Several years ago, a friend of mine was determined to open a coffee shop.
He wanted it to be a place where people would hang out, relax, study. Maybe host some poetry readings. A place to showcase local artists.
He worked on the financing, the business model, the decor, and picked out the furniture and paint colors.
A few months before the doors opened, he realized he’d forgotten something.
The coffee.
He was going to open a coffee shop and he didn’t have the product.
He scrambled. Attended a conference. Bought a roaster. Learned to roast.
He opened the shop. And, thankfully, it’s been an incredible hit.
But it was almost disastrous.
The bottom line is this: If the coffee is terrible, nobody is going to show up to a coffee shop — no matter how nice the paintings are on the walls.
Do you see the parallel to churches?
Sometimes churches get so involved in the extracurriculars — the events, the potlucks, the pageantry — that they lose sight of the main things: Worshiping God, outreach to others, sharing the love of Christ.
It’s not wrong to concentrate on the peripheral things, but it could eventually be disastrous if that’s all that’s considered. If you neglect the message or the mission of the Church, you might find yourself in an empty — but nicely decorated — church.
***
Hands and Feet Marketing can guide your leadership team through a productive brainstorming meeting. Contact Hands and Feet Marketing today.