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Hope United Methodist Church3474 Rothsville Road,
Ephrata PA 17522
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From the Pastor
Edgar D. Wert, Sr.
That Extra Added Something
Now that the water restrictions have been lifted I can write this article. I was a very very young student entering a seminary in a prosperous city five hundred miles from my small home town numbering 3500. Everything that happened impressed me. My eyes bulged every time I saw a new tall building. It was with that kind of enthusiasm that my new wife (and still the same) and I were invited to an evening program, attended by hundreds, in which the celebrated Dr. Harvey Hahn was the featured speaker. And he spoke on the subject that heads this paragraph. Dr. Hahn’s first story was about a glass of water, not just any glass of water, but the glass of water which the waitress places to your right, before she introduces herself and her service. She tells you her name and explains her reason for coming to your table, and then asks, “Is there anything I can do for you before you order your food?” And in my mind I go, “WOW! If I ever own a restaurant, I’m surely going to hire her to train my employees. Oh, that’s right, I am a theology student just now, and I should hire her to train my visitors.” I don’t remember anything else that Dr. Hahn said that night, but I know it all had something to do with that glass of water. If you want to get the attention of your congregation, do something different, something they don’t expect. If you want them to sign on to a project, give them something they didn’t ask for. If you really want them to become enthusiastic, get enthused. If you need committed leaders, be a committed leader. Give a little extra of yourself when you are in the business of serving and leading people. I’m thinking. If I open an account at a bank, the bank will either put $5.00 in the new account or give me a set of stainless cookware. A Book Club will give me five free selections if I just buy one book. If I go to the market early I can taste all the fruits before I choose to buy. The illustrations go on. Here at Hope, I notice that we give new visitors a cup with ingredients to brew a cup of conversation. Sometimes we give carnations to our special visitors. I remember once we gave piece of candy to everyone with the words, “Mary Jane” on the wrapper. And, you may have noticed there are candies and fragrances nicely displayed on the counter in the restrooms. The other night there were yellow-shirted greeters and aides in the parking lot for a special service. I have an idea. If it is a restaurant we are running, then choose the very best entrée on the menu and offer a small taste to all your patrons before you ask for the order — and after you give the glass of water. But if you are a church congregation, wanting to excite your neighbors to become interested in what you do, then get your heads together and find out what it is that you want to sell, or what you have to offer, and give a little bit of down-home-in-the-heart-testimony of what Jesus Christ means to you and this church. And if you really sound convincing, those people might just want some more. A cup of cold water never hurts, and it might just get someone excited. And, by the way, I was told we are running out of candies for the restrooms.
Pastor Wert
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