“Mr. Kennedy, right now you are the most important person in my life.” (Call Centre Technician) With my computer glitch fixed, I wondered if visitors to our churches feel important.
We live in a wonderful small city with a population of 19,000 that is considered one of the best eleven cities in Canada. We have five Grocery stores and thirty five churches. One grocery store opened a month ago. Do we really need another Grocery store? Each store provides similar if not identical services. The same name and local brands, a Pharmacy, Meat Department, Bakery, Household goods and free dial and pick service. Notice I’ve just described the new grocery store as identical to the others. Yet, this new Grocery story is having a major impact on our city. The difference? Not the price, not the product, not even the location.
Trying to differentiate a Grocery store is a little like describing many of the churches I visit. Each church has a foyer, a sanctuary, meeting rooms, Sunday school space, offices, pulpit, singing, announcements, a bulletin, offering and a sermon. The similarities are endless.
Returning to our Grocery stores. Our newest Grocery store is almost identical to the other stores except for a significant difference. Every staff member in the new store is smiling, friendly and encouraging. You cannot drop in for one item or get a cart full without noticing staff smiling, encouraging and offering to help. Staff are taught that when they love their role and demonstrate it, customers will come back. It’s working, our new store is thriving.
Returning to our churches. When visitors leave your church, do they feel important? Do they feel welcomed? Are your staff, volunteers and regulars trained to make visitors feel important?
Just like a ship in motion, every church leaves a wake. Does the wake left by your church encourage visitors to feel important? Your staff and volunteers need to treat each visitor like the shepherd who left the ninety nine to care for the one. Your visitor could be the one.
Leadership is ensuring visitors feel important.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach
ldkjethrogroup@gmail.com
