I think all too often we see what other people [or in the instance of most of my readers, churches] do and think if we do what they did, it will work for us.
I don’t think anything could be further from the truth.
One of the cruelest games we can find ourselves in is the Comparison Game.
The Comparison Game involves looking at what they are doing or what’s working over there… and comparing what we do against it.
We somehow get the idea or notion that if that worked for them over there that it will work for us right here.
So, oftentimes we’ll copy what they are doing over there and try to make it work right here and well, most of the times it doesn’t work.
I can say what I’m saying about the Comparison Game because I got stuck doing it for a long time.
There’s a HUGE difference between inspiration and imitation. Imitations are just cheap.
I’m inspired by many churches but what they do works for them in their individual contexts. There are things I can learn from them, but when it comes to how we communicate at Park, we’ve had to find a way to uniquely reach the people that make up our church.
I think all too often we spend an inordinate amount of time and energy chasing after what’s worked somewhere else instead of seeking God’s voice and direction in how we’re supposed to reach the people He’s called us to reach.
I think if you look beneath the surface at what a lot of people are doing, you’ll find there’s an intentional reason as to why they are doing it.
I’ve discovered the most important question you can ask isn’t, “what are they doing?” or, “what’s working?” but instead, “what’s behind that?”
When it comes to church communications one of the most vital things you can do is figure out how people in your actually church communicate and receive information.
Don’t just text because everyone else is. Don’t just Twitter because that’s the hip thing to do. Don’t invest in a slick website if people in your church barely go to the one you’ve got [not an excuse for an ugly website]. Discover what works in your context… find where your people are having conversations… find out how they find out about things… and alter your methods and strategy around those things.
And for the love, don’t play the Comparison Game. Don’t just do it because they did it. Figure out what was behind it and discover the answer for what to do and how do it in your own context.
Your church is unique.
You have a story that’s uniquely yours. Your church is made of people that are unlike any other group of people at any other church. Your church has a unique role and voice it’s called to be in your community. Find your voice. Find your unique identity.
At the end of the day, the only thing we need be comparing ourselves to is Christ.
Are we accurately reflecting Him in what we do and say? Are the things we create and the messages we craft pointing people toward relationship with Him? Are we showing Him to our community? Are we presenting Him in way people connect with?
He’s the standard we need to be comparing ourselves to.
