Wayne Hedlund

Author: Wayne Hedlund

  • Guest Experience #1 – Define the Problem

    We have a problem . . .

    OK. Here we go. I’m going to walk through the Strategic Process by exploring the “guest experience” in a hypothetical church scenario. Please notice two things:

    1. The Strategic Process.  {1.Define the Challenge, 2.Clarify ‘What Is?’, 3.Envision ‘What’s the Hope?’, 4.Face ‘What’s in the Way?’, 5.Determine ‘What’s the Path?’}
    2. The ideas that I begin to clarify about the guest experience.  {How might you take advantage of the hypothetical strategic steps I walk you through over these next five blog entries?)

    Define the Challenge
    The first step in the Strategic Process is to define the challenge. In this step we want to draft a clear statement that clarifies what’s wrong. There is no point in engaging in future planning if we don’t have something that isn’t working, or that couldn’t work better.

    Utilizing the principles in the book, Being Strategic, we will define the challenge by asking:

    • What isn’t working?
    • How can we (I) . . . ?  {finish the sentence}
    • Would this {the previous sentence} feel like success.

    The Guest Experience Challenge
    All right, here’s my first stab of how we would define the challenge as it relates to the guest experience on a Sunday morning in many of our churches today. Let me know what you think.

    “It doesn’t seem like many of our guests return to our church after their first visit. How can we ensure that a considerably larger percentage of our first time guests will actually want to visit us again? If we can accomplish that, then it would feel like success to us.”

    Notice that the first sentence describes what isn’t working. The second sentence finishes the sentence, “How can we . . .?” and the final sentence clarifies that we have adequately defined the problem.

    I welcome your feedback.

    Go to “Guest Experience #2: Clarify ‘What Is?’“


    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • The Guest Experience – Critical

    I’m curious, how important are your guests to you? If you can’t describe how important they are to you then I suspect they may not be in the habit of staying. We have a holy responsibility to take each and every guest that darkens our door extremely seriously. They represent the lost, the needy, the broken. They represent potential members and leaders. They represent church growth.

    Unless you and your leaders really aren’t interested in reaching your community you will give great thought to what your guests think, feel, see, hear and even smell on any and every given Sunday morning. We did this a couple of years ago at Elim Gospel Church. We asked ourselves, “What would we want guests to say about us in an imaginary interview, if someone were to ask them:‘What do you think about Elim Gospel Church?’” Here’s what we came up with:

    Guest Vision Statement: “I feel welcome at Elim Gospel Church. The people are friendly and I believe they are glad I’m here. Everything is done with excellence. My whole family enjoys coming and feels cared for. They teach the Bible in a relevant way and I’m learning how to apply it in my everyday life. I experience God here, and He’s transforming me. I feel I am part of something great, and I look forward to inviting my friends and family. I want to get more involved and people are showing me how.”

  • The Big Road Block

     

    Road-ClosedI’ve heard it said that there are two seasons in Upstate New York: Winter and Construction. We’re feeling it right now in the small suburban town that I live in. Every day several handfuls of construction workers magically appear to repave our roads and rebuild the local bridges.

    The bridge construction, in particular, has been quite frustrating. An entire section of road will be shut down for 3 weeks to a couple of months. Ugh. The first local bridge they worked on required a long, convoluted detour. I even discovered that the construction crew went on some sort of strike for a couple of weeks. I don’t know the details, I just remember thinking, “This is really ridiculous! We have a well traveled road that can get me to my destination in great time that is not being fixed and has been road-blocked indefinitely!”

    That said, here’s what I discovered: I GOT USED TO IT. It was a mild annoyance, but eventually I adjusted my expectations and plans and just used the detour all the time. I had no idea when the road would reopen so it became pretty irrelevant as I adjusted to the new pathway. A new pathway that was long, tedious, and not very productive.

