YOUR CHURCH COULD LEARN A LOT FROM MCDONALD’S
This post is 1 of 2 posts; you may read the preface to this post by clicking on the following link: “Noodling For People”
I went to McDonald’s this evening for my first day of what I call “Noodling for People.” What is noodling you ask? Perhaps you know it as rock fishing, or maybe you have seen the people on T.V., who wade in the water awhile and then pull out a giant fish, that is called “noodling.” So what in the world am I talking about? Click here to read more on “Noodling For People”
I HAD NOT BEEN INSIDE LONG BEFORE I REALIZED THE CHURCH COULD LEARN A LOT FROM MCDONALD’S.
The organized church is a lot like McDonald’s. Both the church and McDonald’s have been around a long time. Like the church, McDonald’s once shaped the culture of the world around it. Like the church, McDonald’s once made service a priority, and both have reached billions of people across the globe. There are very few communities without a McDonald’s, and there are very few communities without a church. While once a leader in the community, and a place where people went either because they wanted to go there, or because it was the culturally relevant place to go (No one else had anything like the Big Mac & and all churches sang from a Hymnal); in recent history, both have experienced a decline. While both have maintained a top position in the culture, neither has maintained the level of success they once enjoyed so comfortably. The culture around them changed, but neither the church, nor McDonald's changed at the same rate of speed as the surrounding culture.
YOUR CHURCH COULD LEARN A LOT FROM MCDONALD’S
The idea of hanging out and working inside of a McDonald’s didn’t come without a lot of internal debate. My last experience inside a McDonald’s prior to today left a bad taste in my mouth; but as I entered McDonald’s this evening I noticed immediately things had changed. The inside is much more aesthetically pleasing than I remember it being. It was obvious from the way the facility looked that McDonald’s cares about even the small details within their organization (Even the bathrooms were remodeled and clean). My observation was reinforced as I walked up to the counter to place my order, and was greeted by several incredibly hospitable people from behind the counter. I was blown away by the warm welcome, which stood in sharp contrast to my previous experiences at McDonald’s.
One of the worst experiences I had ever had as a customer came from a McDonald’s, and it wasn’t so much what the employee did or said, as it was what he didn’t do or say:
The guy behind the counter did not say a word to me as I approached the counter. In fact, he stared up at the ceiling the entire time I was there. After standing in front of him for a minute and he didn’t say anything, I asked, “May I order here?” He did not respond, but his hands came up to the cash register in a ready position, so I went ahead and placed my order. As I did, he punched buttons on the register, and within minutes I had my order.
It was experiences like that, in addition to the fact that eating their food was like smoking cigarettes (everybody knows how bad it is for their health, they know it will likely be what contributes to, if is not the lone cause of their death, but, for some reason they still do it) that I had stopped going to McDonld’s.
As I have already noted, things have changed. From the looks of this McDonald’s and the excellent customer service I received, my guess is the company as completely reprioritized their focus. Or at least, they have gone back to their first love, SERVICE. They have not just remodeled their building they also have changed who they hire, what role the people they hire, play within their organization, as well as the way they train their employees. They also added healthier options to their menu, while at the same time making some of their old favorites better.
SIX THINGS YOUR CHURCH COULD LEARN FROM MCDONALD’S
1. THE CHURCH IS NO LONGER THE HUB OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE SHOULD BE, CHANGE IS NECESSARY
You can hear more about points 1 & 2 by clicking here.
2. NO, A “CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER” IS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHURCHES MISSION AND OUTREACH GOALS.
Building renovations, or building a new facility are only a part of the BIG picture. Neither, means you will reach new people or grow your church. More people in the pews, and keeping people happy are not the BIG picture.
3. ATMOSPHERE AND CLEAN FACILITIES ARE A MUST! THE DETAILS DO MATTER!
No one rushes around cleaning up their home to prepare for the kids to get home. On the other hand, when we are expecting guests we will work all day to ensure we can make the best first impression possible. Likewise, having a warm, welcoming atmosphere and clean facilities in your church sends the message you are expecting, and even hoping that new people will attend your church. The opposite is also true. If your atmosphere is not warm and welcoming and your facilities are not clean, visitors to your church are left to wonder if you really want them there. A lot of churches say they want to attract “young” people, but they haven’t updated their building or their Worship Service since 1980. When a “young” person walks in, or a “new” person of any age for that matter walks in for the first time, the first impression they are likely to receive will be a negative one.
4. WE HAVE TO HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE RIGHT JOBS, AND HELP PEOPLE SERVE WHERE THEY ARE CALLED.
As I have heard Andy Stanley the pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta Georgia say many times, “Be a ministry, do not hire a ministry.” It’s not fair to the church, or to the person you have hired to let them be in or continue in a position they are ill-suited for. The same is true for volunteers. As church leaders, we need to be able to help the people in our congregations and in our communities to find their calling(s) and their gifts. We also, need to be prepared to equip these persons for service within their unique gift set.
