Well…it’s finally here. The new website is pretty much finished and is up and running. I’ve had a pieces of it up for the past couple of weeks, but most of the loose ends are tied. Come back often, or you can subscribe to my blog by email or by blog reader by clicking up top. Let me know what you think and feel free to jump into the conversations on here!
To all my blog subscribers, my new blog will be back and running on Tuesday. Hold on to your seats!
It's been a while since I posted pics of Isaiah. He'll be 14 months old in a week. Here are some pictures that show some of Isaiah's favorite things from this week.
His favorite thing to do: Throwing the ball. Right handed and…
left handed too!
Isaiah with his sippy cup.
He thinks he's getting adjusted by his Dr. Mommy.
Eating some corn with daddy.
Playing in a pile of towels…and…throwing a ball, of course.
On Thursday, I posted this blog about what Starbucks would look like if it marketed like the church. The video reminds you of how silly a lot of the methods are that churches use today and, honestly, I felt guilty watching it because I've fallen into some of the same stupid methods in my past.
It really got me thinking….what can the church learn from Starbucks? Based on some principles that I read in a book called The Starbucks Experience, here are some quick hits about things that churches can learn from Starbucks.
1) Starbucks encourages both employees and customers to "make it your own." It blows my mind how welcoming the whole Starbucks experience is. If you are a frequent customer of Starbucks, you know what I'm talking about. I get so pumped up about my favorite drinks and even going through the drive through can be a fulfilling experience. Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems that Starbucks has created an experience that people buy into. Starbucks has begun to play an important role in a lot of people's lives.
Churches need to be the same way. People want to buy into something that is bigger than them. They want to have such an incredible experience that they find something they can buy into.
2) Starbucks knows that everything matters. Did you see earlier this year that Starbucks closed for a day to train all of their baristas on how to make the perfect drinks? They wanted to ensure that the Caramel Macchiato that you buy at your favorite Starbucks location will taste the same at any other location. Let's face it, every single detail of your trip to Starbucks has been thought through by management: the graphics and images, the taste of your drink, the "treat receipt."
I'll keep it simple. Churches have to realize that things seemingly mundane like changing a child's diaper can make just as much of an impact as the worship song on Sunday morning. For instance, when Patty and I visited New Spring Church recently, two little things really left an incredible impression on us. One, they put a really nice luggage tag on the diaper bag for us to keep that helped keep bags separate (and give us a great reminder of their church every time I see it). Also, when I went to change Isaiah's diaper later that day, I noticed he had a sticker on his diaper that said something like "changed with care at 'the Majestic'" (their children's ministry). It was a small gesture, but it left a lasting impression.
Everything should matter at church. Those crappy graphics, cheesy church words, and "greeters" that stare at you might be just the thing that keeps people from coming back to your church.
Part two tomorrow!
I saw this over at Monday Morning Insight and I thought I’d pass it along. Coming soon to a church near you:
I think it’s right on. It honestly makes you feel guilty about how a church operates in a lot of ways.
What do you think about this? Click “comments” down below and leave your thoughts. Tomorrow’s post will be “Lessons from Starbucks for the church.” Stay tuned.
I stumbled on this Francescan benediction the other day and God has really been using it to wreck me. Just thought I'd pass it along:
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