    I’ve discovered that many of us have a road block like this that needs to be overcome before we see any meaningful changes in our ministry and at our church. It’s a road block that we don’t think about very much. We just bypass it, deal with it, live with it, adjust to it, even forget about it. We’ve gotten used to doing ministry the long, tedious, and not so productive way. This road block can be a major key to launching change. You get this particular road opened and you may discover a brand new path to effective and powerful ministry.

    The road block is YOU. Think about it. If you are the primary or even secondary influencer in your church or ministry, who is really stopping you from fulfilling the calling of God for your church and on your life? It’s so easy to blame the conditions around you, to describe all the reasons or excuses that stand in the way, to determine that the solution is beyond your control and external. In fact, it’s easy because it means you don’t have to take responsibility. You just convince yourself that there are good reasons why certain things can’t happen, and you just have to live with them.

    But what if the real problem was a wrong mindset that you believe? What if the road block is your way of viewing your ministry and situation? Perhaps the bridge is out and you’ve gone on strike…indefinitely. While on strike you’ve adjusted how things work so that the ministry continues – but it’s entirely ineffective. What if your predecessor is the one who created the detoured path you are on because his thinking was on strike and you’re now following the same path?

    I’m not saying that there aren’t limitations and natural barriers to the fulfillment of your God-ordained vision. I’m just saying that ONE of those barriers may very well be your perceptions and internal dialog about how you can reach that vision.

    I’d like to propose that it IS possible to see God’s purposes and vision fulfilled. After all, if it’s a God-ordained vision, then He’s interested in seeing it fulfilled even more than you are! It’s not your responsibility to MAKE that vision happen, it’s your responsibility to fulfill your part of that vision and let the Holy Spirit breathe life, prosperity, and blessing into it.

    Maybe I’m missing all the ingredients, but it seems to me that at least three primary ones would be:

    1. FAITH. You need to believe it’s from God and live and act like it will happen. I think it’s OK to have doubts. We see plenty of that in the Bible. What’s not OK is forgetting that God is the overseer of your ministry, not you.
    2. A PLAN. We would all love it if God would just step in and make it all happen. Alas and alack, he wants us to do the planning part, with His leading, instead. Nehemiah made plans to build a wall. David made plans to conquer a nation. Joseph made plans to overcome a God-revealed famine. The disciples made plans about where they would go, when they would leave, and often what they would do while they were there. And of course, Jesus lived out a God-sized strategic plan for the salvation of the world.
    3. COMMITMENT. That means you are willing to press through the dips, the valleys, the rough times. It means you’re willing to work hard, to read a lot, to ask for help, and to make changes that will require a level of self-sacrifice that will be uncomfortable. It means you’ll take risks and fail sometimes and then get up and try again. It means you won’t give up.

    HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE IN THE WAY? How about starting by asking three questions:

    1. Do I have faith that God can and will lead me to where I believe this ministry is supposed to go?
    2. Do I have a plan to get there?
    3. Am I willing to make sacrifices on the way?

  • Eight Systems of the Local Church

    Pastor and ministry coach, Nelson Searcy talks about the “Eight Systems of the Local Church” in his free e-book called, “Healthy Systems, Healthy Church“. He also wrote several blogs about each system in his blog series “Where There’s Slack, There’s Lack”. 

     
    I am indebted to Nelson Searcy for writing this e-book. It provoked me in several important ways. It caused me to think about ministry and church from a totally different angle.

    The result is that I’ve now utilized the original Eight Systems of the Local Church that Nelson Searcy writes about in the book and added two more. I call them, well, it’s not original or anything, but ‘The Ten Systems of the Local Church’. I suspect you’ll find both Pastor Searcy’s e-book, and my posts going into greater detail on church systems both very helpful. Enjoy.

    Get Nelson Searcy’s Free E-Book Here.

    Check out ‘The Ten Systems of the Local Church’ Here.

