I admit it…I’m a big fan of Disney. Every time I’m there I see and learn something new. Last night was no exception. I took a bunch of guys to Disney’s California Adventure to celebrate our friend’s birthday. Yea, I know your thinking that doesn’t sound that manly, probably true, but I do know that Disney always delivers on new and memorable experiences.

After dinner, we watched the World of Color, which in my opinion is one of Disney’s most amazing achievements. If you haven’t seen it, then think the Bellagio water show on steroids. Disney has a way of moving and connecting people with story, music and creativity, or as they say, Imagineering. If you haven’t experienced World of Color you probably should.

Like everything at Disney, there is a story behind the World of Color. When Disney built California Adventure the place where World of Color currently sits was simply a lake that the paradise pier and boardwalk wrapped around. The lake was dead space and only served as a backdrop to the pier and boardwalk. Well, Disney felt California Adventure was lacking the “Disney Magic” and attendance needed to justify its existence.  So, a few years ago Disney decided to invest $1 billion into what the Disney guest will experience in the future. The Disney Imagineers went to work and have redesigned a park with several new features, attractions and experiences. Phase by phase they are constructing and introducing their work to the Disney customer. The World of Color is the first of many new features planned for the new California Adventure.

Disney realized a couple things. First, what they built and designed wasn’t working anymore. Sure thousands of people would come and enjoy their day at California Adventure, however, Disney recognized the experience they were providing people was limited and people wanted something more. Disney also recognized that what they wanted people to experience wasn’t consistent with the Disney brand and product. So, instead of hoping their past successes would bring them future success, Disney decided to blow it up and make significant changes so that guests in the future would leave with the Disney experience.

Second, Disney realized their ability to reach a new and younger guest wasn’t improving with the current model. Disney decided that the future of California Adventure depended on offering something completely different in the future. Disney saw that guest saturation was imminent and to avoid it they had to find a new way to reach first time guests and younger guests.

So, I thought about what Disney learned and thought about the Church in the America today. There are a lot of parallels between California Adventure and the future of the Church. First, statistics show that the Church isn’t growing, in fact in the last 20 years the Church in America has declined in attendance by 16% (some suggest more). Maybe part of that is because the Church isn’t providing what people want or need, maybe it’s because people are tired of the same experience, maybe it’s because everything looks the same, maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, the greatest learning from California Adventure and World of Color is old models and experiences must constantly be changed.

Second, I love Disney’s focus on reaching first time guest. For Disney this is their future and their bread and butter. The same is true for the church. Recent studies show that only 40% of American’s are interested in the church, or product the church is currently offering people. In other words, the Church in America is “fighting” for the same 40% of people the current model appeals to while not attracting or appealing to the other 60%. Disney caught this and went after the “unreached” and first time guest by tweaking the model and paradigm without compromising their values and brand. I truly believe that the future of the Church in America rides on how well we appeal to and reach the 60%. This means that the prevailing models of evangelistic churches will likely max out at around 40% of the population, which leaves us with a couple problems. First we have a strategic problem, which is all our eggs are in one ecclesiological basket. Second and maybe most disturbing is that it seems the Church is demonstrating a poverty of imagination in the way we think about church and its mission.

So, here are some practical questions to begin asking as you think about the preferable future.

#1 Do you currently have qualified “Imagineers” leading the charge at your church? Are they in a place where they are given permission and freedom to lead church renewal and missional innovation? Are they the right people to look at the future and lead change?

#2 Play the movie forward. Simply ask, what will our church look like in ten years if we don’t begin tweaking the paradigm and model now. Another question to ask is how is our church different than it was 5 years ago? If there isn’t much difference then this blog should serve notice to you.

#3 What is our plan to reach the 60%? This is the big question and should drive the best thinking. If the only solution that emerges is changing the music, service, program, etc, then I suggest the current paradigm and the grip it has on you must to be changed.

I look forward to your feedback and comments

PS – Let me know if you want suggestions on how to learn from Disney or other great organizations. Disney is great at the following; attention to detail, future oriented thinking, customer service, reaching first time guests, excellence, leadership development, branding, design and creating memories.