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Grow Your Small Groups Through Social Media

By
Tommy Carreras
-
communicating with the unchurched

Small Groups and Social Media

Social media isn’t just a hip trend that has millenials hooked; it’s the direction that technology and society are continually developing together. Small groups and social media can be powerfully connected.
Small group point people know and champion that community is an essential part of life—so it shouldn’t surprise us that media has become social! Every person in this world desires to be deeply connected with others, and social media is simply society’s attempt at making that happen. You may also want to check out this SocialBoosting site here for more info!
Even though as Christ-followers we know that social media does NOT fulfill the deep longing of a person to be known and loved, it should still be one of the tools we use to connect more people to life-giving community.
So here are four easy ways to amplify your message and grow your groups using social media!
  1. Get real people’s stories in front of more people.
Social media is incredibly visual. If it’s not a video or image, it gets lost in someone’s feed. And when it comes to Instagram and Snapchat, it HAS to be an image or video! Plain text isn’t even an option!
Luckily, our greatest advertising tool for joining a group is the story of a changed life—real people that have had real hope because of their experience in Christian community. And since almost everyone that we’re trying to reach is already scrolling through their news feed, we need to put those stories in the middle of it!

THE IDEA: Shoot a video of someone’s 60-second story and share it on Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat.

  • You can record it on a phone! Some of the most successful videos on these platforms are unpolished and shot by amateurs, not professionals with expensive cameras. Check out this article for some pointers on shooting a great social video on a phone.
  • Bonus Points: Include information about a next step a person would take to get into a group of their own. 
  1. Celebrate leaders in a loud way.
Social media is your voice, amplified across your entire network of connections. What better place to honor someone than in front of everyone you know?
We all know that if we want to see great things repeated, we need to intentionally celebrate them when they happen. Social media should be our natural choice for celebrating a group’s story, a leader who did something awesome, or the success of a connection event. We want to amplify the most important stories that carry our core values, and social media is the most amplified medium we’ve got.
THE IDEA: Pick a few leaders that are doing an incredible job. One at a time, share a picture of you and them with a caption telling everyone why they’re amazing and how they’re making a difference in people’s lives! 
  • Bonus Points: Share it from your church’s handle, or share it on your own and make sure your church’s account shares your post! Amplify it even more! 
  1. Spark discussion and let everyone benefit.
Ever have a great conversation with someone and immediately think of 10 other people that’d benefit from the same conversation? Or 10 other people that you would have loved to weigh in and share their wisdom? Enter social media! We are all used to social media being a battleground of competing ideas—but that same power can be used for good!
THE IDEA: Publicly share a dilemma, obstacle or need for a creative idea, and ask for your leaders to weigh in! People will benefit from each other’s ideas, and you get to raise up your best leaders’ voices when they share! (Facebook is a great forum for this!)
  • Bonus Points: Mention some of your leaders (@theirname) and ask them to respond in the comments, or just tell them you wanted to them to see this! The more conversation, the more it will show up in other people’s feeds as well! 
  1. Help groups continue the conversation throughout the week. 
Social media isn’t just the “public” venue that we often think of. Social media extends to all the “messaging” apps that many people interact with on a daily basis. Messaging apps are meant to be rich conversational experiences that help people connect in meaningful ways. Let’s face it… email is not a “conversational” experience, and that’s often our standard communication tool!
Help your groups continue their group’s conversation in their everyday lives by suggesting their group use a messaging app. Normal SMS group texts only allow for up to 10 people, so as soon as a group is larger than that, a group text won’t even cut it! Help them create a space for everyday dialogue, questions, prayer requests, plans, etc. to happen…create the space, and it usually gets filled!
THE IDEA: Research Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, GroupMe, WeChat and Google Allo to see what you can learn about each! And there are many more!
  • Bonus Points: Do this with YOUR group first, so you’ve got personal experience to draw from! 
Social Media is yet another tool we have at our disposal as small group point people to amplify our message and grow our groups. So, take some simple steps this week to utilize it in a new way, and watch what happens as a result!
This article originally appeared here.

10 Practical Ways of Dealing With Depression

By
Jarrid Wilson
-
communicating with the unchurched

Are you looking for ways of dealing with depression? In light of the recent death of Robin Williams, I felt the need to write a post targeted toward people who are dealing with depression and anxiety. I remember my days of depression like they were yesterday. That cold, dark and lonely feeling that I could never seem to shake. And while I witnessed many others find help through prayer, counsel and medication, I couldn’t seem to find that same relief for myself. This battle was not just mental, but spiritual.

I believe clinical depression is an epidemic that is taking the world by storm. While many individuals might overlook this disorder as something minor, the many deaths and suicide attempts that derive from it prove otherwise.

Facts About Dealing With Depression:

1. 18.8 million Americans are affected by depressive disorders.

2. Depression is a mental and spiritual battle that affects one in 10 Americans.

3. Number of patients diagnosed with depression increases each year by 20 percent.

4. 121 million people around the world currently suffer from dealing with depression.

Those statistics are staggering. I can’t help but think about the millions of people who currently feel alone, hopeless and as if their life has no meaning. I’ve battled with depression for many years, been on and off different medications, and even sought counsel from pastors who specialize in this field.

Ten Ways of Dealing With Depression

1. Pray. Find solace in the promises of God (Matthew 11:28).

2. Force yourself to spend time with positive friends and family members. Create a support system.

3. Focus on the positives, your accomplishments and your goals.

4. Try and stay clear of spending too much time alone. Boredom is depression’s playground …

5. Be open, honest and let your loved ones know if you are struggling.

6. Seek professional help. No one is “too cool” to ask for help when in need.

7. Adopt a dog or cat that can be utilized as an emotional support animal.

8. Journal your thoughts and feelings on paper. Take note of your ups and downs.

9. Get outside! Don’t spend all your days cooped up in your room or house.

10. Find a hobby. Engage in an activity that you can spend time enjoying.

I’m not a licensed professional, but mentioned above are the few things that helped me through some of the darkest times of my life. Although I have been depression free for the last five years, I still make sure to keep myself aware of its harm and potential to come back and haunt me.

