"The Lord be with You"

When I was in business school, we played a marketing simulation game. In the game, each team was a company introducing a new product. We set pricing and budgeted for promoting, further developing the product, and distributing it. Through the game, I learned the importance of devoting as many resources as possible – even to the point of taking substantial risk – in the very early stages of launch. The teams that invested heavily in product development and promotion did the best in the game because their products quickly gained market share and became profitable. My team spent conservatively and our product ultimately failed, never becoming part of the company’s permanent product portfolio.

Our church has begun a youth and children’s program because we want young people to become part of our congregation over the long term. In a way, this program is a new product, and its creation shares some characteristics with a business product launch. We must develop a good product and promote it and our company (the church) effectively to a new audience to succeed in attracting and keeping young families as part of our permanent “portfolio.”

As we all know, the Sanders Fund Board, with consent of the Sanders family, has committed to funding the salaries for Mike and Rev. Joie and some dedicated activities for the youth and children’s program for five years. We have been about one year into that program. The money is a wonderful blessing and funds much for the development of this program. This gift puts us in an excellent position to be successful.

One way we differ from a business, however, is that most of the labor required for any of our programs (products) is volunteer. The more we grow, the more we’ll need volunteer help because we will need fun and educational activities for ages infant through 18. These activities will require more than roughly the equivalent of one-half time position. We also may need specific activities aimed at the needs of parents of these young people. Volunteer help can be coordinated by paid staff, but, ultimately, the quality of the services provided over the long term will depend upon the number and quality of volunteers who are called to work with children and youth.

Another way a church differs from a business is that we are a community. Our greatest strength here at Christ Church is that community. We are all formed more fully into the body of Christ through this community – education, activities, and, even, worship cannot form disciples without a strong community that fully integrates all ages. As we grow this program, we’ll need to include children, young people, and their parents in every group and activity in the church. Sometimes that means we may have to adjust the hours we meet or the way we communicate. We may need to add some projects or activities that younger generations are passionate about, while still retaining and sometimes adding projects and activities that are meaningful to the rest of us who are older. We neglect no one as we move forward on this journey.

A church, like a business, must invest in its new “products” and “programs” heavily in the first few years. That investment includes program development, promotion, and labor. In the case of a church, however, most of that labor is volunteers. A church also is defined by the strength of its community, and, to be successful, we will find meaningful ways to include children, youth, and families in all the ministries of the church – music, outreach, fellowship, technology, ECW, Brotherhood, etc.

In short, attracting and retaining children and families depends on all of us. Most of all, it depends on you.

Randi+