Starbucks Spirituality

What is it about Starbucks that makes a person pay over $3.00 for a cup of coffee when you can pick up a cup of 'joe' at any local gas station for under a buck. What is it about Starbucks that converts non-coffee drinkers into regular Starbucks guest. What is it about this business that has successfully taken over city corners and has turned the phrase "one vente carmel macchiato please" into a household phrase. The answer: The Experience. Starbucks isn't about selling coffee...they are about selling an 'experience'. Individuals who frequent a local Starbucks location know that they will recieve a great cup of 'caffeine'. But attendees also understand that they will walk into an ambiance that sooths the soul. 'Starbucks Coffee Company is arguably the number one corporate success story of the last quarter century. It's stock is up 5,775 percent since it went public in 1992." - Leonard Sweet Their financial success isn't due to a great variety of coffees...no, their success is due to THE STARBUCKS EXPERIENCE. If you are a Starbucks fan...then you know exactly what I am referring to. The warm atmosphere of rich colors, the soft appealing background music, the dimlighting, the relaxing chairs and sofas, the magazines and games to share the experience with some friends, the aroma of sweet smells flowing from the espresso machines...All this in one word is Starbucks. Notice that there is never someone standing at the door as you leave Starbucks saying, "Thank you for coming and please next time you come invite a friend." They don't need someone to "sell" their business because their experience sells itself. We naturally as humans, share our good and bad experiences with our friends and co-workers. If a restraunt offered you bad service, we talk about it. If a movie was horrible and a big let down, we talk about it. The same is true about good experiences. We share with others when we have been touched, enlightened, and had a good time. So compare the Starbucks marketing plan to the strategy of the church. We as a church have put the majority of our effort into selling a product (the gospel) but leave a lot to be desired in the overall experience of church. The "Gospel" message is THE GREATEST PRODUCT out there...don't get me wrong. But generationally, the experience that comes with the product isn't always great. Starbucks understands that people live for engagement, connection, and meaningful experiences. When I read the bible, I see that the people of God throughout history have known the same thing. Life at its best is passionate experience. "The problem is not that Christianity can't be believed, but that it can't be practiced because of its lack of lived experience. And it can't be observed by others because there are too few Christians who are radical enough to manifest what the gospel really looks like." Leonard Sweet Let us learn from the culture around us and from those organizations that are transforming the culture around them. Starbucks has transformed a generation and a economic market. When was the last time you've heard anyone say, "Wow, these disciples have turned the world upside down."??? Religion is all about product...relationship is all about experience. Which form of Christianity are you a fan of?