If you can appreciate camo, unkempt beards, frog hunting, and family business—with a reverence for God throughout—then chances are you might be a Duck Dynasty fan. It’s an uncommon reality television show in this day and age that depicts a family who respects one another and demonstrates positive values that yes, even the church could learn from.
Here are five lessons the Church can learn from Duck Dynasty:
1. Love your family despite your differences
In every given family, there’s a wide range of personalities and preferences. Who would have ever thought Uncle Si and Phil could be brothers? Clearly, there are some major differences. This is of course true for the Church, but we’re still called to be a family. It’s easier to avoid interaction and confrontation, or simply jump ship to another church instead of working out our differences, but true family sticks together and works out their problems. Sure, there might be yelling or periods of silence, but forgiving and moving forward are tantamount to growth.
2. Live off the fat of the land
Shooting and eating squirrels from your backyard may not be fine cuisine to you, but to the Robertson Family, they kill what they have from their land and enjoy the bounty that God has blessed them with. Within every church are many, many resources including Joe the plumber, Beth the web designer, and Jan the gardener enthusiast. Drawing volunteers from within your congregation and relying on the gifts and talents of church members can help strengthen the Church body as well as keep operating costs down.
3. Be creative
The entire Duck Dynasty empire all began with one duck call. A solution to one small problem because the jumping off point for huge brand with a plethora of products. How has God empowered your church to be creative in the way it reaches into the community and beyond? There might be one small thing your church is really good at, and that might be what God has called it to do. By opening the door to creativity, you never know what might be possible.
4. Keep your priorities straight
Sometimes it’s not easy for Willie to keep his priorities straight with his brothers, his uncle, and various family friends to manage daily, but in the long run, keeping the business in the family and maintaining relationships supersedes the bottom line. This is true for the Church as well. While the Church is a sort of business, at the end of the day, it’s about people and relationships and how God calls us to serve one another. Let’s not get too distracted by the business of church that we forget we’re here to serve “even the least of these.”
5. Celebrate your successes
When their company did well, the Robertson’s threw a big Casino Night party for their employees; another time they all took a trip to Hawaii. They took time to savor their successes and thank God for all that He had blessed them with. At church, it can be easy to cave under the pressures of the daily grind and not take time to look back and praise God for all the successes, whether the completion of a new building, a positive missions trip, or simply a member’s answer to prayer. Take the time to communicate successes—both large and small—and praise God for all he has done.
If you’re a Duck Dynasty fan, what would you add to the list?
