You’ve probably heard the saying, “the devil is in the details.” The phrase is derived from an earlier idiom, “God is in the details.” Whatever you think of assigning the presence of Satan or Deity to details, it’s an inescapable fact: details are important.
Seven Church Details You Must Not Neglect
Details are also details, meaning that some of the less detail-oriented among us are prone to miss them at times. If details are important, and if you’re prone to miss them, then here are ten reminders of details in your church ministry that are too important to overlook.
Details aren’t nearly as important as doctrine, but these “little things” could have some consequences.
- Missing letters from church signs. Your church letterboard (if you have one) is often the only part of your church that people will see. Take a look at your church sign to check for missing letters, dangling letters or (worse even) corny messages.
- A church website that hasn’t been updated. If your church website hasn’t been updated in ages, it’s obvious. If your website looks as if it was designed in 1986, or is dysfunctional in any way, make some changes.
- Lawn care with “the jungle” look. Grass grows. Vines get longer. Mulch gets scattered. Sidewalks crack. Bushes expand. As a result, you’ve got to do something to tame the foliage. If not, your church runs the risk of looking primal. Not good.
- Hymnals that have gone through the war. Hymnbooks, if you use them, have a tendency to experience intense usage, sometimes being repurposes as coloring books, or suffering the loss of pages and covers. Do a once-over of your hymnal stash, and assess the condition thereof. Better yet, simply use worship media and software.
- Dysfunctional water fountains. People actually use water fountains at church, Because this is the case, you should check on the condition of your water fountains. Two problems may be present. First, the water fountain may dribbling water out of the spout, leaving no hope for slurping it from mid-air. Or, secondly, the water may be shooting forcefully onto a wall, a face, or the floor.
- Greeters. Does your church have greeters? If not, this may be something to consider. Greeters simply show up at church early, open doors for people, shake a few hands, and smile the whole time. It creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. It’s a detail, sure, but a pretty good one.
- Outdated contact information. If people want to contact the church, make sure they have access to correct information. Imagine that a person in need of counsel dials the phone number printed on the church bulletin, and hears “We’re sorry. This number is no longer in service.” This is something you must change.
Little things can be a big deal. No church is perfect, nor should any church expect to be perfect. However, by paying attention to those details, you can shore up some pretty important things that you may not have thought about for a while.