Are You Stuck?

Last night we flew home from Atlanta, GA and found ourselves in the “basic economy” section of the jet, i.e. the last row of the confined seats. Have you ever sat there? It’s conveniently located to the lavatory along with the sense that you are secure. What I really mean is that your seat doesn’t recline (though the one in front of you does), allowing your tray table to fit snugly in your lap, and much of the time there is someone standing nearby—very close to your face.

And if you wanted to use the lavatory, it’s not likely you could get out of your seat! You’re actually stuck in that space. There are no windows and the airflow felt minimal. Normally in the course of the flight, you would have heard the flight attendant give you instructions to shut down your device or offer a snack, but the engine noise is so loud, the message is garbled. You only know you’ve arrived at your destination when the wheels touch down.  I have a totally new respect for the last row occupants!

As we often provide ministry consultation weekends, I reflected on the idea that there are some church leaders who also feel “stuck.” They love the church they serve; they are focused on leading it forward. But they know they need to grow, to reach out to a younger generation, to engage better with technology, to manage transitions well, to change their worship model, and to convince their leadership board of all the previous mentioned ideas. But how?  It can be a daunting process. We consider it a privilege to come alongside leaders to engage in those conversations. We love to bring a fresh, objective perspective and ideas based on national trends we’ve observed. There’s a world of podcasts, webinars, and conferences offering a multitude of practices. We value those but also believe that relationships and one on one conversations specific to an individual church’s needs are one of the best approaches for moving forward.

If you’re feeling stuck in “basic economy” and want to upgrade an area of your ministry, let’s talk. We will consult with you and recommend solutions to get you out of that seat with a better view of the future.