I hope this post encourages you to realize you’re not alone. You have identity and worth in Jesus, and your life truly does have purpose.

Share this post in chance of bringing light to someone who is battling depression.

This article originally appeared here.

My Days Are Full, Not Busy

By
Lore Ferguson
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communicating with the unchurched

For a little over a year, I’ve been making an intentional attempt to call my life full instead of busy. The idol of busyness is one Christians are particularly bent toward worshipping, and busyness can also become the shield we use to protect ourselves from adding unwanted appointments to our calendars. For a long time I’ve tried to curve myself into a person who counts unbusyness as important as busyness, but more and more I’m realizing even that needs some adjustment.

My life is full, but it is not busy. My days are full from the moment I wake until I sleep, but most of the minutes and hours are not appointed to places, people and things as much as they simply happen and are kept full, or catch me being attentive to them. I have a lot of margin built into my life on purpose so there is time to pause during something that must be done (for work or home or family) to pay attention to something that might be done (like listening to a friend for a minute or praying with someone or sometimes staring out the back door, like I’m doing right now, at the golden buds of spring and red-tipped Photinias, and listening to the birdsong). If our lives are scheduled to the brim—even with good things—it doesn’t give us time to see or appreciate humans as more than an appointment or nature as more than the ground on which we walk from car to coffee shop. My life is full, full and brimming over, but it is not busy.

Springtime, though, always seems the most full to me. These are the days when I must force myself out of the musts and into the mights more often. Being a freelancer means I can choose my hours, but more work means fewer spare hours from which to choose. I am grateful for the work, though, because I like to work. But I think the discipline of changing my verbiage has helped form this true love of work instead of the begrudging duty it used to feel like. When my life is full, I love my work. When my life is busy, I begin to despise my work. And if my primary work is to be faithful, I want to love faithfulness. It reminds me of Psalm 85:10,

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.

The beautiful picture of love and faithfulness joining, righteousness and peace kissing, is one I want to have threaded through all of my life. I know hardship and trials and pains and disappointments come, but the nearer we come to the coming of our King, the more what is good will begin to join and unite and bring joy. This is good news for the busy people who need to be satiated by their Savior more than their schedules and the full ones who need to see fruitfulness is more about faithfulness than accomplishments.

Here are some beautiful things I’ve read in the margins:

When You Can’t Afford to be A Good Mom by Hannah Anderson

Bodies of Truth by Abby Perry

In Defense of Irrelevant Films by Brett McCracken

The Idol of No Pain by Rachel Joy Welcher

And my favorite, Jesus Is Coming, Plant a Tree by N.T. Wright

This article originally appeared here.

Sex. The Good & Bad.

By
Adam Weber
-
communicating with the unchurched

Here is a question we all need to be able to answer: What does God say about sex?

About a year or so ago my wife started to tell me that I needed to have “the talk” with our oldest son. Not just a talk, but the talk—about the birds and the bees, where babies come from, or as I call it, boom-shakalaka.

Needless to say, I wasn’t in a hurry to have this conversation with my son. So much so, I put it off for eight months #parenting.

But even though this was a conversation I kept avoiding because it’s kind of awkward, it was a conversation I so badly wanted to have with my son. Why? Because when it comes to the topic of sex, so many of us have a misunderstanding of what sex is all about.

And the world? With sex, the world doesn’t make things any clearer.

The #MeToo movement is happening and we’re all appalled, and rightfully so. I can’t imagine if any of these recent accounts involved my daughter. But then Hugh Hefner dies and Time Magazine gives him a commemorative issue. Am I missing something?

Yes, the topic of sex might be awkward, but it’s so important for us to think about and to be able to answer the question, “What does God say about sex?” Because whether we’re 10 years old or 60 years old, so often this area of our lives is completely out of order.

What Does God Say About Sex?

So, what does God say about sex? Here are three truths:

1. What God says is good is really good.

When it comes to sex, what God says is good is really good. And all God’s people said, Amen!

But just to be clear, what does God say is good? In Proverbs, we’re told to “share your love only with your husband/wife and to rejoice in your spouse” (Proverbs 5:15-19). And getting even more specific, we’re told to let your husband/wife be a fountain of blessing for you.

Serving each other.
Going through the good and bad of life together.
Laughing together.
Crying together.
Rejoicing in each other.

Getting a little crazy, God says “your wife is like a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always.” I’m not even sure what that means, but it sounds awesome.

Once more, what God says is good is really good. And God is the one who created sex, right? So He might know how to use it best.

2. What the world says is good is not good.

With sex, what the world says is good is not good.

Southwest’s Tammie Jo Shults: Hero, Pilot and Christian

By
Megan Briggs
-
communicating with the unchurched

Tammie Jo Shults is likely to become a household name after she managed to keep her cool and successfully land a Southwest Airlines plane that had lost an engine. Shults is a Navy veteran and a really good pilot.

What you may not know about her is that she’s also a Christian. She says being a pilot gives her the opportunity “to witness for Christ on almost every flight.”

Shults certainly witnessed to the 149 passengers who were aboard the flight she was piloting from New York City to Dallas on April 17, 2018. An explosion in the left engine of the plane sent a piece of shrapnel through one of the windows of the plane. A woman was partially sucked out the window but other passengers managed to pull her body back into the plane and a registered nurse administered CPR until the plane landed.

While all the details have not yet been released, we know that the passenger, Jennifer Riordan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died. Seven other passengers suffered minor injuries.

Keeping calm and thinking clearly, Shults was able to land the damaged plane in Philadelphia. Shults would have had plenty of practice keeping cool under pressure during her career in the Navy. She was the first female pilot to fly an F-18, a fighter jet. While she wasn’t allowed to fly in combat situations, Shults was an instructor pilot.

Before her time in the Navy, Shults attended MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas. She graduated with degrees in biology and agribusiness. After graduating, Shults originally applied to the Air Force for pilot training but was denied.

