I’ve written before about accessibility as an important concept in discipleship training. People need to be able to start immediately and experience progress: instant participation/instant success. But here’s another benefit to accessibility – it is required for participation.
Seth Godin’s blog on February 26, made this point about what he called “better.”
Here’s the thing: Swedish matches are better. They might be the best in the world. They do everything a match should do–but better. They light more quickly, burn hotter, and give more match satisfaction. Except you probably don’t have a box in your house. Because you don’t care that much about matches. – Seth Godin
The interesting thing is that although I don’t care that much about matches (except I like for them to work when I need them to), I clicked on the link and found myself at Amazon where I could buy 320 Swedish matches (10 little boxes) for $6.39! So why not? Click, click, and they are on the way.
What’s the lesson? If something is better, AND it’s ACCESSIBLE (easy to get, priced right, easy to use) then why not? The same product in the brand we usually use is $4.51 on Amazon, an insignificant (I think) $2 less.
In this case, accessibility is a function of Amazon. If I had had to go to a new web site, put in my info, etc., I wouldn’t have bought the Swedish matches. But with Amazon, the highway is already paved.
So, in a church, for example, it helps if the delivery system is there. It is easier to implement The Navigators 2:7 Discipleship Series if there’s already a culture of small groups. Within 2:7, teaching people how to read the Bible or, to use Seth’s word, to teach people a better way to read the Bible, is easier if people are already in the habit of reading.
Even if the delivery system such as a culture of small groups is not there, The 2:7 Series still makes the better lifestyle of discipleship accessible to everyone. And we always have to sell better as Seth did with the Swedish matches (light faster, burn hotter).
Finally, have you made your better Lenten choices accessible?
“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” (Isaiah 57.14, NIV)
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life… (Deuteronomy 30.19, 20, NIV)