John Moore talks about Borders Reducing its Borders. It turns out that cutting inventory by 10% and fading books out increased their sales by 9%. I find this very interesting. How can we apply this to children’s ministry?
1. More in ministry is not always better. Success is not always found in adding one more program, event or class. Conventional wisdom says that more choices will increase sales. Borders has demonstrated that this not always the case.
2. Kids are stimulated visually. Borders learned that spines don’t sell; covers sell. Do whatever it takes to show kids the cover. Use visual props and aids every time you are in front of kids.
3. Be willing to let things go. Borders is going to lose some money cutting inventory by 10%. The loss will be recovered by future gains. What do you need to cut out of your ministry?
Am I missing any other application points? If so, post them in the comments.
Interesting post. Thank you for sharing it!
I work in the floorcovering business. We work hard to have the appropriate product mix for our client base. We deliberately choose not to show all possible products. We pick and choose. When we choose correctly, this increasing our closing ratios. Borders is following this principle in their own right. But here is the rub, in my view. We have to balance pragmatism with theological and pastoral acumen. Having said that, in children’s ministry, I think we need to be missionaries in understanding the culture where we are located so that we can choose wisely the ministry emphases we focus on. I think doing a few things with excellence is far better than trying to do just about everything.
Ryan,
I love this post of yours because this is how i was feeling this week. I had a moment with a friend of mine on Wednesday that I was feeling that the children ministry was getting caught up in to many new things and not enough basics. So I am sitting here in my office preparing to get out a big highlighter, notebook, and my bible…..and start all over. I keep struggling with all these new curriculum’s to find that only certain parts are working. And the things that work the most with my kids are the things that have nothing to do with the curriculum’s I’m using. The are loving the things that I come up with helping there spirituality. Your post though is comfort that another CP was thinking the same thing as me this week. It makes your heart and tummy do flips because it’s another reassuring moment that God is speaking to you and not you being self centered.
Amber
PS I love this blog site. You guys help out so much. Also it’s funny becuase we have been talking about a climbing wall also here in my ministry you guys just beat us to the punch. Thanks for the wisdom to this young gun.
Ministers can learn how to scale down the activities and events when they worship in rented facilities. You have to be very creative on how and when and what kind of events to plan. We only have our worship space on Saturday nights so we plan other events in homes and in the community, usually quarterly events, and they’re more geared to be family events. These events are better attended because there aren’t too many of them.
This weekend we’re doing a combined adult-children worship by doing “Are you smarter than a Children’s worship kid?” 4 kids on the panel/class, 2 adults will have questions and are allowed to ask the kids for help. It’s all part of the pastor’s sermon series on spiritual study.
Ryan great post and a great way to say it.