After the demo

Two years ago I didn’t know I needed to be able to check my email on my phone at a red light. I didn’t know I needed to be able to play Angry Birds at the dentist office. I didn’t know I needed the weather radar and 10 day forecast whenever I wanted it.

But in the couple of years I have had a smart phone, these seem like very normal expectations. As they say “How could we ever live without it?”

As I sat in church Easter Sunday I looked around at our full sanctuary. I was grateful to see folks I had never seen before and grateful that we have the physical facilities to welcome them. I’m sure that some of them have home churches that they attend when they are not visiting grandma, but I figured for most, coming to worship on Easter is something out of the ordinary.

Two years ago my wife encouraged me to check out a smart phone. She’s the gadget person. I was perfectly happy with my flip phone. But then the bright young guy at the Verizon store gave me a demo. Now I’m hooked.

I’m not sure how the visitors got to your church at Easter, but I hope the demo you gave them was a good one.

How are you following up with those “sales leads” who signed the worship attendance pad on Easter? Have you dropped them a note thanking them from coming? Will they get a postcard announcing the upcoming sermon series and inviting them to attend? Are current members who live in the same neighborhood dispatched with a coffee mug, note pad or store-bought pie to greet them? Will they receive a complimentary pair of tickets to your upcoming Swiss Steak Dinner?

I’m not saying you should do marketing for the sake of marketing or even for the sake of increasing your numbers.

I believe firmly that what we offer inside our stores is far more important, more life changing than some silly app. The problem is the people in the shadow of your steeple don’t know they need it yet. Get out there and show them that you have what they need.

I suppose my life is better with 24/7 access to Wikipedia. I’m sure their lives will be better with a genuine relationship with God.

You did the demo, now go follow up.