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The Message Before the Message |
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At Kelowna Christian Reformed Church, the goal is that every guest who walks in the door will get
this above all: You matter to God. Of course, it’s much easier to share
when those guests first realize that they matter to Kelowna Christian Reformed Church. Right where they are. With all their reservations and
insecurities and personal struggles and preconceived notions. Even the
ones formed as recently as when they entered the building.
Mark Waltz, author of First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church,
tells the story of a flight home from Atlanta and a Detroit layover
riddled with miscommunication and frustration. After long lines and
conflicting information from not one but four airline agents, Waltz and
his wife found themselves on the wrong side of an overbooked flight.
“We weren’t even on the plane yet,” recalls Waltz. “We had experienced
only a fraction of the airline’s services. Although the flight might be
smooth and the attendants might offer extraordinary service, it was too
late. We were dissatisfied. Before we could be satisfied, we had to not
be dissatisfied. The same is true of your guests on Sunday morning.”
In the workshop, First Impressions,
Waltz shares insights gleaned from his ministry experience, from his
“previous life” in retail management and from his observations of the
churches he’s visited over the years. He notes that the first
impression philosophy of Kelowna Christian Reformed Church brings with it a
lofty, but not unattainable, goal: “If our guests can’t say, ‘Wow! I’m
impressed!’ within their first 10 minutes on campus, then we’ve
failed.” Somewhere between parking the car and checking their kids into
the Children’s Center, says Waltz, those 10 minutes pass. “Ten minutes
of opportunity for us to make an impact, to create a reason for our
guests to at least think to themselves, ‘This is not what I expected’ –
in a good way, of course.”
They may discover their “wow moment”
in the restroom. (Seriously, when was the last time you visited a
public restroom you could describe as “pristine?”) They may find it in
the fact that they are neither “pounced on” nor left to flounder when
they walk through the lobby not knowing exactly where to go or how to
get there. They may smell it in the aroma of their favorite cappuccino,
wafting through an inviting café area. Or they may sense it in the
extra few seconds it takes for a greeter to show them to their seats –
instead of waving them on with a finger pointed toward an empty row.
No
matter how your guests find that “wow” experience – before the music
starts, before the “real message” of the service is delivered – they
will have received a clear message already. That they are valued. So
how do you take guests from “not dissatisfied” to “really impressed?”
Creatively, deliberately and with a team of people who are gifted
“wow-makers.” In his workshop, Waltz walks you through the process –
and gives you the inspiration to create your own brand of “wow.” |
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Week End Service
Please join us every Sunday at 10:30AM - we hope to see you there!!
Newsflash
The Times are a changing! and so is our church! Be sure to check back almost daily for exciting new opportunites to serve your Lord and our community.
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