Friday, March 14, 2008

Stuff I've Learned Week 1

I know stuff I've learned sounds like it will fit in one paragraph. But I've been thinking about once a week posting little tidbits of stuff I've learned over the years as it applies to church. So here goes.

Week 1 Lesson

Where you park on Sunday Morning at church says a lot about what you are there for.

You are there to serve or be served. It fires me up to no end to pull up at a church and see a reserved for Pastor or reserved for Staff sign right next to the door. That says to me right there that as a staff or as a pastor you are not there to serve but instead to be served. It's almost as if they are saying, I am the most important person to walk through the door today, let me grace you with my presence.

Now if your staff or pastor is handicapped, I have no problem with that. Seriously, I understand that some people have disabilities and have to park next to the door. I have no problems with that at all. But, if you are healthy, what are you saying to those you say you serve. If a visitor pulls into your parking lot and has to walk a quarter mile while the church staff is all parked up next to the doors, what have you communicated to them before they even sit in your service?

I have not told all of our volunteer staff where to park but instead I have tried to show them through example. I have shared with some of them that where they park says a ton about why they are here that Sunday. If we truly believe that the church is God's way of reaching the world then we have to realize it starts in the parking lot with our attitude of why we're there. Try parking far away, most pastors need the excercise anyway.

No comments: