Does Anyone Care?
When Apple’s iPhone 3G was released July 11th, public reaction ran the proverbial gamut: pepole were excited, anxious, dubious, frustrated, angry, etc. And that got me thinking.
When people discuss LifeChurch.tv and their innovative projects (YouVersion, One Prayer, Second Life campus, etc.), I hear and read a lot of the same reactions: excitement, anxiety, doubt, frustration, anger, etc. Call me crazy, but I think that’s a good thing.
When a company like Motorola releases a generic new phone, most people don’t even notice. If they do notice, their reaction usually consists of a yawn and a shrug. I think that’s because the iPhone represents taking a giant step forward while most other new phones represent a step sideways or backwards (perhaps a tiptoe forward at best).
My question is, what about your church or ministry? When you launch a new campaign, initiative, service, or program, does anyone notice? Are people excited or nervous or frustrated? Do they feel anything at all? If so, you’re probably taking a step forward (and that’s a good thing, as long as it’s a step in the right direction and is consistent with the gospel). If not, maybe you’re just standing still, shuffling your feet, side-stepping, or even inching backward.
I think I once heard Tim Stevens ask an audience, “If your church shut its doors tomorrow, would your community notice?” Personally, I think that’s one of the most powerful questions a church can ask itself. Perhaps the underlying question of this post is, “When you open your doors, or when you do anything new at all, does anyone notice?” I hope your answer is yes.
I think the follow up question to “If your church shut its doors tomorrow, would anyone notice? ” should be “and what would they miss?” Kyle
posted at 4:17 pm on August 14th, 2008 by Kyle Baker