Recently, the overhead light in our mud room quit working. At first, I thought the bulb was blown so I changed it. When that didn't work, I checked the breaker box. When that didn't work, I called a friend. When that didn't work, I called our home builder.
I actually expected to be told, "We're sorry Mr. Hylton, you're outside your warranty period. There's nothing we can do."
To my surprise, I was elated when they called me back and said, "Mr. Hylton, we understand and apologize for any frustration this has caused. We're contacting our electrician and they will be in touch with you to set up an appointment."
I kept waiting for them to say, "Sorry man...this is isn't our problem anymore." However, they went above and beyond and delivered amazing customer service...even after the warranty had expired!
Their loyalty to me makes me want to be loyal to them.
Granted, I may not know everything about this company or even who the CEO is...I just appreciate the wonderful customer service I received when I was in a desperate situation.
Do our churches send the same message?
People don't come to our churches because of our theology or our preaching styles. They really don't care about hermeneutics, homiletics or who wrote the book of Hebrews.
What they care about is when...
- They are broken in spirit,
- Their marriage is in trouble,
- They've been hurt by other churches,
- Life has let them down,
- They're skeptical of "church people",
- Their kids are acting crazy,
- Their finances are messed up,
- Their loved one has passed away,
They matter...
- In the parking lot.
- When dropping their kids off in the nursery.
- When they receive a smile, handshake and even a warm hug just for walking through the door.
- The church considers them as a "guest" and not just a "visitor."
Think about it...
- People want to know that they matter.
- They want to experience authentic community.
- They want to receive a life-changing message when they're at the end of their rope.
Our goal as a church is to extend EXCELLENT "customer service" at the right moment, so that we can help HEAL hurts, BIND up wounds and FREE people from their frustrations!
People are looking for HOPE! They want to hear some news that will lift them out of their state of depression, frustration and aggravation.
When we stand in our pulpit(s) (wherever your's happens to be) we must SMILE! There's enough sadness and hurt in the world to bring even the happiest disposition down. When people walk through our doors, we only have ONE SHOT at impacting them instantly! We must intentionally seek to lift the hands of the weak, weary and worried by showing them Christ's love in a practical way.
Our theology isn't the reason that a visitor is going to stay…or leave: at least not initially.
We want to fulfill the Great Commission, but we won't get people to hang around long enough to soak it in, unless we give an eye to their "customer service" experience.
Theology does matter. What we believe is of primary importance in our local church, and it drives what we do each and every week. However, it doesn't matter to people when they're on the outside of faith or when life has fallen apart.
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
I'm committed to LOVING people where they are - NO MATTER where they are! You're going to meet someone today who needs some great "customer service." I pray you'll be the person that shares Jesus so BRIGHTLY that they'll take the first step to see their way out of darkness!
By the way, our mud room light was repaired, and it didn't cost us a dime! #winning :)
