Hey, Product Design People: Help Us! (Think “Mouse”):
by Lawrence Downing: One segment of the January 6, 2013, 60 Minutes program included a conversation between 60 Minutes host Charlie Rose and innovator David Kelly, founder of IDEO, one of the most influential product design firms in America. His creations are part of American life and culture: the computer mouse, Apple computers and many others. His goal, Kelly told Rose, is to make things easier for people to use by combining human behavior and design.
To achieve his purpose, Kelly hires groups of young people from diverse backgrounds, interests, skills and disciplines whose task is to solve problems and build products that work and make life easier. Kelly assigns the group a problem and turns them loose. Ideas multiply. Each idea is pasted on a white board. One idea builds on another. In the end, the group reaches a higher level than any one of the group alone.
The point, continued Kelly, is to develop an empathy for the consumer, to seek to understand what a person wants and what that person’s needs are. Observing how an individual responds to a given situation or event is an essential component in the discovery process. When you watch how a person responds to a situation, claims Kelly, that person will communicate what you need to focus on. When you are empathetic you will try to understand what people really value.
As an example, Kelley told Rose to watch someone work with a computer software program. Pay attention to the operator’s face, he said. When the person grimaces, note where that spot came in the program and solve that issue. Engineering and human response!
As I listened to the interview with Kelly, I began to think how we in the church might benefit were we to apply Kelly’s philosophy and approach within the parish. Think with me: suppose the same creative effort IDEO directed to the design and function of the first computer mouse—which the company did for Steve Jobs—were applied to a church worship service. Bring together a group of young, creative people from diverse backgrounds. Put them under the leadership of a visionary mentor like Kelly. Their task: Design a worship experience that minimizes the Grimace Events.
How might such a team work? One group can be assigned to monitor the Grimace Events that occur during a worship service. Another team may be assigned to observe and note when congregants doze off or whisper to the ones next to them. The group would record how many people look at their I-phone, how many play games or text during some part of the service. These occurrences qualify as Grimace Generators. Fix them! One can multiply tasks, but you get the idea.
Retirement from parish ministry provides opportunity to visit churches, and in the past several years my wife and I have attended numerous worship services. As I reflected further on Rose’s interview with Kelly, I began to recall events I witnessed in worship services that brought a grimace to my face.
I recall that I winced when a pastor stood before us, a string of Christmas lights wrapped about his waist and chest. It happened this way: After the children’s story, which involved a string of Christmas lights, the pastor walked to the pulpit to begin his sermon. He paused, looked at a teen-aged girl who had assisted in the children’s story. We heard him say something to her about lights. We could see the look of “What? Are you serious?” on her face, and we heard him whisper, “That’s right. Come on up and wrap it around me.” He folded his arms tight to his body. The girl, with hesitation, followed the pastor’s instructions. Round and round she walked twisting and pulling the string of lights.
We in the congregation shared in this girl’s discomfort. When the pastor was “wrapped and lighted,” he turned to the congregation, looked at us for a short time and said, “I’m not sure why I did this. I thought it might be interesting.” He then began his Advent sermon. A Grimace Event. Fix it.
I have cringed when people assigned to offer the main prayer invited the congregation to kneel, spoke two or three cliché sentences and ended the prayer with a mumbled “Amen.” A Grimace Generator. Fix it! Ditto when the scripture is read by a reader who has neither spent time with the text nor comprehends how to use the microphone to advantage. Grimace Events. Fix them!
When, during the “Announcements” or “Church Business” segment, the pastor and an elder stand at the pulpit, tell a couple of weak jokes, banter back and forth for 15 minutes and then ask us to join them in worship. A Grimace Event. Fix it.
At the conclusion of one pastor’s sermon, we watched in puzzled wonder as the pastor put himself face down on the platform with arms stretched out in front of him. He lifted his head, looked at us and invited us to join him on the platform as he prayed. No one moved. By himself, still stretched out like a frog, he began to pray. In his prayer he asked that we be guided by the Spirit to get in touch with the god within. A Grimace Event. Fix it.
The sermon that began with point A, meandered about exploring points B, D, F, each section unrelated to the other, and, 52 minutes after he began, the pastor asked the congregation if they thought it was time for him to conclude his sermon. A small child whispered, so that all could hear, “Mommy, can we go now?” Out of the mouths of babes! That kid’s statement was the one profound utterance of the day.
Fortunately, the above examples of what I witnessed in Adventist worship services are the exception. What is unfortunate is that our worship services too often fail to attract the numbers of people we would like, and the majority of those who do attend are 55 or older. Here is the stuff of challenge for Mr. Kelly and his IDEO group of whiz kids.
