The little things matter

Oct 1, 2012 by

Michael Marchand

God calls us to have a big vision for our ministry. He encourages us to dream big for our future. He rewards big goals and audacious prayers (Joshua 10:12-14). But sometimes we think too big.

This is not me telling you to dream smaller, set lower goals, or squash your vision. If anything, you should dream bigger, set higher goals and grow your vision. What I am saying is we need to remember the importance of the little things, and even more importantly, doing those little things with love.

"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."

St. Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower

The story of St. Therese of Lisieux is a story of little things done with great love. Her life was not marked by extraordinary accomplishments, but rather with small sacrifices. In everything she did, she put the needs of others and the love of her God above herself.

As we look at the way our parish does ministry, is everything we do marked by love? Are we taking the small steps to make sure everyone who walks through the doors of our church, visits our website, or calls the office feels loved? Are we going above and beyond in order to do all things with great love?

Here are a few tips to work towards becoming a parish inspired by St. Therese:

Sunday mornings (and whenever else you have Mass)

From the moment someone turns into your parking lot, you've got the opportunity to love on them and make them feel welcome. How can you exceed their expectations?

Is finding a parking spot in your lot difficult? Stick a couple people in bright orange vests in your parking lot to help direct people to open spots. Maybe even more important: be out there to direct traffic in your parking lot after Mass.

What if it's raining? Invest in some oversized umbrellas and throw together a crew of people that walk people to and from their cars.

Not everyone can be a greeter. Never underestimate the value of a good greeter. It's more than simply opening a door, your greeters are the first impression of your church on visitors. Make sure your greeters are happy, outgoing and well-informed (so they can answer a visitor's questions about pretty much anything related to your church).

Make a parent's job easier. Getting your kids to Mass dressed, fed and on time is a difficult task, so when families arrive, make it easy on them. If you have nursery (which you should) or Sunday school for young kids during Mass, figure out a way to make it as easy as possible for parents to check their kids in quickly and securely. Provide "Mass bags" for small children (with a biblical picture book, saint coloring pages, and couple crayons -- you could even throw in a handful of colorful pipe cleaners for a great, quiet and creative activity). And if they've got a lot of kids or stuff, just help them out by being an extra pair of hands.

On your website

When someone visits your website for the first time, do they leave informed, connected and excited about your parish? Or are they confused, unreached and underwhelmed?

Make it easy to navigate. People will only try so hard to find the information they want, so make it easy to locate.

Keep it up to date. Make sure the information on your site is current and up to date. People get upset when they show up on October 17th for the night of prayer and worship featured on your website and realize the church is dark and locked because that event was from two years ago. Trust me, I speak from personal experience.

Help them connect. Is there a way for visitors to your site to connect with REAL PEOPLE? Make sure there's a way for them to leave their information so someone from the church can be in touch with them. A lot of parishes forget this important step.

Follow up! If you give them the opportunity to leave their info through your website, make sure someone connects with them (no later than) the NEXT business day.

When they call

Is the person who answers your phone the most joyful, knowledgable person on your staff? They should be.

Answer the phone warmly. Don't make people feel like they're calling a business, answer the phone like they're calling a friend. Be excited to talk with them not anxious to get off the phone.

Thoroughly answer their questions. Chances are they're calling because they have a question, so make sure you answer it and that they understand the answer.

Thank them for calling. It may seem like a small thing, but a single thank you goes a long way.

Invite them to Mass. If they're not regular parishioners (or even Catholic), seize the opportunity to invite them to join you for Mass on Sunday. There is nothing more effective than a personal invitation.

They're just little things, but when you do little things with great love, people begin to see Christ alive in you and in your parish, which really should be our goal in the end.

As we strive to follow your example, St. Therese of Lisieux: pray for us.