Tri Yuga reckons I should put the audio recording of this section of the meeting online, to give some idea of the back end thinking processes that lead to decisions and implementation on the ground. If there is any demand for it I might.

This section of the meeting started with one team member expressing a lack of energy for this area, no doubt feeling the weight of the heavy lifting we have been doing. People will lose enthusiasm quickly if there is no clear vision for the way out.

Of course, in reality, the Sunday feast is our biggest area of opportunity. It’s the most exciting field. It’s not last as an afterthought, but rather to give us the ability to devote the quality time that we need to discussing it.

In areas where we are already maxing out we can only make incremental and minor improvements. In areas where we are not excelling we can potentially make the biggest advances. That’s where we can really lift our game.

Sunday Feast:

We need a clear strategic focus. What we need is to have a single clear, consistently communicated message that pervades everything that we do at the Sunday Feast. If you come to the Sunday Feast you get one message, and one message only, week after week, from the doorman, the class, the drama, the server, the devotee you sit next to during the feast.

Not two messages, because two messages is too many messages - one single, clear message that rings like a bell and is repeated over and over and over again until you understand it and act on it. And that message is….

“The one thing that you need to know, is that the next thing you should do is……”

That’s it. Keep it simple. Don’t try to give people everything, because they will get nothing. Just focus on telling them exactly what they need to know to go to the next step, and nothing more.

So the next discussion becomes - what’s the next step? It has three characteristics:

1. It’s Obvious. Don’t leave people in the dark about what comes next, or give them a plethora of options which just dilute the potency of your call to action. People may not be ready to take the next step, but they have to know clearly what it is. Consistently communicated - that means the same message all the time, through all mediums. A clear strategic focus, a vision that pervades the organization at every level.
2. It’s Easy. Because if it’s not, no-one will take it. We’re not trying to get people to traverse the nine stages of development of love of God in a day. The next step has to be easy enough for people to take - “We Make It Easy” is our mission, it’s our life and soul. There is no point asking people to do something that they can’t. It has to be practical.
3. It’s Strategic. It has to lead people to the next step beyond that in a progression that will take them from where they are now, to where you want them to go. “Think steps, not programs” is how my new “7 Practices of Effective Ministry” book puts it (I read it while in Sydney for the Maxwell conference - review coming soon). I wrote an article last year (published in the Network-centric Preaching Review) entitled: “People are the Focus”, which explains the same point (confirmed!). You can read this article online here. You have to make a pipeline for people to travel along. Please read the part two of my article for a description of the pipeline, and the various symptoms when different parts of the pipeline are missing. You can analyze your situation and see if it doesn’t bring some clarity.

So we debated back and forth about different options: very briefly considered (for academic purposes) send them to the temple (not strategic - where’s the next step?), recommend the Loft (not so easy - different program in a different place), educational program (too big a jump).

The conclusion was….

Volunteer service program at the Sunday Feast. Go from being a consumer to a contributor, from passivity to participant. We Make It Easy. Come along at 3 pm and get connected with one of our volunteer teams.

“But we already do this!” I hear you say. “We get people to do service.”

We’re talking about making this the overriding strategic focus - concentrating all communication on this and building it out as a complete strategic platform with branding, leadership, and a mission. We now have four platforms: Ashram, Loft, Sunday Feast, and Volunteer Program.

That’s the next step. It’s nothing new - it’s all about getting back to basics with clear vision and laser sharp focus. No other advice, no other message - one thing, and one thing only: “Become a volunteer - utilize your talents and abilities in a significant and satisfying way. Join the Team.”

And build out the program to receive the people, engage them appropriately and manage the entire operation. We will be extending the Sunday Feast program to provide more engagement, and as we get more people involved who will be contributing.

Here’s the credo of the Sunday Feast, the essence concisely expressed: “Authentic Community”.

Our previously disheartened team member’s comment at the conclusion of the meeting: “Now I think of Sunday as the beginning of the week, not the end of the week.”