My wife, and everyone else from Buffalo, New York, will tell you that Ted's has the best hot dogs in the world. Guess what? They're not. They're okay, but the reason Buffalo natives rave about them is they grew up eating them. It's the power of nostalgia.You've got a place like that too, right?
And people who grew up going to a church probably either have a sense of bitterness towards it, or feel the power of nostalgia.
So here's the question: If you're starting a brand new church, how do you get the power of nostalgia going for you?
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8 comments:
traitor, they are the best hot dogs...
Don't try too hard to be what people want, just be genuine and real.
I think the whole positive part of "power of nostalgia" is that people feel that the place is unique to them and something they feel ownership in. Kind of like Norm coming into the bar Cheers. After all, the beer was the same there as the joint down the street. So with a new church, make your church have its own unique feel, different from any other. And be sure that the people attending feel that they are a part of building and forming the DNA of the church to match their uniqueness. Starting your church with a DNA of being true Guerrilla Lovers, will certainly make you different than most churches out there!
I think it has everything to do with good feelings, good experiences and memories. For me, it is like Christmas music. Usually, I'm not a big fan of old hymns--unless they are Christmas hymns like, O Come all Ye Faithful or Hark the Herald Angels Sing, etc. When I was young we sang these as very special times and they helped generate some very special memories--to the point that every year (even decades later) I still want to sing those songs. When I do, they generate the same feelings I had back then. I think that is what nostalgia is about--doing things that generate the same special feelings we had at an earlier time.
So, how to create that for a new church? Well, I think it takes time. But the most important thing, especially for adults, is that somehow they are changed, have their eyes opened, are transformed into a new person like never before. If people experience transformation, then they will be passionate about whatever helped them to change for the better.
However... if they are later hurt, then those once good feelings certainly contribute to a feeling of sharp bitterness should they not be welcomed as they once were before, or if somehow something went bad.
Vince, I've got a good one for you to think about. If nostalgia is really about drawing on something in the past that was a positive remembered experience, then you need to build in actions and events in your church that form these positive experiences in people's lives. Here is the hmmmm moment, psychiatrists say the strongest memory trigger in people is our sense of smell. That is why Christmas trees, and hot dog places are so big. So start working on ways to bring smells into the teaching at your church. If you send me some sermon topics, I'll suggest items to bring in smells.
Think about the use of the trigger of chocolate if you were teaching about God's "sweetness" one week. Hopefully every time someone smells chocolate after that, they will associate the message you were giving. We use this in the profession of interpretation all the time and it works very well. Try it.
Can't wait for the sermon on Jonah and the giant fish! Hmmmmm....
Another one is Sky Line Chili. Everyone from OH I meet raves about that stuff. I got some while in OH and it was crap! When I asked them what was so great about it they all said exactly what you are speaking of "I don't know I just love it because I grew up on it."
The comparison to church is spot on. thanks for the reality check.
Here's an odd bit of nostalgia that might fit here...Runzas. I'm from Nebraska and I love these things. But I have a hard time talking people into trying them because they have cabbage in them. Something about fast food and cabbage doesn't mix with a lot of people, so they instantly turn their nose up at it. But usually I can talk someone into trying it because I'm genuinely excited for it. Your wife got you to try a Ted's dog because she was excited even if it wasn't the greatest to you. I think that may be the answer, you get people excited as you create memories.
Amen to what Jeremy said. I hope and pray and believe that this Verve thing will work. But don't ever compromise on truth. Vince, God cares more about you and your relationship to Him than he does Verve.
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