MidAmerica Nazarene’s director of alumni relations, Kevin Garber, describes Shults as a “solid woman of faith,” NBC News reports. Shults’ brother-in-law, Gary Shults, describes her as “a very caring, giving person who takes care of lots of people.”

Indeed, Shults’ concern for others was apparent after she landed the damaged plane. Passengers on board report Shults walked through the aisle to check on everyone. According to passengers, the plane erupted in applause as she came through the cabin.

You can listen to an audio recording of Shults talking to air traffic control as she makes the emergency landing. Shults is a picture of keeping calm under pressure. She is also an exemplary leader.

Remembering the Wit and Candor of Barbara Bush

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

When it was announced earlier this week that Barbara Bush was foregoing additional aggressive medical treatment and returning home for “comfort care,” the family issued a statement saying, “It will not surprise those who know her that Barbara Bush has been a rock in the face of her failing health, worrying not for herself—thanks to her abiding faith—but for others.”

Two days later, the former First Lady went home to be with the Lord she unabashedly believed in.  

In a 2013 interview on C-Span, then 88-year-old Bush told the interviewer, “I’m a huge believer in a loving God, and I have no fear of death, which is a huge comfort because we’re getting darned close.

“And I don’t have a fear of death for my precious George or for myself because I know that there is a great God.

“That sounds so arrogant,” she said, turning away from the interviewer. “I’m a big shot. I have a faith in God. I do have a faith in God. And I don’t question it. I have no fear of death. And I think that’s very comforting.”

She said she looked forward to being reunited with deceased family members, including her daughter Pauline Robinson “Robin” Bush, who died of leukemia at the age of three.

Her abiding faith has been necessary over the last few years, for both her health and that of former President George H.W. Bush. Mrs. Bush suffered from congestive heart failure. She also coped with Graves’ disease for many years.

Bush wrote in an update to the Smith College alumni magazine earlier this year, “I have had great medical care and more operations than you would believe. I’m not sure God will recognize me; I have so many new body parts!”

Barbara Bush, never one to hide what was on her mind, was known for her wit and candor. Here are a few of her more famous comments:

– “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”

– “I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.”

– “Cherish your human connections—your relationships with friends and family.”

– “Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.”

– “You have to love your children unselfishly. That is hard. But it is the only way.”

– “You just don’t luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it’s friendships or opportunities.”

– “Believe in something larger than yourself…get involved in the big ideas of your time.”

– “Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give.”

– “Bias has to be taught. If you hear your parents downgrading women or people of different backgrounds, why, you are going to do that.”

– “To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.”

Barbara Bush was Episcopalian, and she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, regularly attended St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston. She was 92.

From Abandoned Baby to Ambassador of Love

By
Bob Ditmer
-
communicating with the unchurched

The boy known as “The ambassador of love” got an unlikely start in life—in a garbage bag.  His is a Down Syndrome adoption success story.

Edison Mateo Van Eerden was born in Ecuador, but he was abandoned, and discarded with the trash. A carpenter, who had walked out of his shop, noticed a garbage bag next to a dumpster was moving. Inside was a baby boy with Down Syndrome. A policeman brought the baby to a local orphanage for children with special needs.

That’s where Rachel and Jim Van Eerden found him while on a mission trip with two of their 10 children. On a tour of an orphanage, the Van Eerdens came across Eddie. Rachel said, “It was just love at first sight.”

The family decided to adopt him. It wasn’t easy and the process took years but Rachel says they never wavered in their decision to adopt a special needs baby from another country.

As they told the News and Record, the adoption took years and was full of challenges, but the family was sure of their decision to go through with a Down Syndrome adoption.

“Our faith played a huge role,” Rachel Van Eerden told the News and Record. “That kept us strong through the whole process.”

Parenting a child with Down Syndrome is not for the faint of heart.  It is especially challenging for a family with 10 other children. Rachel has heard it all before.

“Why would we want to take in a child with special needs? Of course, there are sacrifices. But what Eddie pours into us far outweighs any sacrifice.”

Eddie is described as a boy of pure joy, sharing hugs and smiles, and making friends wherever he goes. In the video, Jim Van Eerden provides an example of what Eddie pours into the family’s life and how he earned the nickname “the ambassador of love.”

“We were at church and in a crowd of people he made a beeline to somebody just so that he could hug this person. And at the end of that hug, the person started weeping. And something none of us had discerned. This person’s heart was broken and Eddie had discerned that.”

Eddie’s given name, “Edison”, comes from the policeman who took him to an Ecuadorian orphanage. His middle name, “Mateo”, is the Spanish word “Matthew”, the first book of the New Testament.  He’s living up to both.

“He points us to Christ,” says Rachel Van Eerden through tears. “I want to be a worthy mom of Edison Mateo Van Eerden’s life.”

Jamie Mertens: Keep it Simple, Let God Work

By
Jason Daye
-
communicating with the unchurched

Jamie Mertens is on the pastoral staff and Director of Operations at Bloom Church in Denver, Colorado. He is also the Pastor in residence at MOPS international.

Key Questions for Jamie Mertens:

– Tell us about your church planting journey.
– Why did you target young families in your church plants?
– What are some practical steps a church can take to reach young moms?

[SUBSCRIBE] For more ChurchLeaders podcasts click here!

Key Quotes from Jamie Mertens:

“If we were the first 100 Christians in Denver, what would we do? We’d probably keep it pretty simple. We’d probably have people over for dinner, pray and read the word together.”

“We want to keep everything lightweight, low maintenance and high quality.  For the purpose of being able to respond to what God is doing in the community versus manufacturing something and then asking God to bless it.”

“We are seeing people first and then ‘what we’re trying to accomplish’ second.”

“Once a couple starts having children, they look around and realize they need some help…at that point in life they are looking to connect.”

“The most important thing we can give our congregants is each other.”

“Every week I get emails saying ‘we’re new in town and looking to connect’ so let’s connect you and not talk about salvation and all those things. Let’s let the relationship grow first.”

“When we connect a mom into a house setting we know we’ve connected the whole family.”

