MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Church ‘Secret Shopper’

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Mon, August 24, 2009
Viewed 37
(6) comments so far

I had a great Secret Shopper visit yesterday with a local church plant in the DFW area. I look forward to sharing my notes with their senior pastor. I was reminded of how even young church plants can quickly lose their new eyes and start to miss things that are obvious to a newcomer like me.

I came across some good words on Mike Holmes’ blog that I’d like to share with you. He mentioned that a secret shopper or mystery worshipper can do a few things:

   1. Assess areas of strength and weakness.
   2. See what visitors see.
   3. Receive objective appraisal.

He also shares the story of his experiment as a secret shopper, which is convicting and inspiring. He goes on to share signs you need a secret shopper or mystery worshipper:

   1. Visitors who don’t return
   2. Decreased attendance
   3. Lack of influence in the surrounding community

I would add an eye for excellence and an attempt to be better at your “main thing” (Sunday) – as Nancy Beach shares in her book “An Hour on Sunday“. It’s always healthy to look at your Sunday morning experience through the eyes of a newcomer and especially the eyes of a lost person. You may get only one chance to make a positive impression on them.

Mike also cites an article in the Wall Street Journal on secret shoppers and I think it’s worth a read. As the article states: “Department stores hire mystery shoppers. Restaurant chains bring in undercover diners to rate their food and service.” Isn’t what we do on Sundays as Church leaders more important than department stores and restaurants? Seriously, isn’t it???

If this is something that interests you and you think would be a worthy investment for your church, go HERE for more information and to read endorsements of my ministry.
Greg

www.GregAtkinson.com

Comments

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CS on Wed, August 26, 2009

“As the article states: �Department stores hire mystery shoppers. Restaurant chains bring in undercover diners to rate their food and service.� Isn�t what we do on Sundays as Church leaders more important than department stores and restaurants? Seriously, isn�t it???”

Assuming that you treat church as a, “product,” yes, all of this would make perfect sense.

—
CS
Leonard on Wed, August 26, 2009

CS can you elaborate on the treating church like a product comment? Thanks.
CS on Wed, August 26, 2009

Leonard:

Sure. In those other areas listed in the article, such as department stores and restaurant chains, the primary purpose of those establishments is to deliver a product at a profit. Therefore, they have to evaluate ways to optimize the amount of money they receive, which is why they use, “secret shoppers.”

—
CS
Leonard on Wed, August 26, 2009

CS,
Thanks for the clarification, the article also states…

� Isn�t what we do on Sundays as Church leaders more important than department stores and restaurants? Seriously, isn�t it???

In an apparent rush to judgment you seemed to twist his meaning. He was not saying the bottom line is money but rather the bottom line is that something extraordinary happens on Sunday and shouldn’t we seek to give the very best we have, with as much understanding, with as much excellence as possible, since people’s spiritual lives are being impacted.

Wouldn’t it be a great tool to have someone secretly come into your church and help assess if what you actually do is a reflection of your values?

I just spoke at a family camp. While there they played a game to help people mingle. It was the game where they put bible characters on a post it note and then stuck it on peoples backs. You then had to go ask questions to find out who your character was.

I approached a guy who looked lost in this game. I asked if he was playing and he told me hi just didn’t know any bible characters. He was new to faith and felt like an outsider as people rattled off questions he had no clue to ask. There was not much thought given to him or his family. I saw a few others like this too.

Churches do stuff like this nearly every Sunday. They rattle off bible words, use “christianese” in announcements, invitations, sermons, calls to worship… leaving a huge number of people feeling like they are outsiders.

I visited a church recently where the greeters made it seem like I interrupted their conversation by coming to their church. I visited a church where communion was taken but was never explained. I passed that morning. I visited a church where several announcements were given for events that went something like this.

We are having out “annual big splash” at the home of the Jones at 7. Make sure you are there. I did not know what a big splash was and had no clue who the Jones were or wear they lived. It was obvious many people there did, but I and several others did not.

I listened to a message where the pastor said… you all know the story of Hamman and Mordecai… as if everyone did. Not many did and he communicated that there was an in the know and a not in the know group.

A “secret shopper” notices these things and for a church that cares, will make a difference. I visited a church whose signs were all crooked and liked like they were placed by someone who didn’t care. as a church planter whose focus was to reach previously unreached people, these were all important. I grew up in a church that said they cared about the lost but not enough to examine the way they did things.
CS on Thu, August 27, 2009

Leonard:

“Wouldn�t it be a great tool to have someone secretly come into your church and help assess if what you actually do is a reflection of your values?”

I totally agree with that. When it’s labeled as being a, “shopper,” and the person refers to an article in the Wall Street Journal about it, though, it takes on a totally different vein. “Mystery worshiper,” would perhaps be the better choice of words, but I believe that the words used often reveal the mindset instead.

—
CS
Leonard on Thu, August 27, 2009

CS,
I think you are searching for what is wrong to the degree you highlighted out of context his words to make a point. That is being critical not discerning.