Are You Mission Ready?

Joe DePinto is the CEO of Seven-Eleven, a multi-billion dollar corporation with units on five different continents. Before entering the business world, he was in the military. He is a graduate of West Point. That means he brings a slightly different perspective to the approach of doing business. For instance one of his big contributions to the company is bringing is the application of being "mission ready." That means that all machinery that makes up the apparatus of your organization is fully functional at all times. As you know, I get really upset with churches that throw around terms like "mission statements" or describe themselves as "missional," but do very little beyond a once-a-month weekend outreach. Sure it is wonderful that they at least try to nudge themselves to think outside their nice looking worship bunker, but unless you have constant outreaches occurring, you are abusing these terms. The only way to achieve this is if the folks attending your church are living in the OUTFLOW of God's Kindness. In other words, they do SE as naturally and often as they eat, sleep, and breathe. The very first thing I look for when a church tells me they are missional is an outreach depot. A resource center that is open, well, seven-eleven. Even better, have outreach "pony-kegs" situated throughout your city. A place that an individual or small group can show up at any given time to load up with material, or get ideas for doing outreach. Don't have the budget for that? Here comes the tough talk. Make the budget. Remember how the disciples tried to argue with Jesus about only having a loaf or two and a handful of fish? Here is a novel idea. Charge for the outreach supplies. That's right. I said charge money for them. Look at it this way, a church, among many other things, is a co-op. Take advantage of the buying power. By supplies at bulk, and sell them to the members at a reduced rate. You are probably shaking your head, and getting ready to tell me, you have a hard enough time getting folks to participate when you make it very easy for them. You do most of the work. You buy all the supplies. You gather the supplies. You do all the prep work. Really? Was that the model Jesus ever demonstrated? Here is the problem in the American church. We get so wrapped up in being seeker friendly, that we forget there is a huge difference between visitors and family. See we should go out of our way to welcome guests. When family visits, we introduce them to the refrigerator, bathroom, linen closet and laundry and then let them help themselves. The training wheels come off early. It is all in the expectations we set. First, you must be clear that it is normal to live in the OUTFLOW. You should no more blink at spending ten or fifteen dollars out of your own pocket to go show God's kindness to someone than you would at spending your money on a worthwhile endeavor or hobby. People waste their disposable income anyway on leisure activities that provide fleeting happiness--not joy. Why not show them a way to have just as much fun, for the same amount of money that has eternal benefits? Can you imagine a church that keeps the same hours as sinners do? A church where the members weigh their options like: should we go out to a movie and a pizza, a beer and a cigar, or should we go over to the outreach drive-thru and pick up a SE kit and go make some fun?   Ken Glassmeyer is the Editor of Serve! Magazine.  He has been doing SE outreach in the midwest for over twenty years.  Ken is the author of a number of PDF guides available at Kindness Resources including the latest:  "Tactical Kindness." You can contact Kindness Resources LLC for more information on having him come to your church to coach, speak or consult.

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