morgan young Protégé OCC 12.2.09

Protégé Project:Seeing the church through others’ eyes

Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are - or as we are conditioned to see it.

-Stephen R. Covey

Here is just one of the natural tendencies within a church: You come, you like it, and you then find people that are like you.

They talk about what you like to talk about. You have similar musical styles. Your ideas of the expression of the church line up. You are all of similar age and life experience. You click. You hangout. Together. A lot. You subtly think everyone sees things like you, or perhaps should…

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Platoons are great things. They give us a sense of unity and perhaps more than anything, help us feel ok with who we are—there others like us we are not alone.

But churches are made up of many platoons, lot of huddles. And the common denominators between all the platoons become fewer and fewer. Things like, “We are all messed up and need a Savior.” Or, “We all like the main preacher.” Or, “We like this more than our other local church options.”

As a budding church leader (or leader of any kind) it’s very important to understand the broader picture of who attends the church. To see that there is great diversity among attenders. To see that many people don’t really care about music. Don’t care about theology. Don’t care about technical details. Then again, still some others do.

So this is an exercise to get you out of your huddle. To get you in close proximity with people who don’t appear to be like you and the people you usually hang out with.

The Assignment:

  • Talk to at least 10 Oakbrook attenders to get answers to the following survey. (1/2 male/female)
  • Don’t talk to anyone you know (people that you say “hi” to but not much more, are ok)
  • Target people you perceive to be outside of your demographic / stage of life. (different)
  • Disclaim that you really want their honest answers, especially if they don’t think you want to hear it. Tell them you are not looking for a “right” answer. (This can be hard in church—people will want to tell you what you want to hear---and people won’t want to be critical of church.)
  • You could ask them the questions & write down the answers, or have them fill it out etc.

Protégé Diversity Survey

First name ______

Age range: 18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 55+ (could write their age if they want to give it)

How long attending Oakbrook? ______

Did you grow up in church? yes / no (circle one)

If yes, what denomination or style of church:

What are you looking for the church to help you with the most?

Do you listen to music during the week? If so, what style or radio station?

Is music important to you or is just something in the background?

If you could change one thing about the music at Oakbrook, what would it be? Why?

Is there a series we’ve done that has really impacted you? Why?

What is your biggest challenge in life right now?

When was the last time you invited someone to church?

If you could change or tweak one thing about Oakbrook, what would it be?