FISH

FISH is a story about a woman who takes over a department in her company that has become known as the Toxic Energy Dump.  The woman in search of finding a way to turn around her department stumbles into the Fish Philosophy.  The Fish Philosophy was created by the fishmongers of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington.  These fishmongers actually throw fish to each other while calling out customers orders.  They have fun at work by playing with their customers and finding ways to make a each customer’s day.  They are always present in the moment with each customer by putting the customers needs first.  They also work in very cold to hot temperatures, with long hard hour, and with smelly fish, but they choose to do so with a world famous attitude.  That is what they are called the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market.  People come for all over the world just to see them, and they usually buy something too.  Many companies have instituted the Fish Philosophy such as:  Qualcomm, Franklin Covey, Jack in the Box, Sprint, Nordstrom, Harley-Davidson, Estee Lauder, Southwest Airlines, the Mayo Clinic, and even the U.S. Army.  Now I ask you how can we become know as the World Famous East Columbus Christian Church?
1.  Play

A.  One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was “acting up” during the morning worship hour.  The parents did their best to maintain some sense or order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out.  Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

B.  Top Ten reasons why churches don’t have clown minister:

10.  They force people to smile during the 8am service.

9.  You can’t say the sermon will be given by Brother Humpty Dumpty .

8.  Whoopee cushions inevitably appear under the pew cushions.

7.  Sermons take a lot longer when they are in pantomime.

6.  Many churches do not recognize seltzer water baptisms.

5.  Dribble glasses are used for the communion service.

4.  They have to pay janitors extra to get all the silly sting off the ceiling.

3.  Water squirting flowers are inappropriate for funerals.

2.  Kids keep popping their balloon animals during prayer.

1.  Haven’t you heard, church is no place for fun.

These little jokes are examples of having fun and playing with and at church.  Church IS a place to have fun and to play.  While there is a time for being reserved, church should never be a place without joy. 

 C.  What is Play?

1)  Play is a way to make our church and your life more enjoyable.

2)  Stop taking your-self so seriously, and start laughing at your-self.

3)  Play is a way to create energy, so that everyone wants to be part of it.

D.  What are the benefits of Play?

1)  Happy people treat each others better.

2)  Fun leads to creativity.

3)  Playing creates energy.

4)  Church becomes a place of joy, happiness, and more spirit-filled.

5)  People want to be around other people that are fun.

E.  What are some ways we can Play?

1)  I just showed you with two simple jokes.

2)  Fellowship outside the church, like in small groups.

3)  Singing songs of worship with your heart and not just your voice.

4)  Special events like Ladies and Men’s fellowship and me as a speaker.

5)  And my favorite, Pot Luck Dinners.

F.  Psalm 68:3, But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

G.  Ephesians 5:19, Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord

H.  What does the book FISH say? 

“Don’t misunderstand,”  said Lonnie.  “This is a real business which is run to make a profit.  This business pays a lot of salaries, and we take the business seriously, but we discovered we could be serious about business and still have fun with the way we conducted business.  You know, not get all uptight, but let things flow.  What many of our customers think of as entertainment is just a bunch of adult kids having a good time, but doing it in a respectful manner.


2.  Make Their Day

A.  Horst Schulzer is the CEO for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

He has an uncompromising respect for people, borne out of his love for God.  Horst honors a basic biblical principle:  providing respect and dignity for every human being.  “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen,” is the motto for The Ritz-Carlton.  Horst explains, “When making decisions, I ask myself:  Is it good for all concerned-God, the organization, the employees, the customers, and vendors?  If yes, then drive it forward relentlessly.”

The key to Horst’s success lies in how he weaves biblical principles and values, including respect, caring, trust, fairness, and teamwork, into the fabric of his organization.  These values and principles have become the foundation for Ritz-Carlton’s success.

 B.  What is Make Their Day?

1)  Respecting the people around you.

2)  Being honest with people. 

3)  Caring for people and putting their needs before your own.

C.  What are the benefits of Make Their Day?

1)  It's good for the church.

2)  Serving others will give you more satisfaction in life.

3)  When we focus on the positive we don‘t get lost in the negative.

4)  It is healthy, we feel good, and unleash even more positive energy.

5)  People will want to be around you and our church more.

D.  What are some ways you can Make Their Day

1)  Take an interest in the lives of others.  Care about their needs.

2)  Praise each other and show everyone love.

3)  Communion Carryout

E.  The Golden Rule:  Matthew 7:12, Jesus sums up, do unto others what you would have them do unto you.

F.  Ephesians 4:32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

G.   What does the book FISH say?

We look for as many ways as we can to create great memories.  And we create great memories whenever we make someone’s day.  The playful was we do our work allows us to find creative ways to engage our customers.  That’s the key word:  engage.  We try not to stand apart from our customers but to find ways to respectfully include them in our fun.  Respectfully.  When we are successful, it makes their day.

3.  Be Present

A.  Two Hundred Cookies

A man stopped at a fast-food restaurant and placed an order that included a cookie.  The server said, “And would you like a cookie with that today?”  The next time he returned he place the same order, cookie included, with a different server.  Again, the server politely asked, “Would you like a cookie with that?”  The third time he dealt with yet another server.  This time he was feeling a little mischievous.  He placed his order, then added, “And I would like two hundred cookies.”  To which the server said, without a trace of irony, “I’ll get that for you, sir.  And would you like a cookie with that?” 