  • A Strategic Sandwich

    Nobody really thinks a lot about how to build a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you want a PB and J you know the ingredients, you know the tools, and you carry the knowledge and skills to put things together appropriately. (Once for an interview I had to write a “technical paper” on how to build one. So I have special knowledge on this particular topic.)

    That said, if I asked you to build a PB and J for me, would it be just as easy? Or might you need to do a little more planning and thinking? The fact is, you’d need to do a little “Strategic Planning” to build me that sandwich. You wouldn’t have to. You could just make it the way you always do. But if you wanted to get the job done with excellence, you’d probably subconsciously walk through a strategic process in your brain. It’d probably look something like this:

    • What’s the problem? Answer: Wayne is hungry for a PB and J .
    • What are my current resources? Answer: I’ve got some Skippy Plain Peanut Butter, white bread, but no Jelly.
    • How does he like his PB and J? Answer: Crunchy Natural Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam (100% fruit) on toasted Rye Bread.
    • What is in the way of me getting this done? Answer: I don’t have the ingredients. I don’t have money to buy them. I only have an hour before lunchtime.
    • What is my plan of action? Answer: I’ll ask P. Wayne for a few bucks right now, drive to the corner store to purchase what’s needed, just before lunch I’ll toast his bread, put all the ingredients together and deliver to him his perfect PB and J.

    In case you’re wondering. Yes. I’m hungry.

    That said, who really cares about how I like my PB and J? Probably not you. What you DO care about is that the process you would have unconsciously gone through in your head is exactly what you should do when making future plans for different areas of ministry. I shared these four steps in “Strategic Spoiler Alert“. Here they are in the appropriate order:

    1. Define the Problem.
    2. Clarify What Is.
    3. Envision What’s the Future.
    4. Face What’s in the Way.
    5. Determine What’s the Path.
    Go ahead. Think of an area of ministry you are struggling with right now. Set aside about 15 minutes to brainstorm your way through these four steps. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

  • Strategic Planning Scenario #3

    Wondering what I’m talking about here? Read THIS BLOG ENTRY and these scenarios to catch up!

    Strategic Planning Scenario #3: Joe and Jane walk through the front doors of your church. Because they’ve not been in church in so long, certainly not as a couple and with kids, the first order of business is to figure out where they are supposed to go and what they are supposed to do. Do the kids stay with them in the service? Are they supposed to be dropped off somewhere? Where are they supposed to go first? 

    By now you know what questions we are asking ourselves. What are you feeling about this scenario? Are you confident Joe and Jane will have a positive experience?

    Obviously, we can keep walking with Joe and Jane through your church service. Their experience will likely include:

    • Sitting in your service before it begins.
    • Experiencing worship in your service.
    • Experiencing various elements like offering, announcements, and some creative element(s) in your service.
    • Listening to a message by either yourself, another church leader, or a guest.
    • Experiencing your church in the post-service environment – between the pew and the car.
    It’s a very valuable exercise to walk through what Joe and Jane will experience on a normal week and ask yourself what you feel about their experience and how confident you are that Joe and Jane will have a positive experience.

    This exercise is a foundational exercise in Strategic Planning. It has to do with evaluating where you are today in the ministry activities and environments you offer to your congregation and community.

  • Strategic Planning Scenario #2

    Wondering what I’m talking about here? Read THIS BLOG ENTRY  and Scenario #1 to catch up.

    Strategic Planning Scenario 2: Joe decides to give your church a try. He pulls his family out of bed and they manage to get to your parking lot with only two bouts of sibling rivalry and one heated disagreement with Jane, his wife. As they drive up to your church (a few minutes early) Joe and Jane can’t help but notice the condition of the building, the parking lot and landscaping. They aren’t really trying to be critical-  its just that they haven’t darkened a church door in many years, they really don’t know what to expect, and they are just a little nervous; so details are a lot more noticeable than they might normally be.

