{"id":10181,"date":"2012-12-19T23:47:08","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T01:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/briandoddonleadership.com\/?p=10181"},"modified":"2012-12-21T14:19:12","modified_gmt":"2012-12-21T16:19:12","slug":"what-tom-cruise-can-teach-church-leaders-about-the-value-volunteers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/briandoddonleadership.com\/2012\/12\/19\/what-tom-cruise-can-teach-church-leaders-about-the-value-volunteers\/","title":{"rendered":"What Tom Cruise Can Teach Pastors About The Value Of Key Volunteers"},"content":{"rendered":"

“You guys\u00a0(ushers)\u00a0keep people coming to the movies. You guys run the cinema and make it an enjoyable experience. You guys I value most of all.”<\/em> – Tom Cruise<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the week I am a Generosity Architect for Injoy Stewardship Solutions<\/a> helping pastors and church leaders craft mission and vision.\u00a0 On\u00a0weekends, however,\u00a0I\u00a0serve with my wife\u00a0on the Hospitality Team at Fellowship Bible Church<\/a><\/strong> in Roswell, GA.<\/p>\n

To\u00a0many in our church\u00a0I simply hand out bulletins, help people find seats, and smile A LOT.\u00a0 I am reminded of this because whenever\u00a0I speak, train volunteers, or have\u00a0someone discover this blog, I often then\u00a0hear, “Wow, who knew?\u00a0\u00a0I thought you were just a greeter<\/strong>.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Upon\u00a0hearing\u00a0those words, I am always very gracious because I know they were meant\u00a0as a compliment and\u00a0am thankful.\u00a0 It\u00a0also reminds me that\u00a0the concept of\u00a0effective ministry for many church leaders\u00a0needs\u00a0expanding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Barna Group<\/a> once did a study\u00a0stating over 90% of church visitors\u00a0know within the first 12 minutes if they will be returning\u00a0to a church or not.\u00a0<\/strong> A separate study also\u00a0revealed that over 90% of church visitors\u00a0state their #1 reason for returning\u00a0to a church was because of the pastor.\u00a0 The irony of this\u00a0study is that a pastor is rarely part of the first 12 minutes.\u00a0 What these\u00a0two independent studies\u00a0teach us\u00a0is that the people are truly a picture of the leader.<\/p>\n

This brings me to Hollywood movie star Tom Cruise<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With his new movie Jack Reacher<\/em><\/a> opening this weekend<\/strong>, co-star Rosamund Pike made an interesting observation about Cruise in the December 18th of USA Today<\/a>.\u00a0 While at the film’s premier in Stockholm, Pike noticed Cruise’s interaction with the theater’s ushers.\u00a0 She said, “He stopped and said: ‘You guys keep people coming to the movies.\u00a0 You guys run the cinema and make it an enjoyable experience.\u00a0 You guys I value most of all.'”<\/p>\n

Pastors, the following is a list of people your visitors encounter in the first 12 minutes<\/strong>\u00a0as they arrive on your campus:<\/p>\n