I have been studying Japanese – my wife is Japanese, which gives me incentive [that way I can know what’s she’s saying about me to her family, lol]. Today, I have a little language lesson for you. Not “This is a pencil” or “Where is the toilet?” [as practical as those both may be]. It’s the word “kaizen” – a term most widely known in the US for its association with Toyota. The general concept is:
- Continual small improvements yield big results over the course of time, and;
- Every member of the organization is responsible for making things better, and can give input accordingly.
The concept is very effective if put consistently into practice, including in the weekend services of the average church. Our goal should be to make things the best that they can be so that we represent God well, and tweaks in the right direction pay off. To make this happen, there needs to be a service review process. After the fact, talk about what went well and what could have gone better. Make small changes to encourage the good things to happen again, and to keep the less good stuff from reappearing. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It’s like exercise – if you’re faithfully consistent, you’ll be surprised at the results that are possible…
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