My wife, Diane, was walking around Gettysvue in West Knoxville last week, and she took this picture—the Goose Patrol. I was unaware of such a business. Who knew?

If you have a goose problem, rest assured that there is now a company in town that will help you “Stop the Drop.” Did you know that Canadian Geese can cause many problems if left unchecked? According to their website, now, more than ever, more geese live in urban and suburban areas – away from their natural predators. Apparently, geese are growing at such a rate that their populations are doubling every 3-5 years. And with more geese, you have got problems–just one goose will eat up to 3lbs of grass in one day and leave up to 2lbs of droppings.  When it comes to poop, I know that it is child’s play when you compare it to cow’s poop, but mess it still mess. But rest assured, if you have a goose mess, there is a Goose Patrol ready to help.

Getting Attention

The Goose Patrol sign got my attention about their service. Getting attention is the first step to getting your service checked out. Attention-getting opens the door, and open doors are what the church is about. What will it take for Central Bearden to get people’s attention? How does a church get noticed nowadays? With church buildings on every corner of our city and every corner of the internet, how would Central stand out in the crowded field of God’s kingdom?

Purple Cow or iPhone

One way to get attention is to push your differences. Have you read Seth Godin’s book, Purple Cow? Godin says, “If you’ve seen one cow, you’ve seen a thousand cows.” He says that regular cows have become invisible. To get noticed, you need difference, like a purple cow. Dissimilarity and distinction are crucial to getting noticed.

I find it interesting that Apple is coming out with a new Purple iPhone. Even Taco Bell has newly remodeled purple signage on their buildings. Why? — to get our attention. It would seem that purple is the trend color right now. It used to be black or white, then it was silver and bronze, and now it is purple.

Remarkable or Invisible

In short, Godin would argue that every organization needs to be the best at something and to capitalize on its differences. He says, “Either you’re remarkable or invisible.” In other words, plain churches are like plain cows, a dime a dozen. Commonality and sameness to the church crowd will only lead to invisibility. For our church to get noticed, we need to celebrate and capitalize on our differences. We need to use our differences to the level of being remarkable.

Questions

What are the differences that Central has that other churches do not? What unique gifts or strengths should we specialize in doing? What do we do best to get our community’s attention and engagement? Who could Central best reach for God’s kingdom? I would love to hear your comments.

The Goose Patrol decided their strength was geese. Let others deal with the other critters. Maybe we could learn from their example.

Gary Schmieder

Church Administrator