Guest Services

By Casey Ross / Director of Ministry Services / Browns Bridge Community Church

You can think through every detail. You can create strong systems. You can train every volunteer. You can prepare for every situation. And someone is going to have a bad experience at your church. You can’t be perfect.

Sometimes their bad experience is your fault. A system may fail. A volunteer may mess up. Sometimes their bad experience is not your fault. Another guest may do or say something. The guest’s expectations may be unrealistic. Regardless of whose fault it is, be very thankful when you hear about their bad experience.

When (not if) someone has a bad experience at your church, be very thankful when you know about it. If you do not hear about it, you cannot do anything to fix what went wrong. You cannot do anything to apologize and attempt to make the situation right. And you cannot do everything possible to make sure it does not happen again.

When a guest has a bad experience at Browns Bridge, it gives us several opportunities.

First, it gives us the opportunity to apologize. Too many times in today’s culture, people and organizations make excuses. It’s okay and healthy to say we’re sorry and admit we messed up.

Second, it gives us the opportunity to admit we’re not perfect. This is a good thing for others to hear, but it is a very good thing for us to admit to ourselves.

Third, it gives us the opportunity to cast vision. Any time we’re apologizing to someone, we have a captive audience. What better time to cast vision and connect their experience to our vision?