In making a first impression—the little things matter.
When a visitor shows up on our church campus for the first time—the little things matter. When a parent decides to trust us with their children—the little things matter. The way we follow up with guests—the little things matter.
Most leaders and pastors believe this, but we often don’t pay attention to the little things. Over the years, even as a very non-detailed, extremely big-picture person, I’ve started to notice the little things.
A number of years ago, while I was pastoring another church, I felt I needed more buy-in from them in helping to lead the church. They were a great group of people who were passionate about reaching the lost, but they had begun to neglect some of the little things to keep a church operating. I wanted to encourage them to be more observant about what needed doing.
I conducted an experiment. I placed a Sunday bulletin on the floor of the men’s bathroom, right in front of the urinal. You couldn’t “go” without stepping on it or over it.
It stayed there through two Sundays and no one picked it up or threw it away. At the following Wednesday night leadership meeting, I brought the bulletin with me. I asked, “Does anyone recognize this?” (It was before I was as big a germaphobe as I am today.) Apparently—by the look on some faces—most of the men had seen it previously.
I wasn’t trying to be cruel, but it was a tangible reminder to them about making a first impression—the little things matter—and, more importantly, they play a role in this. We were a church plant. We didn’t have a custodial staff for the building we rented. We were the custodial staff. If the bulletin was to be picked up, one of us needed to do it.
