Standing on the street corner

There are very few organizations that are not improved by standing on the street corner. But Please let me explain. When you stand on the street corner and observe those who walk by watching to see what they do, who they are and how they act you can learn much about the people in that area. In most organizations we need to know who it is we desire to reach. While our street corners may vary in location and even in space we each have one. When was the last time you stood on yours?

Each corner we stand on tells us more about the people there but also a little about ourselves and how we treat or entreat these same people. Are there people that we see that are not our demographic and if so why? Are we on the wrong corner, or perhaps our corner has changed and we failed to notice.

Regardless if you are part of a business or a ministry it is vital to be aware of any changes in the culture or shift in the landscape. These shifts are the real time movements of people and how they react to stimulus. Each of our organizations reaches out to those on the street and we must be aware of the changes going on around us. To that end we need to take the time to stand on the street corner.

As a pastor it can be very easy to forget that the culture and the climate changes on the street based on those who enter the building each week. It is easy to permit myself to be removed from the current thoughts and beliefs of the people. But the fact remains I too must know the truth about my street corner and the best way to learn is to stand out there learning who they are, not who I would like them to be.

I guess my question is actually very simple, do we know who we are marketing to, or are we simply guessing?

If you desire to catch steelhead you fish where there are steelhead, not bass.