Noticing small details can
help add to worship


By Aaron Gabriel Saenz
Valley Praise, First UMC, Harlingen
So many times in ministry we find that we become so used to things being as they are that we forget to step outside to look in with a fresh attention to detail. The next principle The Starbucks Experience talks about is that “Everything Matters.” Starbucks prides itself on details.
“When details are overlooked or missed, even the most patient of customers can be frustrated, and costly errors can occur “ (p. 48).
We often need to take a step back and put ourselves in the place of first-time guests to our church. When they walk in, are they greeted with excellence or welcomed with a smile and a warm cup of coffee?
The first impression that a church gives is so vital to the decision that a first-time guest makes to return. We may not notice that the coffee pot is leaking and that there is coffee dripping onto the floor, but the guest does. We may not realize that we ignored a friendly face as we checked our watch, but a guest will.
It goes way beyond that, though. Everything must be of highest quality throughout the worship experience.
The song slides should work effortlessly. The video should run smoothly. The music should be on key, and, of course, the message should be relevant and applicable.
The point is that though we may not see the cobwebs in the corner or the dust on the Bibles, those we are reaching out to will. We apply the same concept as Starbucks does in their stores.
“Leadership at Starbucks is continuously searching for new ways to improve all aspects of the store environment,” the book says.
We are continuously searching for new ways to improve all aspects of the worship experience to move it from ordinary to extraordinary.