Mike 
Have you ever launched a special emphasis or some sort of campaign with great fanfare, only to see it slowly fade away? You’re not alone. Many churches and ministries suffer from the same problem. That’s why I was so impressed when I met the Grati-Toad.
The Grati-Toad is the creative genius of my friends at First UMC in Richardson. The church has made 2014 a “year of gratitude.” They’ve created a comprehensive campaign to encourage church members to write personal notes of appreciation throughout the year. The staff was concerned that the campaign would lose momentum during the summer, so in a brainstorming session, they created the Grati-Toad. A few Sundays later, the small, green plastic frogs were given away. Church members have been asked to take pictures of the Grati-Toad wherever they go during the summer, and in doing so, to remember to continue to express gratitude. The idea has taken off.
Three things impress me about this story:
- The intentionality of the church’s leadership to not let their year-long emphasis die after 5 months. The reason that many similar campaigns fall apart is that leaders move onto the next big idea and fail to keep the current one alive.
- The creativity that can be unleashed with just a little nudge. It would be easy to keep beating the same old drum, “Remember to be grateful.” Easy, but not effective. Instead, with a little effort and a small investment, the emphasis got a tremendous boost.
- The need people have to enjoy a moment of laughter that will help them lighten the weight of the world. Even people who seem to be “all business” have taken Grati-Toads and submitted pictures.