B.  A Valuable Service

We expect the people who serve us in stores to be there for us.  But are we there for them?  A man was talking on his cell phone as a clerk rang up his purchases.  Suddenly, he said into the cell phone, “I need to hang up now so I can be with the clerk.”  The clerk looked into his eyes and she said, “Thank you, You just made me valuable.”

C.  What is Be Present?

1)   “The past is history; The future is a mystery; Today is a gift; That is why we call it the present.”

2)  It is focusing on the person you are with.

3)  It is placing God at the center of your life.

D.  What are the benefits of Be Present?

1)  You will get more out of your-self.

2)  Your family will get more out of you.

3)  People will get more out of you.

4)  You will develop a closer relationship with people and with God.

5)  Life will be more fulfilling.

E.  What are some ways to Be Present

1)  Look at the person you’re talking to.

2)  The person in front of you should be the only person that matters.

3)  Find ways to Make Someone’s Day.

4)  Choose to have a positive attitude with everyone you meet.

5)  Respect God enough to be focused on him in worship and in life.

G.  Luke 8:42-48, As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.  45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.   When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”   46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”   47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.  48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

H.  What does the book FISH say?

John offered a personal story.  “I was living a busy life,” he said with sadness in his voice, “trying to make ends meet and working both side against the middle.  One day my daughter asked me to go to the park.  I told her it was a wonderful idea, but I had a lot to do at that moment.  I said she should wait until later, after I had a chance to catch up.  But there always seemed to be some urgent and pressing work to do and the days passed.  Days led to weeks and weeks to months.”  With a choking voice, he said that four years passed and he never did go to the park.  His daughter is now fifteen and no longer interested in the park, nor, for that matter, in him. 

John paused and took a deep breath.  “I talked to one of the fish guys about being present, and I realized how infrequently I was really present at home or at work.  The fish guy invited me to visit the market with the whole family.  My daughter didn’t want to go, but I finally wore her down and she came along.  We had a good time, and I worked on being present with my children.  When my wife took my son down the street to the toy store, I sat down with my daughter and told her how sorry I was that I really hadn’t been there for her.  I told her I hoped she could forgive me and that while I couldn’t change the past, I let her know that I was now dedicated to being present in the present.  She said I wasn’t that bad a dad-I just needed to lighten up a little.  I’ve got a ways to go,”  he said, “but I’m improving.  Being present could help me recover something I wasn’t aware I had lost:  a relationship with my daughter.”

4.  Choose Your Attitude

A.  What Do You Own?

Three neighbors were talking when the subject of possessions came up.  “I own a huge mansion!” one proudly proclaimed.  “I own a successful farm!”  said the second.  “I have optimism,” the third said quietly.  His two neighbors laughed at him, for what good is a possession that cannot be seen or touched? 

That night a huge storm struck.  The storm destroyed the first neighbor’s house.  “What am I to do?” he cried.  The storm ruined the second neighbor’s crops.  “What will I do?” he lamented.  The storm also destroyed the third neighbor’s home and farm.  “Hmmm, what should I do first?”  he asked himself and then he began doing it.  He rebuilt his home and replanted his crops.

His neighbors had been sitting this entire time, feeling sorry for themselves.  But they watched their neighbor rebuild and they decided to ask him his secret.  “It is no secret,” the man said.  “The only thing I own is what I think.”  The two neighbors suddenly understood, and with the third neighbor’s help, they rebuilt too.

From then on, whenever they met, they did not talk about possessions.  They talked about their blessing, and they shared them, for what sense does it make to hold on to something you do not own?

B.  What is Choose Your Attitude?

1)  “When you are doing what you are doing, who are you being?  Are you being  impatient and bored, or are you being world famous?  You are going to act  differently if you are being world famous.”
2)  You choose how you will act every moment of everyday.
3)  As Christians we choose if we are going to be like Christ.

C.  What are the benefits of Choose Your Attitude?

1)  Once you choose to have a good attitude you can be more productive.
2)  You will be a more pleasant person.
3)  People will respect you.
4)  You will be happier.
5)  The Holy Spirit will have a greater impact in your life.

D.  What are some ways you can Choose Your Attitude?

1)  Look in a mirror everyday, and say “I choose to be World Famous.”
2)  Play at work, home, and life.
3)  Find ways to make a persons day.
4)  Be present in everything you do, and with everyone you meet.
5)  Look in a mirror and say, “I choose to be Like Christ.”

E.  Colossians 3:12-17, Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 F.  What does the book FISH say?

There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself.  The book talks about an Attitude Menu.  On one side was a frowning face surrounded by words like angry, disinterested, and bitter.  On the other side was a smiling face with words like energetic, caring, vital, supportive, and creative.  At the top it said:  The Choice Is Yours.

 The Dead Church

A new minister went to visit people in his new town and invite them to church on Sunday.
When Sunday came hardly anyone showed up, so the minister put an ad in the newspaper.  The said that since the church is dead it deserves a proper Christian burial.  So he invited the town to come to church next Sunday for the funeral of the church.

The town wanting to know what a funeral for a church would be showed up the next week.  In front of the pulpit was a coffin with flowers all over it.  The minister gave his address and then invited the people to pay their last respects to the dead church.  As the people walked up they looked inside the coffin, then turn away with a guilty look. Inside the coffin, place just right, was a large mirror.

We don’t want to have a dead church, but instead a World Famous church.