When we first moved into our new building in July of 2006 we had an immediate problem with trying to run a Hospitality ministry. Due to budget cuts and having to radically reduce the size of our building to get the project done for the money available, we couldn't build any space to even support Hospitality outside of the building. The single "kitchen type" sink in the building is located in a children's classroom and is only for use during the week. It doesn't help much, though, on Sunday morning.
For the first year (spring through fall) we made coffee in a couple of locations around the building (storage rooms, etc.) that were out of site and waited until after our 3 services to clean everything up. We even used a water hose on the curb in front of the building to rinse out coffee pump pots and other utensils. Needless to say, our volunteers weren’t very happy with us. We lost a number of team members during that period.
A way had to be found to provide something for the team to brew coffee and otherwise support a Hospitality area on Sunday mornings. Again, due to lack of space Hospitality has to be outside the building. Thankfully we have a large patio area in front of our building that can be used (weather permitting).
Enter the coffee cart. Terri, the leader of our First Impressions ministry, suggested we find some kind of mobile or portable way to get the job done. Along the way, we found Carts of Colorado. They manufacture carts or kiosks that businesses such as Starbucks use in malls and other public spaces for coffee and snack service.
I’m happy to say that we have had our cart for this entire season and it has been a HUGE success. If you have a similar need, I would suggest you contact them. Check out their website by clicking here.
I don't know about you, but I can sometimes get too focused on the task at hand and loose my perspective. You know ... what I'm here to accomplish. As CCV's Executive Pastor I'm "up to my eyeballs in alligators" all the time, usually focused on slaying one dragon or another.
Don't get me wrong. I love my job. And, I'm almost always having a good time doing it. Every now and then, though, I need to be reminded why I'm here. I need a little perspective.
A friend of mine sent me this link a few days ago. Check it out ...
I've blogged before on the topic of measuring results. In my article on the Performance Cycle I discuss it in the context of everything else when it comes to leading the church in the accomplishment of the mission.
I have been asked lately about how to actually capture results and put them into a format that is readily available to staff and easy to read and interpret.
We use what we refer to as the Stat Sheet. It is e-mailed to the staff each week on Monday or Tuesday and contains just about anything you could possibly want. We also publish and review KPMs (Key Performance Measures) each month that put the data in graphical form. I have found that looking at data in graphical form makes it easier to actually learn something from the information. The Stat Sheet might be considered more of a dashboard, but both are needed and very helpful.
If you would like a copy of either our Stat Sheet or KPMs, send me an e-mail and I'll hook you up.
We've been engaged in our second building program (Leave A Legacy) for almost 2 years (since completing our first) and are only now actually almost ready to put a shovel in the ground.
It is amazing to me how much effort goes into a building program! From the early work on the plan in preparation for the vision casting piece of a capital campaign to the continuous negotiation with the municipality, it is almost a full-time job. The effort is worth it, but I continue to wonder how churches without Executive Pastors ever get it done.
Over the last couple of weeks we've had almost daily meetings on site with the general contractor and a host of sub-contractors to clarify bids and work out the logistics of building a new building on a site that has to continue to function as our Sunday morning service location and mid-week preschool facility. Let's just say that "it's going to get much worse before it gets better" around here. It will all be worth it, though, when the new space is complete and we host what we hope will be more than 3,000 for services on Easter Sunday of 2009!
As of today, we've received our grading permit approval; have our Financial Security Agreement (township escrow), signed by the church and the lender, on its way back to our attorney for township signature and recording; and are only a few days away from loan closing. The pre-construction meeting with the Soil Conservation District is scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. From there the dirt will literally start moving.
We're on track for a blowout Grand Opening celebration on Easter Sunday 2009! There's a lot to do, though, between now and then!
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