First Impressions

Ok, I said I would talk about things in our ministry that we should seek to improve upon and look at in order to be more effective. Today was a day where I found myself looking around our church and seeing things that we could always improve on. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things going on at my church, but I understand there are always some things in every church that we can be more effective in. One of the things at my church is the idea of first impressions. I was supposed to meet some people this morning and they didn't show. So I found myself looking around and taking time to clean up around the church. I was overwhelmed on how much actually needs to be done and how we probably have forgotten what it is like to be a guest and walk into our church for the first time.

I do believe the most important thing for us as Christians in our church is to come with a ministry mindset (I will probably blog more about this later) and look to how we can minister to everyone around us. Do you realize that if we come to church and just think about ourselves then we miss the many opportunities of hurting people all around us. Even though this is the most important I still believe the thoughts that people think from the parking lot to the Worship Center are very important. Is there trash in your parking lot, are your bathrooms cleaned, are there things that can enhance people's experience when they come to your church building or are there things that can put a negative thought or mindset when someone drives up?

I was talking to someone and he was sharing with me how church needs to be a place where people can come out of the world and be refreshed. Since I understand that church is the body of Christ I have to ask myself, "Do I refresh people when they spend time with me?" This is a very tough question to ask ourselves. Because if we say no, then that means we need to make some changes. I hope this encourages you to take time and reflect on how you present yourselves in your ministries. I know there is always room for me to grow and I pray that God would show me those areas so I can make the changes He desires for my life!

Kevin Deming