“The image I like to use (as a pastor) is one of a greenhouse keeper…we can create an environment around that plant (congregant) that’s conducive for growth.”

“I would often tell my house church leaders, unlock your front door, set a plate at your table and you are 99 percent of the way done.”

“Church staffs are very male heavy…..one way to counteract that is to talk to women leaders in the church.”

Links Mentioned by Jamie Mertens in the Show:

Bloom Church

MOPS

Are You REALLY Praying in Jesus’ Name?

By
Daniel Henderson
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communicating with the unchurched

One of our staff members always begins his prayers, “Father God, in Jesus’ name…” Three words that people traditionally use to conclude their prayers are embedded on the front end by this brother. Wisely so. “In Jesus’ name” was never designed to be a tack-on at the end of our superficial requests. Rather, “in Jesus’ name” is a reality that changes why, how and what we pray, from the very opening moment of our communion with God.

Truth or Tradition?                                         

Over the years, I have prayed for a lot of pretty crazy things “in Jesus’ name.” In college, I asked for a date with a particular girl, an improved grade on a final exam, and to win the election for Student Body President. Many believers invoke “Jesus’ name” in order to get a prime parking place at the mall, a pay raise at work, or even the winning lottery ticket. Like me, maybe you have used the “in Jesus’ name” mantra like some kind of magical charm to coerce God into giving you something you really wanted—or thought you needed.

Most of us know that the idea of praying “in Jesus’ name” is far beyond the routine of adding these three words on the end of a prayer. Yet, it is the traditional thing to do. In group or public prayers, it is a given that whoever prays better wrap it up “in Jesus’ name.” When they fail to do so, they may get a few raised eyebrows and expressions of doubt about the spiritual legitimacy of their prayers. After all, will God really hear their prayers if they fail to include this three-word add-on?

Jesus’ Name in Worship-Based Prayer

One of the amazing benefits of a worship-based approach to prayer is the fact that it fundamentally takes our eyes off ourselves and fixes them on Christ. We establish our prayer experience on Him, not ourselves. We seek to pray His thoughts, not our own. As the Spirit takes the conductor’s wand of the Scriptures and orchestrates our praying, we cannot help but turn our eyes upon Jesus and “look full in His wonderful face.” Then, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”[i] At that moment of wonder and intimacy we are really in the place to truly pray in Jesus’ name, regardless of the final three words of the prayer.

An older worship song says, “It’s all about You, Jesus,” and leads us to acknowledge that our lives are really not about our own agendas. We recognize that He is God and our response is to surrender to His ways. In my years of learning and leading others in worship-based prayer, I have found this is the reality of what the Lord accomplishes as we pray. This is the path to praying in Jesus’ name.

Asking in Jesus’ Name

Jesus makes an authoritative guarantee. We all like guarantees. Advertisers tout “satisfaction guaranteed” and money-back guarantees on the products they want us to buy. Jesus, in the authority that only the Son of God can offer, makes a bold guarantee about prayer in this day and age. In John 14:13 Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” He keeps speaking of the power of His name in prayer in this upper room interaction.

In John 15:16-17, Christ expands our understanding of the necessity and proper use of His name: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

In John 16:23-24 He states, “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now, you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Again, we are confronted with a condition and result for all of our requests. The condition is that we ask in Jesus’ name. Samuel Chadwick explained, “To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray as one who is at one with Christ, whose mind is the mind of Christ, whose desires are the desires of Christ and whose purpose is one with that of Christ.” He further clarified, “Prayers offered in the Name of Christ are scrutinized and sanctified by His nature, His purpose, and His will. Prayer is endorsed by the Name when it is in harmony with the character, mind, desire, and purpose of the Name.” [ii]

In his excellent book, The God Who Hears, W. Bingham Hunter summarizes the New Testament teaching about praying “in Jesus’ name” with these four truths:

  • It seeks the Glory of God.
  • Its foundation is the death, resurrection and intercession of Jesus.
  • It is offered by Jesus’ obedient disciples (Hunter points out that praying in Jesus’ name is virtually synonymous with obedience to Jesus).
  • It asks what Jesus Himself would pray for.[iii]

DIY: Custom Take Home Bracelets for Kids

By
Brandon Horst
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communicating with the unchurched

Do Sunday handouts to parents and kids ever feel like an exercise in futility?

I know that’s what it sometimes feels like to us.

Inevitably on Mondays, we find handouts (we so meticulously prepared) in all corners and on all surfaces of the church: trash cans, tables, sanctuary seats, bathroom sinks, the parking lot, basically everywhere but in the hands of the people they were meant for.

We’ve done several things to add more value to handouts liking personalizing them for parents, which has helped in adding value for parents to want to keep them. (You can learn more about this idea here: Giving Parents Personalized Steps to Take with Their Kids Every Week.)

But that didn’t solve the issue of handouts we gave to kids.

We have something called “On the Drive Home,” which is a slip of paper with two questions for kids to ask their parents as their family is driving home.

After a few months of giving kids these slips of paper, we noticed that kids were either leaving them behind or handing them straight to their parents.

In other words, they weren’t using them how we designed them to be used.

So we decided to try something different to help kids use their on the drive home questions.

After bouncing ideas back and forth, we decided to try printable Tyvek bracelets instead of the strips of paper we’d been using, and it has gone over really well.

Our kids love that they get a bracelet every week, and we love that they can’t lose it because it’s attached to their wrists.

Here’s how to create custom and affordable Tyvek bracelets.

Purchase the bracelets.

Buy bracelets in whatever color you want (200 for $6.99 here: http://a.co/hg0Ka2k).

Create a template for printing to the bracelets.

Since the bracelet sheets are non-standard dimensions, we used Adobe Illustrator to create a custom template for printing to them.

Decide what content you want to put on the bracelets.

For our first batch, we put the month’s virtue, patience, because we didn’t know how they were going to turn out, but going forward we’re looking into doing questions like we’ve done in the past.

Of course, you can put whatever you want: the verse, a big question, the month’s theme, etc.

Finally, simply hand them out to kids on Sunday.

