Tractors and Backhoes not Required!

In the mid 90's, I was on staff at a small Baptist church as their Business Manager with oversight of the campus and facilities. It was a church of about 200 people with one main building and eventually adding 6 double classroom portable buildings. We relied heavily on volunteers for a lot of activities and getting things done around the church. I met a man named L.K. Choate and discovered he was the influence for about 10 other men that loved to build and fix things. If I needed a facility project done, all I had to do was call L.K. Chote and it got done. What a blessing to have these servants at our church.

It was time for my first "All Church Work Day". You know the drill; we line up tasks and projects, ask the church to spend a day working all around the church giving it a makeover, feed them lunch and go home. I put all that together and asked the members to bring gloves, shovels, rakes, and hand tools for most of the tasks. I arrive first thing that Saturday morning for the work day, and within a few minutes people starting arriving. Only the ones arriving early were L.K. Chote and the gang...driving tractors, backhoes, cement mixers, and dump trucks to the church. It looked like a construction site!  WOW!

I asked for shovels and rakes and got tractors and backhoes: these guys were serious workers!

I'm planning my first "work" day here at First Burleson this coming spring. The word "fellowship" comes to mind for ours though. Sure we can work and repair and build and fix, but lets add some fun and fellowship to it. At First Burleson, we do L.I.F.E together and the letter F stands for Fellowship. There will be coffee and donuts, some organization, meeting people, some projects around the campus, then a lunch meal together and then stand back and see the beauty of our work.

The day will be designed for everyone including families, singles, couples, all ages, and students. Projects of all sizes and skill levels will be listed. Supplies will be on hand and let the fun begin. Come and fellowship and work along side of people you may not even know. Make some new friends. Learn a new skill. Snap some pics and enjoy the morning. Tractors and backhoes not required!

Your comments! What skills do you have?

My Pleasure!

Just hearing the title of this article you will know what business I am referring to right! Chic-Fil-A figured out that manners and smiles are key to customer service and they have incorporated that into their business model. Guess what? It works!

Customer service in a church setting is so critical that if we miss focusing on it, we will miss an opportunity with our guests. I have heard so many sad stories of people visiting a new church and never being greeted that it has ingrained in me even more that we must have that in our churches. I am so excited and thankful to be on staff at a church that makes guest service a priority in ministry. Allow me to share my excitement.

Over the past year we have recruited new volunteers, organized and structured our customer service into Guest Services Ministry or GSM. All the volunteers wear bright orange lanyards with a circle B logo name tag. Each volunteer also gets to wear a bright orange and white circle button that says "Ask Me". What a fun way to easily identify our GSM team volunteers. We intentionally place them at strategic places all over the campus.

We have a saying at First Burleson to all our guests. "Do not go through the day alone"! By placing and easily identifying our GSM team, every guest will find their way and be greeted over and over during their visit. That is so exciting and fun to see in action. Our guests are greeted from the parking lot to the pew and will get a touch from us at least 7 times during their visit.

For me personally, GSM is the most exciting and fun ministry. I love to meet and greet people and get to know them and help them at our church. I love to see their faces when after just a few minutes of meeting them, I can repeat their name while introducing them to others. Chic-Fil-A has captured their customers by using two simple words. At First Burleson, we use a similar philosophy but with four simple words..."I'm glad you're here".

Customer service is so much alive today and is making a huge impact on people in our church.

Comments? Your thoughts?