“This is a place of authentic relationships” … then no one should be surprised if they walk into a deep, heartfelt conversation.
“All are welcome. Come just as you are” … then the people that a visitor encounters shouldn’t all be wearing their “Sunday best.”
“We are always innovating” … then people should expect regular changes in worship services, ministry offerings, web site, and more.
“People matter” … then those very people shouldn’t continually encounter confusing, arbitrary, or bureaucratic rules.
“We are part of this community” … then this should be evidenced by frequent interaction with community groups, a parking lot that is always full, and an great word-of-mouth reputation.
It’s hard for an insider to evaluate the consistency of messages, so you may want to ask a friend to offer a fresh perspective. What do outsiders see when they encounter your church or ministry? Whatever it is, it communicates far more than the words on a billboard or marquee. And even though these examples are all external, it’s also possible to send mixed messages internally.
Of course, this also begs a deeper question: do you clearly know the key messages that you want to communicate? Is your identity distinct and well-defined enough to drive those messages? That’s a subject for another day. For now, find a time to think about the mixed messages that you may be sending, and talk about them with your leadership team.
It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>
Mike