We’ve learned through trial and error that you should have kids put them on before pickup (during Small Groups or free time) because it is impossible to keep up with putting them on kids as they’re picked up.

Is there anything you’ve done at your church to add value or encourage parents and kids to actually use the handouts you give them?

This article originally appeared here.

9 Reasons Church Revitalization May Be a Serious Faith Challenge

By
Chuck Lawless
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communicating with the unchurched

I believe church revitalization is possible, and I want to help leaders ask the right questions, focus their spiritual disciplines, and move forward in the task. At the same time, though, revitalization can be one of the toughest faith challenges a pastor will face in his ministry. Here’s why:

  1. It requires seeing hope over despair. In some cases, the leader is the only person in the room who sees the possibility of revitalization. That’s a faith position, and it’s not an easy one.
  2. It forces leaders to determine if they really believe in the power of resurrection. We preach resurrection truth regarding individuals, but we sometimes find it tougher to apply that truth to dying organizations.
  3. It requires convincing people of the need for revitalization. In #1 above, the issue is a loss of hope; here, the issue is a lack of perceived need. That means that God must move hearts to see painful realities they don’t want to see.
  4. It tests a leader’s abilities. The same leaders who have a track record of success in other ministries often find themselves challenged and struggling in revitalization situations. Sometimes for the first time, they question themselves.
  5. It requires God-given patience. Churches needing revitalization didn’t get there overnight. They’re usually living a long-term pattern that demands patient urgency from their leader.
  6. It requires loving and leading believers who at times protect their comfort. Comfortable people don’t want change, and they sometimes fight to guard their turf and their history. Loving them takes faith.
  7. It invites attacks from the enemy. Satan delights in the decline and death of a local church, so he targets anyone seeking to change that pattern. Arrows of discouragement and frustration are common.
  8. It demands believing, even if witnesses of successful revitalizations are few. It’s not that those stories aren’t out there; it’s just that few leaders know many of them. They don’t have enough Hebrews 11 stories to run the race of Hebrews 12.
  9. It sometimes requires walking alone. Some revitalization pastors are serving in tough soil seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Even trusting that God is with them is hard if no one else seems to be on board.

If this post describes your struggle, let us know how we might pray for you. You have a bunch of readers who want to walk with you.

This article originally appeared here.

What Makes a Healthy Team Culture?

By
David Santistevan
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communicating with the unchurched

Is your team on a pursuit? Is that how you would describe the culture of your team?

The Apostle Paul was all about it:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

Press on.

Forgetting what lies behind.

Straining forward.

The upward call of God.

Let’s explore two aspects of what makes for a healthy worship culture.

#1: The Pursuit of God

What does it mean to pursue something? You don’t rest until it’s found. You can’t think of anything else. You are obsessed, overcome, lovesick.

This is the legacy of pursuit the Apostle Paul left us with.

Is this what marks your life? Is this what marks your team?

Without a never-ending pursuit of God, momentum unravels because we’re no longer approaching the glory of Jesus with wide-eyed-wonder.

Instead, we’re maintaining events and schedules.

The tension with our pursuit of God is that we never arrive. It’s not about a destination. The more we see, the more there is to see. The more we know, the more there is to know. There more we encounter, the more there is to encounter. The more we worship, the more we want to worship.

Here’s my working definition of a healthy worship culture:

When a group of people lay down their lives for one another, forever pursuing the depths of God’s glory.

And when creativity is released from that place, look out! So many teams look at Hillsong, Mosaic & Bethel, and say, “Let’s do that!” And I feel like God is saying, “No, please don’t do that. Let me stir a new sound in you. Let me breathe a new song in you. But let it arise from the fire of my presence within you.”

Songs flow from the soil of a healthy culture.

The Seed of Songs

I once heard Brian Doerksen say that God doesn’t give you songs. He gives you seeds. But it’s your responsibility to grow them.

Great songs grow when those seeds from the heart of God are planted in a healthy, life-giving culture. The watering is the work. You can’t water a plant once and expect to reap a rainforest. The entire ecosystem of a rainforest is dependent on insane amounts of rain.

Go study the work ethic of a farmer. Too many of us stop at the seed stage and lose heart when it’s time to cultivate.

Want a great culture in your team? Relentlessly pursue God and relentlessly develop what He gives you.

#2: A Passion for People

When I started leading worship, I thought music was enough. But then I realized people didn’t give a rip about my creativity. You know what they wanted? Connection with Heaven.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your church is your unity. Unity to the vision. Unity with one another.

It can be tough. You don’t agree with your leader. You want to be scheduled more. You’re a better drummer than he is. You don’t like the songs. But nothing uproots a team and its influence faster than a lack of unity.

Embrace confrontation and prefer one another.

Here’s what you don’t want:

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

It’s a passion for the real thing—a pursuit that never stops.

What about you? How are you developing a healthy worship culture in your church? 

This article originally appeared here.

Feeling Inadequate? Good. Now God Can Use You

By
J.D. Greear
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communicating with the unchurched

How often do you think to yourself, “I feel inadequate?” When you realize that God has declared his great I AM name to you in the midst of your insecurities, it should make you read the third commandment in a different light.

The third commandment is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7 ESV). I was always taught this meant, “Don’t use God’s name as a cuss word: Do not say, ‘Oh my God,’ or, ‘Jesus Christ,’” or something like that. And that is certainly true.

But this is not just a command on how to use God’s name. Look at the specific language: This is a command about how to take God’s name. Think of it like this: In time past, there was a beautiful girl named Veronica Marie McPeters, and on the greatest day of her life, she dropped the McPeters and became a Greear. When she took my name, she became part of me, one with me. All that was mine became hers (it wasn’t that much).

In the same way, when you became a Christian, you took the name of God to yourself, the name, I AM. That means that what he is, you now have.

The Apostle Peter declares that we became actual participants in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4); the Apostle Paul proclaims us as inheritors of all the divine promises (Galatians 3:29). All the promises of God to us, he says, are “yes” in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).

