Small Changes — Big Results!
Recently a received an email from one of my former professors. In his email, he was addressing an area of ministry that is often overlooked — sort of just taken for granted. His email encouraged me to give attention to this area and to recognize how small changes have the potential of making huge impacts. Within his email he told a story of a famous preacher named Charles Lowery. He noted how Lowery once shared an insightful story about an entrepreneur named Jack Eckerd. Eckerd was the founder of the Eckerd Drug store chain. He was an innovative businessman known for his hands-on approach to business. Eckerd spent a significant amount of time in his stores, engaging with employees and customers, where he too discovered how small changes can sometime have the greatest impact. He referred to this as “The Lesson of the Red Rubber Balls.”
One day, Eckerd noticed that a display of big red rubber balls was fully stocked; they were not selling at all. When he asked his top-level management about this issue, they were clueless. (This highlights how top-level executives often lack insight into ground-level problems.) Eckerd then turned to one of the clerks for her opinion.
The clerk immediately pointed out something obvious: children, who were the primary buyers of these red rubber balls, could not see them as they were displayed on the top shelf, out of their reach. Upon moving the balls to a lower shelf, they quickly sold out. This story exemplifies how small adjustments can lead to significant results.
Reflect on your ministry or local church. Are there minor changes that could make resources more accessible to your congregation or make ministry team members more available to those who need them most? Could small tweaks improve the flow of services or enhance the experience for guests? Consider what “red rubber balls” might be out of reach in your ministry. What small changes could you implement to make a big difference?