What if going to church was as magical as going to Disneyland?
Disney theme parks have a problem every church wishes it had – Too many people are coming through the turnstiles! How blessed would we feel if our biggest problem for the church was how to manage the large number of people flowing into it?
Disney is so successful because they put their guest first. They know that if their guests are happy, they will return over and over again. They also know it doesn’t take much to burst that bubble so they put extraordinary amounts of effort into the details. They anticipate needs before someone has to ask. There was a great story I heard at a Disney Institute course. When Disneyland first opened, they had these flower beds surrounding the hub on Main Street and people kept walking right through them to get to the different lands. Walt’s team was talking about how to solve the problem. Some suggested signs. Some suggested fences. Walt suggested getting rid of the flower beds. He told them, “The people are telling you what they want by their actions. It’s our job to listen.” Sometimes the church needs to do more listening and less talking.
MouseChurch was formed to be something different. A new way to experience a faith community. My hope for MouseChurch is that it will embody the values of guest service we encounter in the theme parks and transform them into opportunities to show the love of Christ. At its core, Disney’s purpose is to create happiness for all people, everywhere. How is that so different from how Christ envisioned us as the church?
My favorite passage of the Bible is from John 13:34-35 where Jesus tells the disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If we can have faith that by loving others we can help them to know the love of God, we can change the world (even more powerfully than Michael Jackson in Captain EO).
MouseChurch is a place for everyone, whether they love Disney or not, who want to experience a community of faith where we believe in creating happiness through the love of Jesus Christ. We want to take the very best practices of those places that are doing it RIGHT and incorporate those practices into our community. Radical hospitality. Thinking of others. Paying attention to details. Creating magical experiences that inspire people. By doing these things we hope it will create a space for us to grow in our faith.
If that sounds interesting to you, I hope you’ll be a part of our faith community. Join us for the ride and remain seated please. Permanecer sentados por favor!
Mouse Church 