This question has been bouncing around in my morning devotionals for some time:
What would it be like for people to have a faith formation experience so extravagantly welcoming; with such radically inclusive hospitality; and so deeply Spirit-centered in God’s love that they were already excited and planning to return for another experience before they left the building?
The words of the question have varied, but the essence is still there: how do we create a “Kairos Moment” in every moment as a faith community?
Today, we continue to live out of the liminal period created by the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. We are still realizing its lasting impact on our community life and decisions about where we spend our time together. And these decisions impact our faith communities directly–we’re built to be together!
I believe that we need to pray, ponder, and discern what it means for us to Be the Church now as we grow into tomorrow. And I believe that this discernment is rooted in the joy that comes from God’s presence in our lives every day. I trust that God is still speaking, and still calling us together into the world in ministry.
» IF YOU CLICK HERE, you’ll find links to each of the “Of Mouse and Church” posts. Read this one first, and then enjoy the rest in the series!
Of Mouse and Church: Leadership and Discipleship, Part 1 – It’s all about Relationships
Of Mouse and Church: Leadership and Discipleship, Part 2 – Leadership is Discipleship; and Discipleship, Leadership
Of Mouse and Church: Leadership and Discipleship, Part 3 – Telling our Story
Of Mouse and Church: Leadership and Discipleship, Part 4 – Know your values, look to your vision
Now, let’s cover some background thoughts, and see what magic moments we can find in answering the question!
Seeing Church Through Mouse-shaped Lenses
Leadership, Engagement, and Service. These three principles are the core of the guest service/guest experience created every day across The Walt Disney Company. They are realized in their mission: to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world’s premier entertainment company.
But they are also something else. These three principles are what being church is all about, too. We just have a different language for it: Presence, Witness, and Blessing, or Discipleship, Relationship, and Outreach. These words are how we express our values and vision in living our faith out loud. This is the part of Mouse and Church that got my pondering heart beating a little faster.
To reframe the question in a quick sound-bite:
What if churches did ministry like Disney does entertainment?
This series of reflections comes from my participating in the Disney Institute‘s three-part professional development courses (and seeing their values lived out on a recent trip to Walt Disney World Resort). I hope to inspire you with their content as much as I was! Please take a moment to find out more about the courses at their website: www.disneyinstitute.com.
Leadership, Engagement, and Service
“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”
Walt Disney
I believe that when faith communities are open the person-first nature of ministry– following Christ’s example of welcome and service–the “business” of the church is creating the most welcoming, deeply personal, and faith-centered “guest” experience every time we open our doors.
And this is where Disney Institute’s approach meets today’s kairos moment. Over this series of posts, I’ll be sharing more on the three pillars of the program:
- Leadership Excellence
- Employee Engagement
- Quality Service
and how these pillars are analogous to the behaviors, the values, and the vision behind being church today. Again, we’re going to find that we have a different language than Disney does, and we’ll need to interpret their insights through the lens of a progressive Christian faith community.
But I remain convinced: I think there’s a lot of wisdom contained in Disney’s guest-centered experience that can help us live out our calling to follow in Christ’s Way of welcome.
What’s Next?
I invite you to join me in prayerful discernment on how God is calling us to understand our Leadership, Engagement, and Service. And I invite you to help form the language that best speaks about these areas from our heritage and values.
This series will be posting out over the next week, and I’d love to hear what you think about seeing the church through Mouse-shaped glasses. Do leave a comment and add to the conversation.
Until next time, friends. Hope to see you real soon!
-HEF
Note: You can read about the inspiration and the foundations of my 2024 Sabbatical by following this link.
