Skin in the Game
“To have ‘skin in the game’ is to have incurred risk (monetary or otherwise) by being involved in achieving a goal.”
Wikipedia
We will build a free web page for any Free Will Baptist Church. As a matter of fact, a few years ago, we took two states (MS & KY) and for every church in the FWB yearbook, we built a site. We contacted the state offices and as many pastors as we could reach. We made some contacts and added images and information to sites as we received them. We did some good. In the case of KY we built the state site and trained them on how to update it. Now, we are in the development stages to give them a newly designed site.
We were amazed because we did not hear from many pastors as we expected. If a church already had a site, we did not build one. Not that we wouldn’t, if they asked. We opened a door and few walked through. “Send us a picture of you and your church.” “Give us something to work with.” Was our plea.
I talked with a pastor about what we were doing. His reply was “We’re a small church in a small community. “Everyone knows us.”
I pondered this. It is true. Websites are not for those who know you. It is for the person searching or knows “of you” and wants to make contact. I pondered also the fact that some churches gave us information but when pastors changed, no one let us know. I pondered some more. Maybe if they had some “skin in the game”… if there was a bill each year, with a reminder that that first impression is out there. Their faithful greeter was working day and night as a light to guide others safely to a place where God’s love and message would be. Maybe then…
True story. We built a site for one of our smaller Midwestern state associations. We then built sites for each of the churches that didn’t have one. At the time, one of the churches didn’t have a pastor, so I put my email as the destination for the contact form on the site. Some time later I received an email asking if the community could use the parking lot for a memorial service for a little girl who was run over in the street nearby. I replied that I would check on it and get back to her. I contacted the State Promotional Director and found a contact for the church. I called him and gave him the contact information and made a suggestion that the church make every effort to give out water bottles, or coffee; ask people if you can pray for them. Your neighbor is at your door asking for something.