Second Mile
A few weeks ago, my local church joined together for a night of encouragement. We ate Chick-fil-A and learned about their story of hospitality. We left equipped with how we can implement pieces of their serve model as we welcome our guests and family into worship.
Chick-fil-A is a welcoming place to eat because they place a high value on having a team in place to anticipate the needs of guests, make guests known, and genuinely care about them.
If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. -Matthew 5:41
As Chick-fil-A moves through the first mile tasks of making and selling chicken sandwiches, they intentionally go the second mile by sharing a people connection as they work. Being on the receiving end of a smile, having their name known, and talking joyfully with someone makes their guests’ experience memorable.
SERVING IS SHARING
Our serve team connects our guests and family together by spending time in community and engaging in conversation as we use our hands and feet to do the tasks of our serve areas. Sharing our time and gifts is what turns a room of tasks into a home connecting people to Jesus. Sharing welcomes our guests and family into worship and makes faith visible.
Serving does not ask us to do more. It asks us to serve more.
We are already standing on porches, pouring cups of coffee, and opening doors. But a room, cup, or a door is not going to connect someone to Jesus. Going the second mile and genuinely sharing who God made us to be when we serve does. God does not ask us to change our tasks or our personality. He only asks us to share a genuine connection with another while we work.
Because the work brings people together and people connect people to Jesus.
Because we are believers, connecting with our guests and family places them in the path of God’s transforming power. Our hope is while they are here, life change happens in them.
SERVING THROUGH THE SECOND MILE
If we think about our stories for why we serve or follow Jesus, most of us have someone who joined us in a task and then came with us for a second mile moment. Maybe they smiled kindly as you worked together on a house project. Maybe they extended a hand when you felt down and out after a hard day. Maybe they invited you to come alongside them and enjoy a meal together.
The second mile is not always convenient or easy. Finishing our first mile tasks takes energy and time.
But if we value the guest who is with us and their place in our church family, we will share more steps and breaths to stay connected.
We will give more than we think we have to offer. We will linger longer. We will ask another question. We will walk together. We will serve.
NEXT STEPS
When we serve, we get to disciple by sharing who God made us to be with our guests and family. We get to live out God’s Story in a place where our guests and family can see it so they might choose to live out His Story with their people during the week.
One way we can be great disciple makers is by building margin in our tasks. This gives us the availability to go the second mile and share our time with our guests and family while we serve. Here are some ways we can build margin into our Sunday morning tasks and connect folks to the mission of our church:
to glorify God by making disciples, planting churches, and living generously.
1. Serve in pairs. This provides margin where one can walk with a guest, answer questions, and engage in conversation while another can stay in place to care for those coming in. It also gives our guests a visual picture of what being in family looks like as we interact with each other.
2. Come early. Arriving early allows guests to enter a room filled with family. It shows we are generous with our time and want to use it to be with guests and grow our family as we welcome them into community.
3. Listen to stories. Listening by being excited and asking questions shows our guests Jesus loves them and values the details of their life. It is a foundational step into beginning a discipling relationship.
4. Be genuine and faithful. Spending time with God, outside of worship, coming to circle time, and reading team emails equips us to be united in our mission. We are equipped to welcome our guests and family into worship in a way that exemplifies who God made us to be. Be genuine. Serving in your gifting is fun and it will show.
5. Invite into community. Spending time shoulder to shoulder with our guests and family builds unity as a church family. We develop a shared story as we stand and walk together. Inviting guests and family to serve alongside us also grows the depth of our family and serve team. This equips us to continue the mission of RADIUS locally when sending out who God calls to go plant churches.
When we make a great connection story while serving, pass it along. Chick-fil-A has a great collection of red couch stories of connections between their staff and guests. How awesome would it be to have our own set of couch stories to encourage us to keep serving through the second mile!
