Here’s another lesson learned from American Idol. After watching the Wild Card episode on DVR, I was dumbfounded to discover that the last few minutes got cut off due to the show going overtime. I had to do a bit of research to find out how things ended. After choosing the Top 12, Anoop Desai was shocked to discover that he would be going to the next round. He did not make the Top 12. The judges decided to have a Top 13 instead. For the most part, most American Idol viewers know how the process works. The element of surprise helps to keep things a bit interesting, keep the viewers on their toes, and prevent things from becoming too predictable. As the churches, we have become predictable. People know exactly what to expect and they get just that. There’s no element of surprise. Our creative team recently began asking the question, “What’s the element of surprise?” A few weeks ago, the team was doing a skit on our core value “Come As You Are.” In the skit, a visiting couple was prevented from entering the doors of the church because they were dressed “to casual.” The usher gave them reasons why they couldn’t come in, but this is what got me. Out of no where, the usher pulled out a tape measure from her coat and measured the length of the female visitor’s skirt. That one simple addition made a big difference. As Gomer Pyle always said, “Surprise, surprise, surpise!”
