This video:
Is making the rounds of the internet. I think it is a tremendous teaching tool for companies, entrepreneurs, and congregations.
The lessons I take away from a story like this in regards to church life go like this:
1. Do what you are called to do as a church. Don't look around wondering if you're doing it right, just get moving and figure out the details as you go. Many congregations are stuck in "talk" mode and don't ever get to "do" mode. Caine just started doing it, and he made it his young life's mission to staff that arcade... that's what we're called to do for the Gospel Good News!
2. Find your congregation's square root button. It slips by so fast you might miss it but did you notice that Caine uses square roots to determine the validity of the fun pass? What's your cool button at your church? Or did yours fall off years ago and no one has thought to clue it back on? The highest functioning congregations are the ones having fun doing what they're doing.
3. It's ok to be proud of something you and your church have done. We often, as congregations and leaders, don't like to wear our "Caine's Arcade" shirt to school because we're afraid someone will make fun of us. In the church world we are reknown for eating our most promising young leaders because of the scorn heaped on them for trying something new and breaking established traditions. The last words out of Caine's mouth in the film credits are, "I'm proud." I think God says the same thing when we forget about the critics and the naysayers and just get to work doing what He has called us to do as congregations. Celebrate the victories!
