Card catalogue data
The Five-Star Church: Serving God and His People with Excellence by Stan Toler and Alan Nelson (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999, 2012)
Category: Church administration
Format: Kindle
Pages: 230
This is the fourth book I read in June, and the 15th book in 2016.
Bottom line
When you go to a five-star hotel, you expect superior service and an outstanding product. What would happen if we as church leaders endeavored to raise the bar and have a five-star church?
About the authors
Stan Toler is a minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene and has written 100 books. Alan Nelson is a leadership expert, especially in identifying and developing 10-18 year olds.
Why I read this book
As someone who is interested in improving the systems that run a church, I read this book with special notice of the role of a church secret shopper and their help in improving churches.
Format of the book
Each chapter is divided into four sections: (1) a narrative fable where we follow the fictional account of a couple of ministers learning from the general manager of a five-star hotel, (2) an explanation of the principles and applications, (3) a question and answer section, and (4) a “Doers Section” with ideas for implementation.
What I’ve learned
Many of the principles in this book I was already aware of; we had implemented most of them at the church where I recently served. But there were some great reminders as well as some questions I had never thought of before. Certainly improving the church to five-star level is not the only thing our churches need, but it’s an important factor if we are to reach the unchurched and grow, not decline like most churches.
Favorite quote
A market-sensitive church need not compromise on its message, but it must change its methods if it is to meet the spiritual needs of people. Excuse my soapbox a second, but a market-oriented church gives people what they need in the way they like to receive it. Seems to me, that’s what Jesus did most of the time.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I recommend this book to any church leader (but especially a senior leader) who is looking to improve their church. It’s also a good resource for church secret shopper ideas.
Appendices
There are some good resources in the back of the book, including surveys for secret shoppers and other forms.
Other related books
Mark Waltz has much to say on this topic in his trilogy of books First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church, Lasting Impressions: From Visiting to Belonging, and How to Wow Your Church Guests: 101 Ways to Make a Meaningful First Impression. From a business perspective, much of The Disney Institute’s Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service translates into the church world.