Starbucks is Closing!
Feb/080
Temporarily, that is.
From 5:30-8:30 this evening, every Starbucks store will be closed. The reason? Intense training on barista basics. The goal is for baristas to learn how to pull the perfect shot again and steam milk to order, not just press a button on the automatic espresso machine. It's the basic stuff that made Starbucks what it is today.
And they had better get it right, because competition is nipping at their heels. McDonalds is primed to launch an ambitious coffeehouse campaign across America. Dunkin Donuts is having a 99 cent coffee sale during Starbucks' shutdown tonight. The competition for our coffee dollar is intense, but I still think Starbucks will win because of what is represented in this evening's training: simplicity.
Howard Schultz recently took over as Starbucks' CEO (again), and he's preaching the gospel of simplicity. He has already laid the foundation to do away with warm breakfast sandwiches. They're getting back to what they do best: coffee.
In the spring, Starbucks is going to offer free wi-fi. (I can already hear the angels rejoicing at this move!) They've always offered wi-fi, but it's been a paid service. Now they're getting back to basics. Great coffee, free wi-fi, etc.
The lesson is something that I seem to be running into constantly as of late: the importance of simplicity. Simplicity breeds success.
There are a plethora of churches who think that they have to do it all. They simply must have a men's ministry, women's ministry, single's ministry, marriage ministry, divorce ministry, college ministry, addiction recovery ministry, etc., etc., etc. Don't get me wrong…these are all valid ministries. I'm proud to say that we have some of them at ACC. But we don't have most of those ministries I listed, along with about a million other ministries that we don't have.
Wanna know why?
Because we don't have the resources to do them well. We don't have the time, volunteers, money, etc. to pull it off. So we don't do it.
And that's ok!
By simplifying our ministry, it allows us to do a few things really well. It allows us to pursue ministries that we see as vital to carrying out our church's mission.
Starbucks has decided to "dance with the one that brought them." In other words, to simplify things and pursue what they're really all about.
We in the church need to be paying attention. Let's get back to the basics!
(For a completely different take on Starbucks, see my brother's blog.)
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