I'm sitting in Starbucks eavsdropping....er umm...overhearing a manager sharing Starbuck's story and strategy to a new employee.
And I love what I'm hearing!
She is talking about how Starbucks is all about serving the best coffee available and how their goal is to create a great environment in hopes that people will make this their "third place." She's also telling a condensed version of the Starbucks "story" - even quoting founder & CEO, Howard Schultz.
No empty rhetoric here. Pure passion! No doubt about that... She obviously believes in this place and the story behind it.
This is the type of conversation that I hope is happening today all over offices, homes, schools, neighborhoods, etc... as people from our church community are passionately telling their friends about The Orchard and the types of environments that have helped them step forward in their journey of following Jesus.
I'm reminded that a church can have the best marketing, the most clever advertising campaigns and the greatest sounding mission statement and still not be the type of community that people want to experience. But add passion and a great story into the mix and you've got the ingredients for something pretty incredible.
What are people saying about your church or organization? Are they passionately telling their story - and YOURS?
I remember reading an article about Starbucks desire to become the 'third place' not that long ago, and I have to say, even though I am slightly adverse to going to Starbucks in Ireland (feels a little bit like selling out, like to suport local coffee houses!), I can totally see why Starbucks has become such an amazing, popular company- it has succeded in its goal I reckon. Why can't our churches (in general) get a grip on that concept? I hope I am learning to be doing that!
Posted by: emma Boyd | August 16, 2006 at 06:01 PM
there is a great coffee shop in belfast, run by city church, and its one of the best, and busiest coffee shops in belfast, common grounds
Posted by: connor mccullough | August 17, 2006 at 02:52 AM
With a staff of 4 and the longest being 7 months, we don't have much of our story to tell yet, but what we do have is clients who tell our story for us. Its a great feeling to hear the words " I was referred by so and so"
Posted by: matt | August 17, 2006 at 06:36 PM
Scott,
I too recently had a great Starbucks moment and blogged about how I think a Field Trip to Starbucks should be REQUIRED for church staffs!
Here's the (shameless plug, yeah, I know) link:
http://www.anthonycoppedge.com/blogs/index.php?title=required_church_staff_field_trip_to_star&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Posted by: Anthony D. Coppedge | August 18, 2006 at 09:37 AM
Well that didn't paste so well. It's the third post down on www.anthonycoppedge.com/blogs.
There. That fit. :)
Posted by: Anthony D. Coppedge | August 18, 2006 at 09:38 AM
Starbucks is not in the same street as Javaberry. Javaberry is so aromatic! My son says he wishes to have a chewing gum with its taste.
Posted by: vyuchipe | October 06, 2006 at 05:34 AM