'is this good writing? is this a story people need to hear?' but 'how many followers does this person have? how we will we brand this?' The result is that there is plenty of sub-par books being published by people with the right "following" and plenty of complicated stories filled with great writing that never see the light of day. We get simplistic narratives that work well in a Tik-Tok video. And when you apply that attitude to people's faith life it's... messy. I often think of the 'price' of not being on social media re certain opportunities but I think the 'cost' is just too high. So much admiration for you running a nonprofit without it!
Thanks for including your note about the hallow founder’s personal generosity. Any apostolate or ministry that gets really big runs the risk of being cast as being “about numbers.” Should they plan to stay scrappy to avoid that accusation, or that danger? Is that not maybe limiting Gods work? I imagine hallow would still help people to pray if it was a lot “less successful” and it would attract less ire. Maybe that’s tempting, to stay on the right side of the tech-skeptic crowd (which I’m in too tbh). But maybe, as you suggest, they don’t really care about the numbers. As they said- in that literal post, the glory is Gods.
I think my point is that companies like Hallow, by nature of being for-profit, are coloring their motivations. That doesn't mean that their company can't bear fruit, but I don't think it's a true apostolate when it's mixed into the for-profit world. Your question about "limiting God's work" is the mentality I'm trying to pinpoint--higher numbers do not equal "more" of God's work, because it can't be quantified.
Sure, for sure. But for one thing I think we often feel an ick toward things that seem tainted by money or profit when we are ministry/nonprofit people, and that’s more emotional than rational sometimes. Or maybe rational but not fair or proportional.
And for another, when you start something from scratch with prayer and discernment, you can’t help but see continued existence as Gods fingerprints somehow. It doesn’t mean you equate size with success, but something being alive (biologically, definitionally) means it is growing, so being glad about growth may just be sheer gratitude that something is alive and kicking, with God always as the sustainer of life.
I see your point, especially about biological analogy, etc. but I disagree that the "ick" is more emotional, or not fair or proportional--thanks for commenting!
This is so good, Rachael. You've articulated something that has been bothering me for quite a while. Thanks for having the courage to write this!
Thanks for reading, Maria!
Yes to all. I have largely stepped back from my own platform because I felt drowned by the faith as product zeitgeist. It was drowning. It is drowning.
Cheers to you, truly
This is so well-written and almost instantly begs a re-read. What strikes me most is that every ministry must die. Lots to think about and reflect in my own heart!
Great piece. Someone has to say it and keep saying it. Echos of my heart.
I feel ya!
This is a fantastic piece and points to something I’ve noticed, which is that I’ve never seen someone becoming more joyful or charitable as their “following” grew. In fact, the more followers a person gains on YouTube or X or wherever, the more defensive and self-involved they tend to become (I’m talking on a grand scale here, not about someone going from 500 - 1000 followers over a few months!). That’s a huge part of why I deleted Instagram, not that I was ever going to become a celebrity!
That's a really profound observation. I'm a believer that it's not healthy for anyone to constantly see a "follower count," especially as it gets larger!!
Wow Rachael this whole piece is so excellent and can be applied to so many other areas besides ministry (though I think the profundity of it comes through most in this area -- that "prayers prayed" chart is just dystopian to me). I was recently talking with a friend about the publishing industry and how it similarly operates not on 'is this good writing? is this a story people need to hear?' but 'how many followers does this person have? how we will we brand this?' The result is that there is plenty of sub-par books being published by people with the right "following" and plenty of complicated stories filled with great writing that never see the light of day. We get simplistic narratives that work well in a Tik-Tok video. And when you apply that attitude to people's faith life it's... messy. I often think of the 'price' of not being on social media re certain opportunities but I think the 'cost' is just too high. So much admiration for you running a nonprofit without it!
Yes! This is so true. I was actually turned down on a contract for a second book because of this. In total agreement that the cost would be too high!
Excellent work, Rachael!
Thanks for including your note about the hallow founder’s personal generosity. Any apostolate or ministry that gets really big runs the risk of being cast as being “about numbers.” Should they plan to stay scrappy to avoid that accusation, or that danger? Is that not maybe limiting Gods work? I imagine hallow would still help people to pray if it was a lot “less successful” and it would attract less ire. Maybe that’s tempting, to stay on the right side of the tech-skeptic crowd (which I’m in too tbh). But maybe, as you suggest, they don’t really care about the numbers. As they said- in that literal post, the glory is Gods.
I think my point is that companies like Hallow, by nature of being for-profit, are coloring their motivations. That doesn't mean that their company can't bear fruit, but I don't think it's a true apostolate when it's mixed into the for-profit world. Your question about "limiting God's work" is the mentality I'm trying to pinpoint--higher numbers do not equal "more" of God's work, because it can't be quantified.
Sure, for sure. But for one thing I think we often feel an ick toward things that seem tainted by money or profit when we are ministry/nonprofit people, and that’s more emotional than rational sometimes. Or maybe rational but not fair or proportional.
And for another, when you start something from scratch with prayer and discernment, you can’t help but see continued existence as Gods fingerprints somehow. It doesn’t mean you equate size with success, but something being alive (biologically, definitionally) means it is growing, so being glad about growth may just be sheer gratitude that something is alive and kicking, with God always as the sustainer of life.
I see your point, especially about biological analogy, etc. but I disagree that the "ick" is more emotional, or not fair or proportional--thanks for commenting!
Matthew 6:2.
I really appreciated this. Putting a thumb on something really massive, and toxic, here.
Thanks for reading! Yes, I feel like there's so much more to it than this...it's a start.