Jobs To Be Done Theory for the church

What are the Jobs To Be Done that a church provides for believers?

Published in

Church Design

3 min readMar 20, 2018

Introduction

Before we dive in, let me introduce Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) in a few sentences. It is a radical product innovation theory proposed by Clayton Christensen in his book Competing Against Luck. In a nutshell, all of us are aspirational beings, and we hire products to perform a task in our lives so that we can achieve a higher goal. In the classic milkshake example, on a long road trip, a driver may hire a milkshake to accompany him on the trip (the “job”), not only as a beverage but also as a distraction while driving. While a Snickers bar may do the same “job”, the milkshake is better at fulfilling the job of distraction. It takes longer to drink a milkshake, and you can still drive with one hand on the cup and the other hand on the wheel.

What is interesting to me about the theory is that a user usually hires a superior product to perform the job in place of another inferior product. For instance, watching Netflix fulfills a better job of letting you unwind after a long day’s work than reading a newspaper or a book. This opens up the possibilities of competitors that you would normally not think of. Netflix’s competitor is not your cable television, but your magazine, Nintendo, or even your bed!

So, what are the jobs to be done of a church? What are the root causes of someone ‘hiring’ a church? Here are some possibilities.

Community

People go to church for different reasons. They may go there to be entertained by loud music, a show, or listen to a motivational speaker, or to make friends. Most regular Christians planted in a local church are there for the community of like-minded believers who share common beliefs and values. After all, this was how the early church started in the book of Acts. The Bible says they shared with one another freely. The Christians believed in the gospel, and then they hire the church for the homely and family-like fellowship found in small groups and the unity found in a huge congregation. Similar kind of communities definitely exists in yoga or SoulCycle classes, illegal gangs and other non-religious hobby or sports clubs. But I dare say a Christ-centered church is better at this job because of the supernatural Holy Spirit that binds all believers together, creating a much deeper bond than any gym instructor.

Self-improvement

Most humans want a better version of themselves as they grow. Some seek self-improvement through education, books or a career. Being a Christ-follower definitely allows one to seek “self-improvement”, as the world calls it. Not convinced? Let me throw in some Christian lingo. Man is aware of his sinful self and tries to be more righteous, wiser or holier, but he fails to do so in his own flesh. However, Jesus is the wisdom, righteousness and holiness (1 Corinthians 1:30).

The Solution to Human Needs

Wherever Jesus went, he met the needs of the people. He fed the hungry, healed the lame, opened the eyes of the blind. In the modern world, needy people come to church to meet their needs. Perhaps they are going through a difficult pivotal life stage, and they are searching for answers. They may be going through sickness or addictions, and they come to look for healing or deliverance. The church outperforms everything else in answering the questions and issues of life. Jesus is the solution.

Application

How can you apply this theory to your church? Is your church performing a better job in providing answers, solutions and community in your local context? Are other non-religious organisations in your neighbourhood better at providing community, hence people are flocking there instead?