The other day, I was a substitute teacher and had lunch duty. A little kindergartener raised her hand and I came over to her. She had two notes in her lunch bag. She asked me to read them. One said, “You are beautiful!” The other said, “You are smart!” The little girl beamed as I said, “Two very true statements!”
Often, churches and church people get a reputation for being resistant to change. “Worship Wars” continue as those who love traditional hymns duke it out with lovers of contemporary styles of worship. Changing an old chair in the lobby can be controversial if it was dedicated in memory of a dearly departed saint during the Eisenhower Administration. Adding a little fresh paint and new carpet to a classroom can cause consternation along with a little weeping and gnashing of teeth.
My wife and I saw a sign like this as we drove by a country church. Since she is in children’s ministry, it caught our eye. While we were glad the church was making an effort to attract kids, we agreed a new playground just wouldn’t cut it.
As I drive down Indiana and Ohio highways, I see acres of corn and soybeans. All the farmers are doing their best to get the most productivity out of their fields. They all strive to be the most productive and deliver a consistent product for the same price. It works for commodities. Corn, soybeans, pork, beef, crude oil, steel are all commodities that require consistent quality, sent to market in the most efficient way. There isn’t much negotiation on price. The only way to make more money is to take advantage of economies of scale.
At one time, you could put your ad in the phone book yellow pages and not think about it for a year. It just worked for you. A newspaper ad could last just as long. Then radio came along and you could blast the same message multiple times a day. Television made it even easier, but at least there were only three channels… until there was cable… and then the Internet.