In the movie You’ve Got Mail, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) explains why he expects his new Fox Books megastore to appeal to potential customers like me…
“…because we’re going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants.”
I wanted to leave the theater immediately and head over to Fox Books, but it was only a movie. Fortunately, two of my favorite places feature “cheap books and legal addictive stimulants” or else I wouldn’t spend so much time there. I have an expectation of both affordable reading materials and great cappuccino.
Of course Starbucks (or St. Arbucks, as Scott Hodge puts is) holds great appeal for those addicted to The Bean. The windy city is also the most wired and like everybody else in Chicago I expect great coffee. My expectations are usually fulfilled.
A couple of weeks ago I visited one of the world’s largest Starbucks. I ordered my Venti, non-fat, dry cappuccino. The store was exceptionally busy, and my expectations grew with the wait. Finally, I took the liquid gold to an empty table and sipped. And gagged.
The milk was hot and sweet. The foam was perfect. I expected espresso (three shots, exactly) but didn’t get any. None. My Venti was uncontaminated by coffee. My expectations were dashed.
I don’t know how many people have told me of a small group experience in which they expected one thing and got another. They wanted a bible study and got a tea party. They wanted social interaction and got a serving project. They wanted to do something tangible to make a difference, and got a mini-course in hermeneutics. Their expectations were not met.
This is where group covenants shine… laying out the expectations for how often and how long a group will meet, how they will spend their time together, how members desire their group life to develop. It doesn’t have to be perfect or overly detailed. Usually, simple is better. But if you take the time to lay out your expectations in writing, your small group has a better chance of meeting everyone’s expectations.
Does your group have a covenant?
To be continued…
