The Most Important Question Pastors Can Ask Before this Easter Sunday

Last updated on: March 25, 2016 at 4:35 pm by Brian McLaren

The Most Important Question Pastors Can Ask Before this Easter Sunday 2016-03-25T16:35:46-04:00 Brian McLaren

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My old friend Bruce Johnson is a savvy business consultant, and in a recent article, he challenges businesses to learn their NPS – Net Promoter Score.

The key insight – that some business customers or clients will leave a business so thrilled that they’ll tell their friends – applies to churches as well.

The article (and its predecessor, also worth reading) is important for pastors and other church leaders to consider leading up to Easter Sunday, when most churches experience a surge in attendance.

Here’s Bruce’s question, recast for churches:

On a scale of 0-10 with 10 being highly likely, how likely is it that you would recommend our church to a friend or colleague?

In other words, will people have an experience at your church this Sunday that is so remarkable and meaningful that they’ll be spontaneously talking about it on Monday and Tuesday at work or school or in the neighborhood?

What will be remarkable for them? Unexpected friendliness? Delightful creativity? Extraordinary insight? Deep emotional connection? Moments of beauty and transcendence?

Remember: what will be most remarkable for your first-time visitors will probably not match with what your most vocal critics talk about. (Sadly, the critics get too much of our attention most of the time!)

In these final days leading up to Easter, why not invite your team to brainstorm three to five ways to make this Sunday so extraordinary, so remarkable, so moving and delightful and joyful and meaningful that they can’t help but tell friends about it on Monday?

You never know: seeking to be remarkable could become a habit. (Thanks, Bruce!)

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