What We’re Doing When We Say, ‘I Feel Inadequate’

And that means that when we think, “I am not _____ enough,” we are taking God’s name in vain, because even though we are not, he is, and we have become one with him. What he is, he now is for us and through us.

You say, “God, I can’t be a good parent.” He says, “I can.”

You say, “I can’t make it.” He says, “I can.”

You say, “I am full of doubt.” He says, “But I am faithful.”

You say, “God, I am so dysfunctional.” He says, “But I am so complete.”

You say, “I am deficient.” He says, “Yet I am sufficient.”

You say, “I am so sinful.” He says, “And I am so gracious.”

You say, “I am at the end of my rope!” He says, “I’ve got another one, and it’s as long as eternity.”

To a Church Seeking Revitalization…

By
Thom Rainer
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communicating with the unchurched

Depending on how you define it, somewhere around seven to eight out of 10 churches are in need of revitalization. Many of these churches have leaders who understand the urgent need for change. Some of them grasp that, without a turnaround, the church will die.

Let’s imagine for a moment you are talking to such a church about becoming their pastor. Almost all the leaders in these churches will affirm the need for change for the turnaround. And they are happy to accept change…until it affects them personally.

While you cannot totally prevent such misunderstandings or divergent expectations, you can offer a clear and concise letter or covenant to minimize the future problems. In recent months, I have been encouraging prospective pastors to put in writing clearly and concisely the expectations of both parties before the pastor agrees to go to the church.

When I make such a recommendation, the typical immediate response is, “What does that letter look like?” Here is a sample. It is far from perfect, but it can be used as a starting point.

Dear Members of Town Community Church,

I am humbled and honored you are considering me to be your pastor. I am also grateful you are aware and recognize the need for change for the church to become healthier. With that foundation, I humbly ask you consider this letter. Though it is not a formal covenant, it can become the path for how we will move forward if I indeed become your pastor.

As pastor, I will covenant to the following:

  • I will pray for the members of this church daily.
  • I will love you.
  • I will listen to you.
  • I will seek to lead this church in Christ’s power alone.
  • I will be transparent with you.
  • I will be faithful to study God’s Word so that I may preach and teach to glorify Him.

As church members, will you covenant to the following?

  • You will pray for my family and me.
  • You will allow my family to be church members just like anyone else.
  • You will love my family and me.
  • Because you know change is inevitable, you will make sacrifices of your preferences and desires for the greater good of the church.
  • You will not gossip or criticize behind my back. If you have an issue that needs addressing, you will bring it directly to me.
  • You will love other members of the church, even when you disagree with them.
  • You will pray for this church because she is the bride of Christ.

Please consider these matters carefully and prayerfully. Change can be painful at times. I want us to be certain we are on the same page before we move forward.

Thank you again for hearing me, for considering these words, and for being willing to be the faithful bride of Christ. Regardless of your decision, I am truly grateful you considered me to become your pastor.

In Christ alone,

Pastor Nick

This letter is obviously meant for prospective pastors, but I can see it modified and used in a number of other contexts. Expectations need to be clear and mutually agreed to. Then, and only then, can leaders and members move forward with the great mission God has called us to serve.

This article originally appeared here.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush—Known for Her Faith—Dies at 92

By
Megan Briggs
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communicating with the unchurched

Barbara Bush, wife of former President George H.W. Bush and mother of former President George W. Bush, has died at the age of 92.

A statement released by former President Bush senior’s office was released this evening.

A former First Lady of the United States of America and relentless proponent of family literacy, Barbara Pierce Bush passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 92. She is survived by her husband of 73 years, President George H.W. Bush; five children and their spouses; 17 grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and her brother, Scott Pierce. She was preceded in death by her second child, Pauline Robinson “Robin” Bush, and her siblings Martha Rafferty and James R. Pierce. The official funeral schedule will be announced as soon as is practical.

Barbara had been in failing health since Sunday. Again, the office of her husband released a statement at that time stating that the former First Lady had decided “not to seek additional medical treatment and will instead focus on comfort care.” She died at her home in Houston, Texas, after suffering from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Barbara was known for her advocacy of literacy and her support of the civil rights. Compared to the First Lady before her, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush was seen as practical and less concerned with her personal style.

The former First Lady was also known for her life of faith. Several faith leaders and political leaders alike have taken to Twitter expressing their condolences to the Bush family and remembering the lady that meant so much to them.

The Evangelical Faith of Jimmy Carter

By
Maina Mwaura
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communicating with the unchurched

Former President Jimmy Carter identifies as an evangelical Christian, a fact he’s proud of. Growing up in a Baptist church in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter’s faith has seen him through tumultuous times and weighty responsibilities—both inside and outside the church. Despite the bad rap the word evangelical has received recently and the bitter tensions that are dividing many in the evangelical church, it’s clear Carter is hopeful about the future of the Church.

The former President graciously agreed to talk to ChurchLeaders and answer a few questions about his faith, which is the topic of his latest book, Faith: A Journey for All. In it, Carter discusses the various types of faith that carry us through life, inform our beliefs, and compel our actions.

It was my privilege to meet up with former President Carter at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Maina Mwaura: You write, “The issue of faith arises in almost every area of human existence…so it’s important to understand its multiple meanings.” What does faith mean to you?

Jimmy Carter: Faith has multiple meanings. It has a religious meaning—in fact, I wrote about that in a book called “Living Faith”…Keeping faith means you keep faith with people who have confidence in you…I wrote a book about that, too. [smiling] Keeping faith and living faith are two different aspects. But we have faith in ourselves, we have faith in our parents, we have faith in the basic principles that guide us, religious faith, of course, is the main thing. But we have faith in freedom, faith in democracy, faith in the efficacy of education, faith in telling the truth and so forth…We have faith in the equality of human beings, most of us do. Of course, that’s been a challenge down through history for America and for other countries…We have faith in the benefits of peace and human rights. So, if we believe in any of those things, we experience faith, whether we realize it or not.

MM: How did your faith get you through losing the election?

