On Wednesday, I boarded United flight #1217 headed for San Jose, California… As I was sitting down and getting ready for the take-off, they announced that United Airlines would be conducting a passenger survey. To those who participated there was a chance you could be credited with as many as 60,000 air miles. I never win anything, but I decided I would go ahead and offer my opinion.
I’m telling you, they asked you everything! How did I like the seats? Was the aircraft clean? Did the flight attendants treat us nicely? Was the food up to par? What was it like when you checked in? Were the gate agents polite? Was the ticket fairly priced? Did the United employees look neatly dressed? And the questions that really caught my attention: Would you fly on United again? Would you recommend United to someone else?
Now I am sure you can see where I am going with this. What if, at least once a month, you put a survey into the hands of your church attendees and asked them to express their honest opinion about your church, the services and maybe even the content of your sermons? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure I am not that secure.
Let’s consider a few simple questions: Were you greeted and made to feel welcome when you arrived? Did the music point you to the preached Word or was it simply one song after another? Did the message have relevance? Did it apply? Were your children well cared for? Was the Lord’s house honored with neatness and order? Did you feel the church service was performance-oriented or Christ-centered? And the big questions: Will you return? Would you invite someone else to attend with you?
I know churches are not airplanes, but sometimes it is good to know how your people are feeling. Don’t you agree? ‘Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed’ (Proverbs 15:22).
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H. B. London, Pastors Weekly Briefing newsletter, http://www.family.org/pastor/, January 20, 2006; secondary source: Preaching Now
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