Answer the Question They’re NOT Asking (part two)

Yesterday’s post was intended to be a stand-alone topic. I didn’t mean for it to turn into a two parter. But I also never mean to eat the whole plate of Kung Pao Chicken at Pei Wei, and yet there I am, chasing the final grain of rice around the plate like it’s the last starch in RDU.

But the “Answer the Question They’re NOT Asking” post raised another question question in my mind, namely, “Why?” Why is it important for us to go through the acrobatics of stepping up to the plate and answering the questions our guests should be asking, but aren’t? I think there are three reasons:

1. It shows great honor to the guest. Helping them think through their next step connects you in a way that you wouldn’t through a surface answer. It proves to them that they’ve honored you by attending, and you want to honor them by helping them stick. It lets them know that you’re more concerned about getting them where they need to be, rather than just giving a stock answer to get them off your back.
2. It shows that you’ve thought through the total guest experience. If we’re honest, we can all point to churches (maybe our own) who act surprised when a guest shows up or someone wants to take a next step. For the life of me I’ll never understand how we can call ourselves evangelicals but then not have a plan in place to reach outsiders. Or worse – we get outsiders on the inside and then completely drop the ball. Answering the questions they’re not asking helps a guest feel valued, cared for, and makes them understand that we’ve done the heavy lifting of thinking through their connection experience…so all that’s left for them to do is to connect.
3. It delivers the second mile ministry that Jesus talked about. True, we probably won’t have any soldiers showing up anytime soon asking us to carry their equipment for them. But Jesus’ principle remains true: we should never settle for minimal service. The gospel displays generosity, but once the gospel invades our hearts, it demands that we display generosity as well. And generosity means that we are thinking through guest services lavishly. Not lavish gifts or lavish spending, but simply well-thought through processes and systems.

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