Religion, Sex, and Politics

Beginning in early summer of 2009, we began having trouble with our satellite signal. I had changed the wiring a bit recently, so I figured it was my fault. So I jiggled wires, checked connections, pulled up the satellite set-up menu to check signal strength... and I couldn't find a problem. But our favorite shows (which is all we watch) were plagued with static and signal drop-outs. Then Bill and Rachel Murawski came to stay at our house. So now it wasn't just a problem, it was a real embarrassment. Our friends were having important parts of their shows drop out. "And that proves that the killer is..." [loss of signal]. "So now I'm ready to reveal to you all that I am..." [loss of signal] You are who? Batman? An alien from Mars? Their real father?

So, being a fix it guy, I even tried re-aligning the satellite dish. Turns out that it was aligned just right already. So finally I broke down and called the satellite provider. And they had me go through all the steps I had already gone through. "OK, unplug the box and wait 2 minutes. Now plug it back in. Now push and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Now put your left foot in and shake it all about." And after a 30 minute dance, he says, "Yep, you've got a KPI."

"What's a KPI?"

"Oh, that's a Known Product Issue. That model satellite box often has this problem. We'll need to call and get you a replacement box installed."

OK, so I endured months of less than satisfactory viewing (at the regular full price), spent hours trying to find the problem, blaming and second guessing myself, and being embarrassed over our poor signal as Bill and Rachel suffered through critical signal dropouts. "And the winner is..." [loss of signal].

...and the company knew all along that this might happen, just what it looked like, but didn't warn us and didn't fix it. They could have sent us a letter saying, "The box often works fine, but if you experience any of these problems, call us immediately." But no, they just let us experience problems without any warning. For that, I was extremely perturbed, and I demanded some extra short-term perks, which they did agree to, at the threat of losing a customer.

But here's my question: As a church, what do we do about KPIs? Do we fix them, or do we warn guests about them, or do we just let them suffer in silence and then vow to never come back again?

If we know that we have too few paved parking spaces, that people have to park on grass to find a space, that the grass areas aren't marked as "available parking," and that, when it rains, the people who park there have to walk through wet grass and soggy muck to get to their cars, what do we do about that KPI? If we know that a high heel shoe is going to sink in that mud, and shiny shoes will come away with a Plimsoll line of debris, will we correct our parking needs, or just let them suffer through without any warning. (I hope they don't hit a soft spot and drop a child!)

If we know we have too few seats, so that a day is coming soon when a new family walks in the door and doesn't have a place to sit together comfortably, do we correct it immediately out of a passion for reaching people? Do we at least warn them, "If you come late, seating may be a problem," or do we just sit back and let them suffer through one of our KPIs?

If we know we have an inadequacy in our ministries - not enough small groups, nothing left but inadequate meeting spaces, not enough trained group leaders or teachers - how do we respond? Do we take care of our KPI, or do we just expect people to get all of the depth, all of the personal connections they need as part of Christ's body from one worship time a week and a few conversations afterward?

We know we have some KPIs at Hillsboro. What we do about them is a test of the honesty of our claims about our love for others, our desire to reach and touch people's lives. If we do nothing, we'll send them away disappointed - maybe even angry. And maybe they'll become a customer of another church (best alternative), or maybe they'll give up on God's people altogether (worst alternative).

Do Jesus' words apply here when he says, "Whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea" (Mark 9:42).

And what about those words from James: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17).

So who's with me on immediately addressing our KPIs?