Business or ministry? The debate crops up frequently concerning Christian schools. Insist that the Christian school is a ministry, and the school is cited for poor management. Speak openly about the need for wise business practices, and the school is accused of abandoning its ministry focus. However, those directly involved in Christian education would agree that good stewardship requires the Christian school to be both. It is a ministry to paying customers.
Interestingly, Chick-fil-A® holds to a similar view. Their purpose is not unlike that of many Christian schools: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” (Lesson, 2015). From being greeted with a sincere smile to answering every single “Thank you” with “My pleasure,” those who have visited one of their restaurants or who have followed the news in recent months know that the company takes this mission seriously. Imagine responding to every peer, every student, every parent, every church member in the same way that Chick-fil-A® employees respond to their customers – in both word and deed! Much can be gleaned from the practices of this most-beloved fast-food establishment.
Founder Dan Cathy states, “At Chick-fil-A, CEO stands for Chief Encouragement Officer.” (Lesson, 2015) Encouragement begins at the top. It is an atmosphere that must be thoughtfully cultivated. The Toledo, Ohio, Chick-Fil-A® on Sylvania Ave. is a great example of how to cultivate such an atmosphere. A Facebook post (April, 2016) from this location shares a photo of an employee bulletin board filled with notes from one employee to another. The post reads,
Notes of encouragement are part of our culture at Sylvania & Talmadge. We write them to show that we care and support one another, and want to recognize efforts that go above and beyond the job description. Anyone can write a note, and anyone can receive one, on any given day.
Our staff is the best, don’t you think?
Most would say that this is what school is all about – encouraging each student to do his best – to succeed, but it is not just the students who need to be encouraged. The teacher that has been moved to a new grade level or subject this year, the parent who just lost his job, the administrator who has to make difficult budget cuts, the aide whose parent’s health is failing – no one is immune from discouragement.
Encouragement is not limited to writing a note. It comes in other forms, such as extending grace to one another. Cathy explains, “Every life has a story, and often our customers and our employees, need a little grace and a little space when you deal with them because they are either experiencing a problem, just finished having a problem, or are about to have one.” (Lessons, 2015) Grace is easily forgotten when the busyness of the school year takes over – when deadlines have to be met, when staff call out because of sick children, when schedules have to be adjusted to accommodate an extra-curricular event or a fundraising kick-off. But grace is a remarkable gift; when one receives it, he is compelled to share it with others. As leaders extend grace, the atmosphere of encouragement begins to expand.