Starbucks, Micro-shifts and Discipleship
There is a lot to be learned about discipleship from a micro-shift made twenty-five years ago by Starbucks.
Believe it or not, there was a time when coffee was weak, espresso was hard to find, blended and flavored iced coffee drinks were nonexistent, and lattes were only served at high-end restaurants. Howard Shultz, in his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, writes, “We had evolved millions of people’s relationships with coffee, from what they drank to where and when they drank it.”
Starbucks not only popularized the love of coffee, but they also shifted the way that we consume it.
The Shift
This shift was key to their success. If Starbucks had only focused on the what, without making an intentional shift to the where and when, they would not have experienced the widespread success that they have. After all, people do not just go to Starbucks for the coffee; they also go to relax, read, work, and have conversations. This micro-shift led to a macro-change in our culture.
What if you could make a similar micro-shift as a church leader that would result in a macro-change in your disciple-making culture? What if this micro-shift would set your church on a trajectory to both spiritual and numerical growth? Would you consider it? In order to uncover this micro-shift, first need to take a look at two spectrums.
Destination --------------------------------------------------------------Direction
Destination
A church that focuses on destination is one that measures the maturity of disciples based on how much they have achieved, what they know, their observable behaviours, and whether they have completed certain classes.
The destination-focused church has clear metrics for success that are objective and outward in nature. Maturity is an ongoing process without an endpoint this side of eternity.
Direction
By contrast, a church that focuses on direction is one that sees maturity as an ongoing process without an endpoint this side of eternity. Maturity is first measured by the direction the disciple is moving—toward Christ or away from Christ—and then how far along they are in that journey.
As a result, the direction-focused church has broader metrics for success that are both objective and subjective in nature.
A Discipleship Process Focused on Destination
When you arrive, you are mature.
There is an end destination.
You must believe in Jesus before you can belong with the church.
Standardized.
Formulaic.
Maturity is defined by how long you’ve been a Christian, the number of times you've read the Bible, the seminars you’ve taken, and other visible factors.
All too often, destination-focused is how our churches function.
A Discipleship Process Focused on Direction
You mature when you’re moving in the right direction.
There is a clear direction.
You can belong with the church before you believe in Jesus.
Personalized.
Non-formulaic.
Maturity is defined by obedience, perseverance, and conformity to the character of Jesus.
New Testament disciples are described as running a race with endurance, keeping their eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2), and finishing well (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Which system is your church modelling? The book, “No Silver Bullets” is a great resource for making the shift from destination to direction. And before you start the shift, make sure you understand a second factor that changes your trajectory.
Read Part 2 of this post: Accountability: The Secret Sauce of Discipleship.
Daniel Im is the Senior Associate Pastor at Beulah Alliance Church, Edmonton, and author of “No Silver Bullets”.