It is not likely we will ever see an IDEO-like analysis incorporated into an Adventist parish. The odds are we will never read the resultant recommendations that might arise from such a study. It is equally unlikely a congregation will put together a group of young people to direct their creative energy toward the development of a worship service that minimizes Grimace Events. (And I emphasize “young!” The 60 Minutes segment?—no gray hairs in that group, save for Kelly. This is not the turf for us oldsters! We can fund it, but not do it. Sorry, church administrators, you’re out of the loop.)
Who knows, there may be the brave, the eccentric, the foolhardy congregation that might one day take on the challenge and welcome a careful look at how they do church. What a delight that would be, and what a fright it will be to those who think we have it just right the way it is.
Lawrence Downing, DMin, a retired pastor, served congregations in California, Pennsylvania and Washington state.
Lawrence,
Kudos for voicing what so many know intuitively: that there is widespread need for improvement in our worship services. You’ve also given us a practical model for the creative process that must take place if we are to change things. I’ve been a team member using that model, both in industry and in the church, so I can testify to the immense potential for improvement that it offers.
That process cannot work until a sufficient nucleus of leaders within a congregation recognizes the need for change, accept that the practices of the past were neither written in stone by the finger of God or by the pen of a prophet, and become willing to both explore and embrace change. However, since devotion to the familiar is so dominant in most churches, the nucleus wanting change may quickly find it is better for them to separate physically from their church and form a new congregation while leaving the defenders of tradition to their own fate. While that is intimidating, I strongly encourage it because I am blessed each week by the result of that happening and I would not be a member of the church today if we had not embraced change and planted a new congregation. Also, leaving a dying congregation is often the best way for it to be revitalized because those who remain may be forced to realize their need to change. So there is nothing eccentric or foolhardy in changing, or leaving so you can enjoy the great blessings change brings.
The worship of our God is a personal devotion, between each of us and God. It is a very significant private exchange of faith, love, friendship, and reality of our total
understanding and respect, of His being the omnipotent Creator of everything that exists, and having ever existed. That we are His, and He is ours. We do not know precisely, when our future eternal being is restored, or the role that will be provided to us, but we are here now, at His pleasure, and trust His promise of providing for us
things not seen, nor ear heard of. And they will be of greater understanding and value to our senses, than that we have, Earthbound.
To corporate worship: The content should be of participation of all. There should be
first, quiet instrumental background music that reaches every nook of the sanctuary,
which will induce all entering to recognize “We are entering the presence of our God”,
and be respectful, of His promise to be where two or more are gathered, in His Holy Presence, followed by a hymn of praise. Then, one in the pews offering a prayer of praise and Thanksgiving to God, for the congregation. Briefly provide vital last minute announcements “Most should be in bulletin”. >>>>>>continued>>>>>
>>>>continued……Another hymn of praise, or a vocal solo, to set the mood for a short,
approx ten sermonette, by a member of the congregation. It should be where possible, an inspirational experience or known incident, that provides the inclusion of our God, and of our total faith in Him, to provide the answers to our prayers, and guidance by His Holy Spirit. Another hymn of “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord “.
The Benediction. Quiet spiritual music upon leaving the Sanctuary. The offering to be taken at the door. Socialization in the vestibule or exterior of the church. This should provide a worship service of approx 45-50 minutes. The Sabbath Schools are responsible fo the lesson study, and children’s stories. The Pastor and the Elders may occasionally offer the sermonette, staying strictly within the time frame. The Pastor’s first responsibility is organizing and leading out the visiting in the church community, of the sick, of members, and inviting all community to worship with us. Also finding the needs within the community and organizing groups to respond according to their talents. The Pastor will be relieved of sermon presentation and be involved instead in
the vital role of searching the hiways and byways, and inviting them in. This leads to new church plantings.
should read “for a short ten MINUTE sermonette”.
Earl,
What you have described are a number of items that should be examined by any team discussing making changes to the worship service. Still, it is very easy to get lost in specifics and produce no result because you don’t have a creative team working to resolve a challenge, but rather are working to preserve something they see is threatened. There first must be recognition that a problem exists that requires fixing. Second, there needs to be an identification of what “the problem” is. Doing that can easily produce a list of problems or failures needing resolution. But if there is going to be any success there must be an objective toward which all are working. So I ask you to answer some questions:
1. Describe what worship is or should be.
2. How does each element of what you know as a “worship service” contribute to, or detract from, worship.
3. What is essential to a worship service (where, when, aesthetics, range of music styles, etc.)?
4. How can things be done differently so they can be done better?
Now, take a look at what you have described and see what thoughts come to mind. Then get together with some friends from your church, ask them to answer the same questions and see what happens. If there is enough interest in change, I expect you will be blessed by the results.
