Assuming Miles’ bend toward the organism side of the church, I was unsure what to expect. As I watched their entire service, from the parking lot to the front door to the auditorium and back again, it was highly orchestrated. I attended a baptism service where ACC baptized 25 people. It was their fourth such service of the day (yup, they baptized 100 people that day). Everything about the experience was planned. Well thought through. It was organized, yet it felt so organic.
So how did they do it?
Getting Your Organism Organized
A few years ago, I may have commented something like, “the Holy Spirit” is available to join your planning meeting, not just your Sunday service!” While that statement is accurate, sarcasm aside, what I felt at ACC wasn’t just good planning. It was a unique kind of planning.
Most pastors plan what will happen in a church service. Using Planning Center or something similar, church leaders plan when to being preservice music (iTunes, etc.), when to conduct the welcome or opening song, what songs to sing in what order, when each song should theoretically start (if the welcome doesn’t run long or the worship leader doesn’t preach a sermonette between songs), when the giving moment occurs, when the sermon will start and, again, theoretically end, and if there will be closing song or dismissal.
That’s the plan, right. We do this first, second, third, and so forth. You should plan. You should time your services to strategically accomplish your intended goals. ACC does this. But I think they add one more thing to their plan.
ACC planned what they wanted to do. They also planned what they wanted me and the other attendees to feel and experience. This is a secret to creating an organized, organic, authentic church experience. Great church services plan what they will do and what they want you to feel.
What Do You Want People to Feel?
Is this question part of your ongoing planning process? Defining what you want your attendees to feel during your service allows you to organize and orchestrate what will feel organic to the attendee.
My ACC visit is a perfect example. Here is what I felt, and what I suspect was planned for me to feel an authentic church experience:
1. Expected and Welcome
When I entered their property, parking volunteers were everywhere, directing me to open parking spaces while leading those exiting to the road. I was a family member of a person being baptized. This is a big deal, and ACC knew it. They were expecting me. And they were expecting, as a guest, I wouldn’t know where to go or sit. They had huge, clear signage outside the front doors directing families (like me) to check-in. There, we met our volunteer host for the day, who guided us through the lobby and to our seats. That volunteer remained with our family throughout the entire service.
