Serving People through Facility Maintenance

by Andrew Pust

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines distraction as “confusion from a multiplicity of objects crowding on the mind and calling the attention different ways; perturbation of mind; perplexity.” Attention, on the other hand, is the “the act of attending or heeding; the due application of the ear to sounds, or of the mind to objects presented to its contemplation.” The reason distraction is such a problem is that it comes naturally. Attention, on the other hand, is a skill that is learned and takes practice and determination. The advent of television has made the problem of distraction worse by teaching people to expect a diversion from the main event every ten minutes.

The goal of ministry is to help people focus their attention on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. The Bible contains specific instructions for how life ought to be lived and how to prepare for eternity. No matter what other things we accomplish in our ministry, the communication of God’s truth is of paramount importance. Satan understands this far better than we do, and he is quite gleeful when we are lax in taking care of those things that compete with God for the attention of those souls in our care.

Let’s begin on the program side of ministry. A good program will use a distraction on purpose as an attention getter. In order to direct the attention of people to Christ, we must first get their attention. Skits and stunts are great attention getters, but must be performed in such away that the attention they have attracted is in turn focused on the speaker and the presentation of God’s Word. The time our guests spend under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word is the most important time we have with them. Preventing distraction during that time demands our best effort. A dynamic speaker can overcome many distracting things, but even listeners who are determined to ignore distractions and are prepared to focus on the speaker can very easily be distracted. Speakers also need to be wary of being distracting. Odd mannerisms and quirks of delivery, though often passed off as inconsequential, can be just what someone is looking for as a diversion from what is actually being said.

A good program alone is not enough in the battle to eliminate distraction. Proper care of the facility is the foundation that makes program really work. The emphasis here is on physical distraction. Growling stomachs, body odor, and sleepiness are a few things that can compete for attention during a service. If these distractions are the result of poor food, a lack of hot water, or an uncomfortable bed, then the responsibility for those distractions falls upon us who are responsible for taking care of the physical needs of our guests. Another distraction could be a room that is too hot or too cold. A piano that is badly out of tune may not bother some people; but for others, it is akin to running your fingernails down a chalkboard.

Details are really a big deal. People regularly draw conclusions based upon a handful of seemingly insignificant details. What are the details of your facility telling your guests? Remember that it takes two or three good things to offset every distraction. The fewer distractions there are, the greater the influence on those we serve.

The conclusion is that we have much work to do in the area of distractions. We all have distracting issues that we have neglected to take as seriously as we ought. The question is, how easily will you be distracted from fulfilling that responsibility?