Mr. Noel does a good job with his list and that list will demonstrate the problem. What is worship and what is church and how do you serve the needs of those attending. Well in the illustration of the mouse the answer is how best to imput something into the computer, the answer is not simply a mouse, but there are other techniques available as well, from the trackball (my favorite) to the trackpad/touchpad, they even had an air mouse that I don’t think ever caught on. But there are at least 3 current normally used methods to accompany a keyboard. Are the people of the church willing to accept that there may be multiple methods of worship and doing church. If personal preferences are to be included, then there will indeed be multiple answers and methods.
Grimace Prayers by Pastors (or just my personal pet peeves):
A relatively short prayer is given while using the word ‘god’ over 30 times. A Grimace Prayer. Fix it.
Or when the person to pray invites the congregants to kneel, I get a Charlie horse in my leg when I do so and when many older people can make it down but have a hard time getting up. Grimace Request. Fix it.
Or when the benediction is just a summary of the sermon. Grimace Recap. Fix it.
Or when the Morning Prayer is a read of a linguistic exhibition of eruditeness. Grimace and fix it.
Or when the medical details are given of the ailing congregants in a prayer. Grimacing prayers. Fix it.
Grimace scripture readings (or more of my pet peeves):
Even if the scripture is well read, the pastor insists on reading and projecting it again. Most of us got it the first time. Grimace and fix it.
When there is a disconnect between the scripture reading and the morning sermon with a frivolous (or serious) introduction of the speaker. Grimace and fix it.
Some say that I shouldn’t go to church to be entertained. I certainly do not want to go to church to be bored!! I do want the service to be well thought out and to be classy entertainment.
Mel,
You used the phrase “Fix it” a number of times. The first step in “fixing” something is having enough people recognize it is broken that there is support for doing something about it. The second, and most essential, step is having a concept toward which everyone can work. Until an objective is defined it is not possible to identify what actions must be taken to achieve it.
In my work acquiring service contracts it is essential that we define both the actions we want the contractor to perform and the standards by which their performance will be measured. Instead of talking about specific ways to change a worship service we must first define the objective(s) we want to achieve and how we will measure to know if they have been met. We want our services to deliver results X, Y and Z and here is how we will measure them. Hold the attention of children? Hold the attention of adults so they will not easily be distracted? Teach spiritual principles effectively so they will be remembered? Use more music that is spiritually relevant to modern life and encourages people to express their adoration and praise to God?
Once the objectives are outlined, be ready to write fast taking notes because the ideas will begin flowing!
Step 1: Ask the conference to assign a pastor who a) thinks of himself as functioning as servant of the laity; not as a manager who treats the lay members (especially local officers) as unpaid employees of the conference and b) seldom speaks for more than 20 minutes.
Step 2: Elect a first elder who a) is dedicated to neither tradition or innovation for the sake of innovation and b) will delegate the responsibility of planning the worship services so the other elders become adept at it.
Step 3: No matter how well the first elder meets the above criteria, replace him every year (2at the most) with someone from a different family — this so every child starts thinking in terms of “Now will I influence how things are done when I become a voting member?”
Step 3: Encourage each elder to attend the children’s Sabbath School departments looking not only for children with musical talent (and who understand the difference between worship and entertainment) but also for children who can read clearly and distinctly and project their voices so as to be understood but everyone and children whose prayers are indicative of a personal relationship with the Creator.
These steps can encourage people to think of themselves as the church instead of “going to church” and can provide an alternative to playing church or “doing church”.
Roger,
At my church, we rotate the position of Head Elder among four elders on a quarterly basis. It works great. As for coordinating worship services, we use people whose task is coordinating the entire worship service. Elders may take roles in it but they do not plan it. The speaker is asked for their theme and the worship coordinator plans around it. That way we don’t have “cookie cutter” services where you know what is next because that'[s what has happened every Sabbath for as long as you can remember. Comments we hear from guests and first-time attendees includes remarks like “refreshing” and “energizing.”
William,
You are using a different method than I suggested but the same principle, namely, avoid getting stuck in a rut.
I have appreciated the suggestions other have made on this thread. One I didn’t notice pertains to “dead time” between “items” on the “program”. I suggest asking each person who participates to be ready to speak, sing, read, etc. as soon as the preceding part of the service is finished. Minimize or eliminate “introductions”. If it were up to me, nobody would ever say, during a worship service, “It is now time for_______.”
When I’ve organized Junior Department programs I have worked to eliminate the dead time. Wow, does it eliminate much of the squirming and distracting activity that otherwise occurs in Junior departments!
It has been a long time since I have attended a worship service that inspired me to want to invite visitors. I’m 72 and have no desire to be “in charge” of worship services or Sabbath School programs. People with a lot more energy than I have should be doing those things. It wouldn’t hurt, however, for the people who do plan such services to ask as many people as they can for ideas. It is particularly important to ask more experienced Christians whether there are good reasons (i.e. other than “tradition”) for not making certain suggested changes. Sometimes there are reasons the younger leaders have not considered.