    So now is a great time to ask the same questions in Strategic Planning Scenario 1. How are you feeling about their first look at your church? Nervous? Embarassed? Perhaps confident or pleased? You’ve heard it said that first impressions are important; but it’s not often we would equate a few weeds or uncut grass as an opportunity to turn someone away from Christ. Yet that is exactly what could happen in this situation.

    Core Value: Excellence.  When we choose to do things with excellence it tells everyone around us that what we are doing is somehow important to us (and God). This cues them in that it should perhaps be important to them as well. It is a Core Value that sets the stage for an open heart. Conversely, if we choose to do things average or half-heartedly the impression of our guests and attendees is “where I am and what is going on here isn’t really that important”, simply because we didn’t give it our best in preparation.

    What does this have to do with Strategic Planning? Everything. Your strategic plan is going to identify your core values (like excellence) as well as help to develop plans and systems to get the little things done with the least amount of weight and work on your part.

     

  • Strategic Planning Scenario #1

    Wondering what I’m talking about here? Read THIS BLOG ENTRY to catch up.


    Strategic Planning Scenario #1: Joe Smith, who lives 8 miles from your church, finally decides he wants to “try” church with his family (after 15 years being away from church). Joe is 32 years old, is married, and has three kids (two in gradeschool and one in preschool).  He does an internet search for churches in the area and comes across your church website.

    OK. If you are a pastor let me just ask a very simple question. What are you feeling right now knowing this man is looking at your website? Nervous? Happy? Hopeful? Embarrassed?

    Do you think he will be more or less interested in clicking ANY of the links on your website after looking at the front page? Joe has been browsing the internet his whole life. He has an internal meter that says the website will probably reflect the organization. Does your website reflect your church and you? There are three things in particular Joe wants to know, since he hasn’t been to church in a long time and he’s bringing his family. Will your website help him with these questions?

    1. Will my kids be OK there? What will they do and who will they be with?
    2. Will I be bored and uncomfortable?
    3. Do I really want to do this?
    This situation requires Prayer AND Strategic Planning. 

  • Bill Hybels & Humility in Leadership

    It is becoming increasingly clear to me as time goes on how important the attribute of Humility is for leaders in organizations. Not just THE leader, but all of the leaders in your church or ministry. This year at the Willow Leadership Summit, Jim Collins, author of the book, “How The Mighty Fall” and “Good to Great” said:

    “The single greatest leadership signature we found in organizations that moved from good to great and who stood the test of time for decades was this: Personal Humility.”

    After listening, as well, to one of the greatest leaders in this generation, Bill Hybels, I was reminded again of how true this is. Bill has made a huge, exponential impact on God’s church that may never stop until the Lord’s return. And yet, he stands before hundreds of thousands of people and says, “Sometimes I am just not sure if I’ve got the right stuff to lead.” He then told the story of how critical it is that he leans and rely’s on God.

    The man has tremendous humility.

    How about you. Do you see yourself as a person with humility before God and man? Or as someone who’s ‘got the stuff’ and entitled to the place you now serve? How about your leadership team?

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Overcoming Barriers to Church Growth

    Several years ago we read a book as a team that really started us on the path of strategic planning at Elim Gospel Church. It was called, “Leadership Transitions for Growth” by Michael Fletcher. The book has now been re-released by the title, “Overcoming Barriers to Church Growth“. It’s a short and easy read, and played a big role in helping us to change our mindset as a leadership team for growth.

    Among other things, the book discusses how to build a leadership structure for the NEXT stage of growth you are believing God for in your church/ministry. He said it best on page 43:

    “To cross over into a new stage, leaders must understand what lies ahead and make the necessary realignments before they expect to move to a new level of growth.”

    He explores three questions for small size churches (under 200), medium size churches (200-700), and large churches (over 800):

    1. How do the Elders relate to ministry?
    2. Who does the ministry?
    3. How are decisions made?
    If you have been struggling getting your footing in church growth, I would recommend this book as a resource, especially in the area of how your church leadership is currently structured.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”