JC: I became pretty quickly reconciled to that. One of the main reasons I got over it is because I had to convince my wife everything was ok [smiling]…We’ve had an extraordinarily wonderful time since I left the White House, which wouldn’t have been possible had I had another term. I think the work with the Carter Center and work for Habitat for Humanity and so forth, and our life with our family growing up and becoming close to us—all those things would have been impossible to some degree had I had another term. I wanted another term; I think I could have done good with another term, but I got over it fairly quickly. I haven’t missed it since.

MM: In your book you say, “We need to have something unshakable in which to have faith.” Do you think Americans are losing their faith?

JC: I think Americans and people across the world have lost faith in a lot of things. We’ve lost faith in the equality of human beings in the eyes of God, and that’s been one of the things that has shaken the world. More recently with immigrants in almost all nations—particularly in the European area. In this country, we’ve lost faith in the equality of people in the eyes of God, between African Americans and white Americans. We’ve struggled with that over a period of two centuries now. And we’re still struggling with it.

We have faith, I believe, in the integrity and the wisdom of our constitutional principles. They vary a little bit from time to time because of interpretation of Supreme Court justices, but they’re basically intact. And we have faith in ourselves. We have faith in other human beings…What Jesus teaches us is to have faith in people who are different from us, and to love even our enemies…So that’s the future for the human race, I think, with the threat of nuclear weapons and that sort of thing. We just need to live and learn to get along with one another in peace and not warfare with people with whom we have a difference of opinion.

MM: You consider yourself an evangelical. The word has taken a beating over the last couple of years. How can evangelicals do a better job showing their faith to the world?

JC: I do [consider myself an evangelical]. Evangelicals to me are people who have faith in God and Jesus Christ and who want to spread that faith to other people through our human actions and through our words…During the time I was president, as a matter of fact, we had a movement of evangelicals, right-wing Christians, toward the Republican party. So then, it’s become a partisan divide. And there were some principles that divided us.

7 Tidbits of Advice for Young Pastors

By
Ron Edmondson
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communicating with the unchurched

I started in ministry much later in life. I was 38 when I began vocational ministry. The experience I gained in the business world has helped me greatly in ministry.

One thing I love doing in ministry is investing in young pastors; especially those who may not have previous leadership experience—and are teachable. And, I’m encouraged by what I see in this generation of pastors entering church work. They want to learn and grow from more seasoned leaders.

Of course, in full disclosure, I consistently try to convince them I’m not the guy to listen to, but they keep asking for advice, so I keep sharing. One question I’m asked frequently is very generic: What advice would you give to someone just starting in ministry?

Well, there’s a bunch probably, but I have a few I go to frequently.

Here are seven pieces of advice I give to young pastors:

Don’t try to have all the answers

Fall in love with wisdom. Keep reading and studying. Keep growing personally in your walk with Christ, but also surround yourself with wiser people. Make it a point to always have mentors in your life. In my 50s I still have mentors. They are simply older now than the mentors I had when I was in my 20s.

As a pastor, people will look to you for lots of wisdom and answers. Many times you won’t know the answer to give them at the time (and this never stops being reality). Obviously, you ultimately want to hear from God, but unless you are a quicker listener than me or God speaks to you faster than He does me, you’ll be caught in the hall or in a meeting sometime when you’re presented with a situation you didn’t see coming and need immediate answers. God encouraged us throughout His Word to seek wise counsel.

Don’t be afraid to tell people you simply don’t have an answer, but you’ll be happy to try to help them find one. Or, connect them with someone who does. Ultimately, there will be times they will have to wait on God for an answer just as you’ve had to do and will many times.

Prioritize your life

You’ll be pulled in many directions. Make sure you have a plan for your time and center it around what you want to accomplish and where you want to be in the years to come. Don’t neglect your family for the ministry or destroy your ministry for temporary pleasures of the world. Priorities should be in place before the world throws all it will throw at you. Isn’t this the example Jesus gave to us?

You’ll have lots of opportunities to do many things in your life and career. Make sure you can look back someday and see you at least attempted to do the right things.

Learn the secret of contentment

You’ll need it. There’s a draw in ministry toward bigger and better. I believe in dreaming big dreams. You’ll never have a dream for yourself bigger than God’s dream for you.

You will be encouraged to compare numbers. Other pastors will even will ask first about them. And, I think numbers matter if they represent people, but they are not the most important measure, in my opinion. Changing one life for Jesus is more important than simply breaking the 100 attendance barrier if lives are staying the same.

Most likely, unless your name is Stanley or Groeschel—or some other name we tend to compare ourselves to—you won’t have the largest church or the fastest growing church. Learn to be content with who God has made you to be and what He has called you to do. And, be thankful for where He has allowed you to be at the time.

If you want to compare—compare yourself to God’s call upon your life. Are you being faithful to His call to the best of your ability?

Intentionally invest in others

You can’t call yourself a disciple-maker unless you are personally making disciples.

I understand your teaching on Sunday will be building disciples. A good message should be, but the Jesus model involves intentionally investing in a few people at a time. Jesus concentrated most of His energy on 12 guys and even more on three in His inner circle. Shouldn’t we do likewise?

Always be intentionally and personally mentoring a few. It will keep you close to people in the trenches of life and help you build more solid leadership in the church.

Keep moving forward through the disappointments of life

You will have plenty of setbacks. Life and people will disappoint you. The reason church leadership is hard is you’re leading people. You’re going to find plenty of critics along the way. The only way to avoid it is to do nothing—and that’s not even being a leader.

At times you may fail to understand what God is allowing to happen in your life. Keep the vision of your overall calling to God in mind and push forward, regardless of the obstacles which come your way. And, I’m convinced we are called first to a person—Jesus—far more than to a people. Keep God’s purposes first and work for His approval and you’ll be fine.

Ground your theology in Jesus

There are lots of theological methodologies around. Someone will be happy to shape your theology for you and put a nice little easily understood bow around it. Life has just never seemed to work by script for me or the people in churches where I have been pastor. (Maybe we are doing it wrong, but I think it’s called life.)

