“Here’s to the crazy ones…”
Those are the opening lines to what has become one of the most iconic Apple commercials of all time. While there are a lot of things about Steve Jobs I wouldn’t emulate, his obsession with being different helped him grow Apple into one of the most innovative and catalytic companies the world has seen in the past 20 years.
Unfortunately, being different isn’t something that is universally embraced, even in the local church, where we have a calling to be different. Too often, churches do everything possible, from programming to mission statements to hairstyles, to imitate other churches we perceive as successful. In the process, we eliminate everything that makes our church truly unique.
Why be different?
I believe the Church needs more leaders who, like Steve Jobs, aren’t afraid of being different. This isn’t just because being different is cool. There are actually some powerful benefits as well:
- Being different builds community. Not everyone likes to be part of something different, but those who do will draw a crowd that has the potential to become a tribe. Will Mancini touches on this in his new book, God Dreams. If we want to be relevant in the future, we must be willing to adopt a unique vision attractive to a core group of people who, over time, will draw others in.
- Being different helps you define who you are trying to reach … and who you aren’t. If you don’t have a clear picture of who you are trying to reach, you run the risk of trying to please all the people all the time, and frankly, that never works. Discovery Church Colorado is one of America’s fastest-growing churches in part because they are super clear about trying to reach people who feel like they are too jacked up for church.
- Being different helps you only focus on the things that will help you achieve your mission. Clarity creates focus. When you’re absolutely certain about what makes your church different, you’re able to concentrate your efforts on the specific things that will help you be successful and say NO to everything else.
Looking for a different software partner?
Being different and working with church leaders who embrace the same mentality is something we’ve always valued at Church Community Builder. In fact, we’ll be the first to say that Church Community Builder isn’t for every church. We don’t want to be.
What we want is to work with church leaders who are passionate about growing disciples and believe equipping the saints for ministry is the most effective way to do it.
It’s why our software is designed specifically for leaders in the church. It’s the reason we care about partnering with churches that are the right fit more than selling software to any church leader who will buy. It’s why we invest so much time in training and coaching because we believe effective ministry requires solid processes, not just cool software that helps you complete tasks.
This focus on being different has helped us grow to the point where we are now helping churches impact over two million people for Christ every week. What a blessing it is to be a part of that!
So, here’s to the crazy church leaders!
If you care more about reaching people for the Kingdom than ‘fitting in’ or ‘being relevant’ … we’re with you. If you believe church is about something more than a template of programs … we’re with you. If you see technology as a means to an end, not the end itself … we’re with you. If you believe that the best way to create a movement of Gospel transformation in your community is done through equipping the saints to build community … we’re with you.
While we all recognize the opening lines to that famous Apple commercial, let me remind you about the last line.
“…because the people who think they are crazy enough to change the world … are the ones that do.”
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