Home Worship & Creative Leaders Articles for Worship & Creative The Gospel According to … the Grocery Store?

The Gospel According to … the Grocery Store?

7. They make sure that the shelves are stocked.

Except in cases of extreme emergencies, most grocery stores have fully stocked shelves. People can expect to find what they’re looking for or a reasonable facsimile of it. This is because grocery stores are intentional about keeping the shelves stocked. No matter what time of day you go into a grocery store there is someone in the aisles checking the inventory and making sure that they have enough of each item.

In many churches, we run out of stuff and no one notices … except the ‘customer.’ Make sure that the shelves of your church are stocked with love so customers never leave without experiencing the love of Christ. And make sure they know how to find it.

Because every grocery store knows how to …

8. Show them a sign.

Even someone like, me who does not spend a lot of time in grocery stores, can go in and quickly find what I’m looking for because there are signs EVERYWHERE.

When people walk into a church they are looking for a sign — figuratively and literally. They need a sign to know that Jesus loves them, and they need a sign to tell them where the bathroom is!

Remember, the signs are not for the people who are there every week, the signs are for the new people you want to see every week. One of the biggest complaints I hear from church newcomers is that they don’t know how to find the bathroom or the nursery. Be like a grocery store and … show them a sign. However, sometimes signs aren’t enough.

Grocery stores also have …

9. Traffic directors.

One of the greatest features of the grocery store is that every employee knows where everything is. I can ask the guy stocking the cereal where to find molasses and he can tell me exactly which aisle to go to. In most cases, not only will he tell me where it is, he’ll stop what he’s doing and walk me three aisles over and show me where it is. Now that’s customer service!

Imagine what a show of hospitality it would be if everyone in our churches developed that kind of mentality to show newcomers and ‘customers’ where to go. To not only point them in the right direction, but to ‘walk them down the aisle’ to find the Christ they have been looking for. We could start a revolution!

There’s one final thing a grocery store has that every church needs to have …

10. A checkout line.

Grocery stores expect customers to leave some money in exchange for the goods and services they received while in the store, and customers happily pay it. Why? Because they are getting what they need (or want).

When churches meet people’s needs, they will happily give in the offering checkout line. You don’t have to beg or manipulate people to give when their needs are being met. When churches become more like grocery stores, people’s carts won’t be empty … and neither will the offering baskets.  

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tejadohanchell@churchleaders.com'
Dr. Tejado W. Hanchell (TWH_PhD) is a 21st century “leadership liaison” whose passion is to help connect people and organizations to their purpose. He is a coach, consultant, and counselor and is a leading strategist on leadership and succession planning for churches, non-profit organizations and corporations. Dr. Hanchell has over 15 years of leadership experience and brings a wealth of wisdom to help enhance lives and increase productivity. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Holy Church of Winston-Salem, NC (“The Church Committed to do MORE”) – the “Mother Church” of the Mount Calvary Holy Church of America, Inc., where Dr. Hanchell also serves as General Secretary and International Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry under the leadership of Archbishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.