Environment Matters - Just ask a Starbucks Addict!

22 Nov Environment Matters – Just ask a Starbucks Addict!

Posted at 10:46h in 2013, Environment, Once by lisa 0 Comments

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Starbucks. Nordstrom. Apple Store. Chick-Fil-A.

These are a few of my favorite places to go! Yes, I confess, I love what they’re selling. But, there’s actually a lot more to my love affair with these establishments. As a matter of fact, while I love what they’re selling at Nordstrom I don’t do a lot of “buying” there because they are a bit out of my price range! Still, I always park my car on the Nordstrom side of the mall so I can walk through their store on my way to my destination (usually the Apple Store, Starbucks, or the food court Chick-Fil-A).

For me, as I enter these establishments, I get a similar feeling to when I walk into someone’s home and immediately feel comfortable. There’s just something about it. Interestingly enough, this “something” is not an accident. These organizations (much like our friends who’s homes are always so warm and welcoming) are extremely intentional about creating irresistible environments for the people who walk through their doors. They have thought through everything from the interior design of the space, to the organization of that space, all the way through to the service they provide for their customers. They are purposeful about creating environments where people want to come in, want to come back, and most importantly want to buy what they are selling.

We can learn a lot from places like these as we create environments for kids in our churches. No, we’re not selling coffee, computers, or delicious chicken sandwiches, but we certainly have something the world is desperate for and the kids in our communities need. We get to tell the best story every told and offer the children who come through our doors a chance to connect with a living Savior. But, if we aren’t intentional about the environment we create for them, we’ll lose the opportunity before we even get them in the room. Environment matters! And it starts from the moment the children in your church walk through the door.

The 252 Basics Blog recently asked me to write a post about creating irresistible environments for kids. In doing so, I took some cues from the places I love to hang out and compiled a list of 7 things that will hopefully be helpful to you as you create your environments.