Putting in Your Time
Imagine for a moment that you’re in a big box store, a restaurant, or your doctor’s office. You have a question about something, and so you approach an employee. “Excuse me,” you begin… But the...
Category: First Impressions
Feeling Warm?
I recently made an observation about an employee of one of our local coffee shops. This is a store where I’m somewhat of a regular. (Well, regular enough that I recognize certain employees and feel...
Get the Story.
I spent part of the weekend devouring Bob Thomas’ Walt Disney: An American Original. One, because I’m a certified nerd, and two, because my friend Bob Adams – a Disneyphile in the truest sense – told me it was...
Say It? Do it.
Sometimes church people have the best intentions and the worst follow through: “I’m sure we can help you with that.” “I’ll get back to you later this week.” “I’ll have ____ follow up.” “No...
Flashback Friday: See Them First
Every Friday I dig into the archives and dust off an old post. If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you! “They’ll see you before you see them.” That’s what my friend Summer...
Baby Steps
Perhaps the greatest movie of the summer of 1991 was What About Bob, the story of a neurotic (played by Bill Murray) and his psychotherapist (Richard Dreyfuss). Maybe one of the reasons I love it is because...
Appeal to Mission
Last week I stumbled across an email from Austin Stone Community Church in Texas. Downtown Campus Pastor Tyler David was making a plea to his campus, asking them to consider parking in a new remote...
Less is More
We’re at the beginning of another school year, campers, which means that last night I spent the equivalent of four presidential administrations filling out paperwork. Lots of paperwork. Tons and tons of paperwork. Enough paperwork that...
Just One
Just one inattentive volunteer isn’t enough to turn a guest away. Just one dirty restroom probably won’t cause someone to second guess your church. Just one poorly-executed seating situation isn’t likely to turn someone off from...
“The Church is the Only Place Where I Get a Hug”
She meant it as a throwaway comment. I don’t think she grasped the weight of the words that just came out of her mouth. I overheard it in a breakout session after a training for...
