The Church, Customer Service & the Consumer Mentality

How good is your church at customer service?

This week we have worshiped on top of a hill in an amphitheater, we have worshiped in a gym, we have worshiped sitting on the floor in a kitchen & not once has anyone complained about the worship experience, about the songs being led or about how hot or cold it was. Weird, right?

This week we’re on a mission trip at the City of Children in Ensenada, Mexico. If you’ve never been, plan a trip soon! It’ll change your life. If you’ve ever been on a mission trip then you have probably experienced the same thing we have this week.

On a mission trip we don’t care where we worship. We don’t really care about the quality of the worship. All our focus is on the One we worship. All our attention is on how we’ve experienced His goodness & His presence up to this moment when we can finally respond in praise. And in that moment it truly isn’t about us. In fact, it couldn’t be less about us. It’s all about our God & how wonderful & amazing & gracious He has been to us.

So here’s what I’ve been asking… What if we took that mission field worship mentality home with us to the mission fields of our communities & churches?

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How good is your church at customer service?

I remember standing at the front desk of our church years ago when an elderly man called from the hospital & complained that no minister or elder from the church had been to visit him. The problem was we had no idea he was in the hospital. He didn’t tell anyone he was there! You have to let people know if you want people to help. Basically, he was complaining about our poor customer service.

We hear this kind of talk a lot in & around church. It often comes in the form of complaints about what we don’t like.

We don’t like the music, the preaching, the people weren’t friendly, & the list goes on & on & on. People will complain about the coffee, the parking lot, anything that doesn’t meet their lofty & often unreasonable expectations.

What’s interesting is that a different person or family can be present the same Sunday & have the opposite experience. They might say the music was great, the preaching was spot on & everyone was friendly.

So what’s the difference?

I think for far too long many of us, albeit unknowingly, have applied our consumer mentality to our church experience. Except we were never called to be consumers at church, we are called to be contributors.

A consumer says, “I didn’t get what I needed.”
A contributor says, “I can help make that better.”

A consumer says, “What about me?”
A contributor says, “What about them?”

A consumer constantly looks inside the four walls of the church.
A contributor constantly looks outside the four walls of the church.

A consumer says, “I liked it better when…”
A contributor says, “I can’t wait until…”

A consumer always looks back to the good old days.
A contributor looks forward, believing the best is yet to come.

So, are you a consumer at your church or a contributor?

Are you wishing for the past or wanting for the future? Do you want to make it better or make it like it once was? Are you more concerned with keeping those in – in, or reaching those out that you don’t even know yet?

Jesus was pretty clear on His mission & purpose. He simply said that He came to “seek & save those who are lost.” Luke 19.10

Some would argue the consumer mentality is destroying the American church. I really don’t know. I’m not an expert on the issue. What I do know is that we can make a shift in our thinking, in our approach.

When we are on mission like we are this week in Mexico our focus is intently on the One we serve & how we’ve seen Him work in our midst. I can’t help but think if we reclaimed the mission He has given us at home that our worship experience wouldn’t explode for no other reason except that our focus has turned from “us” to “Him.” From the “ones” who worship to the “One” we worship. I truly believe when we reclaim our mission we will reclaim our worship & God will ever be praised.

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