If a person is already serving in a ministry context they are not gifted for, we must be extremely sensitive to how we help that person transition into a place where they are called and gifted. The first steps in this process are ensuring these persons that God has called them, and gifted them. At the same time, it is equally important, that as a leader within the church you have already identified areas within your ministry context where this person will be able to thrive. The realization of God’s love, and the guarantee of His calling is a great comfort which will require repeating as you walk with these persons and help them to transition from one ministry to another.
Prior to having any conversations about transitioning someone out of one ministry into another, we must be aware of the unfortunate possibility these persons will choose to leave our church. When this happens, as ministry leaders we regret this decision, and often both we, as well as the church will grieve their loss.
WE MUST KEEP IN MIND DURING THESE TIMES THE BIGGER VISION OF OUR CHURCH.
We want those on our staff and serving in ministries within our churches in places where they can thrive, not just in places where they will survive. Too often, we over-spiritualize service within the church, and make it the highest, and most holy virtue to let someone continue doing a task that everyone in the church knows they shouldn’t be doing. A great example of our over spiritualizing service is our use of the “one” in the parables of the lost coin, lost sheep and the prodigal son, but the key to those parables is they were all LOST. We never want anyone to leave our church, and it bears repeating that these matters must be handled with the greatest of sensitivity. Yet, when a follower of Jesus Christ leaves our church they will go the heaven from another church.
Plus, Imagine how you would feel if you were giving your time each week serving a particular ministry of the church only to discover one day that everyone has been talking behind your back, and have been doing so for years about how ill-equipped you are in that ministry. That would feel much worse than lovingly being transitioned out of one ministry position into another which is suited for who God has created you to be. When a person discovers their calling, they will be much happier than when you were doing what God had not created them to do. It will not feel that way at the moment, but I promise it is true.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND FEEL YOURSELF STRONGLY DISAGREEING OR HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM A MINISTRY POSITION AND STILL, DON’T SEE THE BRIGHT SPOT, AND OR BELIEVE YOU WERE CALLED TO BE IN THAT POSITION, CONSIDER THIS:
Often times when someone is in a position God has not called them to be in, and they have not been gifted for, not only are they not appreciated, but, a vast majority of people would rather they not be serving in that position at all. As a person who is in front of people every week, and who has served in nearly all aspects of ministry, I would be devastated to find out that people were just being nice, and really wished I wasn’t serving in the ministry capacity that I am in. I wouldn’t want to waste my time, or endure the stress of preparing a message every week if God was calling me to do something else. So why in the world would you want to waste your time? If you are in a place that does not appreciate what you are doing consider that it may be time to wipe off the dust from that place and go to a place where you are the right person for the right position.
THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED AND TALENTED PERSON FOR A PARTICULAR JOB, BUT NOT THE BEST PERSON FOR A PARTICULAR MINISTRY SETTING.
More, and more churches are taking a team approach to fulfill the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in their community and around the world. For the team approach to work everyone has to be able to do the task they are assigned to do, and understand their role within the larger organization. While teams need talented and qualified people to thrive, they need the right combination of qualified and talented people to maximize the church's impact and effectiveness. While no one likes to be rejected keep in mind that you too will do better in a position and on a team that best suits your giftedness and personality.
5. ONCE WE MAKE THE RIGHT HIRE (THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT JOB), WE MUST TRAIN THOSE PERSONS.
We just can’t think because someone is immensely talented, or because they were superstars at their last church that they will automatically or perhaps by osmosis know how to do the task we have hired them for.
So if your greeter is staring up at the ceiling and not being hospitable to people as they come in, you don’t have to “fire” them from their job, but you may need to train them on what the expectations of a greeter are. If they say, “I can’t,” or “I won't greet people! I just like to hand out bulletins and remind people they haven’t been to church in a while!” Well, you should move that person to a task that doesn’t involve people.
6. REDISCOVER OUR FIRST LOVE, LOVING AND SERVING GOD, LOVING AND SERVING OTHERS!
As I go from place to place, visiting family, friends, and while on vacation I often talk to people about the church. Usually, the conversation centers around the organization of the church. I would guess that sixty percent of those I talk to about the church become resistant when I try moving the conversation from a building and an organization to a body of people who are called to love God and their neighbor. I continue to find this resistance surprising, because loving God and others is foundational to the Christian faith. The impression I get from this sixty percent is that the church exists to love and serve them. They know very well what the Scriptures teach about loving God and loving/serving others, but in a conversation about what the church should be and do, they will constantly try to turn the conversation back to the question, “What about me.”These people have forgotten their first love.
Before we become too holy, if we are honest, we have all forgotten our first love at times, and it takes constant work and attention to keep ourselves focused on loving God, and loving others. Focusing inward on ourselves is the natural tendency of all people, and all organizations. It is a tendency in which the church is not immune. We must daily be reminded of what our purpose is and who we exist for, we must remember our first love.
Finally, like John Wesley, “I do not fear that the people called Methodist [or the people called the Church] will ever cease to exist…I only fear that they shall exist as a dead sect having the form of religion, but not the power thereof, and that undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast to the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”