I’m not suggesting you stop growing in knowledge or in the “deeper” things of God. You should always be growing. I’m working on my fourth advanced degree now.

I am suggesting you never get beyond the simple child-like, overwhelming awe of who Jesus is and how He loves you and what He did for you on the cross. Center your beliefs firmly and completely around the person of Christ. Set Christ as your end goal, desire to be like Him. Discipline your life to do as Jesus would do.

Then invite others to follow your lead. Shepherd them to embrace your love for the Good Shepherd. Let the grace, glory and goodness of Jesus shape your life and ministry.

God knows best

As a pastor, there will be plenty of voices in your life. You’ll have plenty of advice from deacons, elders, Sunday school teachers and flower committee members. Someone even has an opinion about the color of paint your office should be. Just put it before the church in a survey and test me on this.

Appreciate the suggestions of everyone. Be open to suggestions and even criticism when warranted. Never assume you know it all or you are “in control”—you’re not. I believe God uses people to speak into our lives and He allows us huge latitude in making decisions for ourselves. But, in matters of huge importance, when you are making life-altering decisions, hold out for a word from God.

Of course, this is good advice for all ages (and not just pastors), but the majority of questions I receive are from younger pastors. I’m not sure what it says about us older pastors, but it is been true in my ministry that the younger a pastor is the more willing to heed advice.

7 Ridiculously Common Mistakes Churches Make on Social Media

By
Steve Fogg
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communicating with the unchurched

Church leaders should be tuned in and aware that most of the world spends a good proportion of their day on social media. That includes first and second world economies. Social media should be a church leader’s dream come true. There has been no other communications channel in history where your church is just one click away from being noticed by your broader community without you having to direct mail them or spend huge amounts of money on advertising.

Being one click away doesn’t mean that churches use social media well. In fact, I see many churches make common mistakes. Here are just seven that I see regularly.

Use social media to broadcast

Church leaders can treat their social channels like a TV channel. They think that whatever they say, people will listen and engage with their content. That is called mainstream media. Social media is called social media for a reason. To be social! I know that is stating the obvious, but it’s true. What I see is churches using social media more like a megaphone than a telephone. They use it to talk at people rather than talk with people.

Need translating

Do you think about the audience you are creating your content for? Is your language accessible to the friends of your fans who don’t attend church? Or do they need to be an insider to understand what you are saying.

No strategy

Time and time again, I see a lack of strategy. Churches just post stuff about irrelevant and uninteresting information that makes me yawn. What would it look like if your church had an intentional strategy of reaching your neighborhood on social media? What would your content look like then?

Being negative

Some churches use social media to tell the world what they are against, not what they are for. They present themselves as against culture and pretty much anything else that comes across their line of sight. I’m not saying there aren’t things to stand against, but imagine a world where your congregation’s friends knew what you were for rather than just what you were against.

Overcoming the New Leadership Epidemic — Isolation and Loneliness

By
Carey Nieuwhof
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communicating with the unchurched

I talk to a growing number of leaders who ask for advice—very personal advice.

They ask me questions like Should I stay in this church or move on? or I’m struggling with my elder board, is it time for me to leave? These are really big questions, and they’re situation-specific. As you can imagine, it’s almost impossible for me to answer the question because I don’t know the leader, I don’t know the church and I don’t know the situation in any detail. Even a 17-paragraph email or a 30-minute phone call wouldn’t give me enough context to truly weigh in, because the situation is so specific and the stakes are so high.

So my advice is always the same. I tell leaders, “First I would pray about it and search the scriptures. But then I would find two to five wise people who know you well, who love God, who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth, who love you and love the church/organization you’re a part of, and I would see what they have to say.”

You know what I hear back after I say that? Usually silence. Not like “thanks, that’s exactly what I’m going to do” kind of silence. I mean crickets. Which I think means they don’t have that circle around them.

And on the odd occasion when I do hear back, I often hear that the leader doesn’t have a group of people locally who can help.

That breaks my heart.

The paradox of our culture is this: We’ve never been better connected than we are today. And we’ve never felt more alone.

So many of us have a thousand friends online, but nobody to talk to (at a deep level) in real life. Loneliness has become a modern epidemic.

Early in 2018, the United Kingdom appointed a minister of loneliness. As the New York Times reports, research is showing that loneliness can be more deadly to your health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. A recent study showed that over 200,000 elderly people in Britain had not had a conversation with a friend or relative in a month. And it’s not just older people. University students report feeling very alone because they feel rejected or they don’t fit in.

It’s Lonely at the Top, We Tell Ourselves

Add leadership into the mix, and it gets even worse.

After all, I’ve said it. You might have said it too: Leadership is lonely.

Maybe you’ve had these phrases come out of your mouth too:

Nobody understands what this leadership load is like.

People don’t really care how I feel.

It’s lonely at the top.

I have. Early in my time of leadership, I began to accept loneliness as part of the job.

Over time, though, I developed a new way of thinking about the loneliness that creeps into the life of most leaders:

Loneliness is a choice.

Solitude is good. In fact, it’s a gift from God. Solitude is restorative, transformative and powerful.

Isolation? Just the opposite. When I isolate myself, I lose touch with reality, cut myself off from relationships that give life, and expose myself to risks that would never happen if I’m in authentic community.

Isolation isn’t a gift from God at all. It’s a tool of the enemy.

As much as I decide to be lonely, I will be. But I don’t need to be. Ditto for you. You’re as lonely as you decide to be.

Who Can Help You Make Better Decisions? Well…Not These Guys

I can understand why people reach out to leaders they don’t know for advice. I get that.

Sometimes in my head I think an hour with Andy Stanley, Tim Keller or Craig Groeschel would solve all my problems and make my path clear. Or that a day with Ann Voskamp would help me plot out my next 17 books.

It’s not that I can’t learn from leaders like that. But a call to Brian Houston (even though I’ve spent some personal time with Brian), smart as he is, isn’t going to help me know what God wants me to do in this next phase of my life. He just doesn’t know me well enough.

Nor do I know the people who message me well enough to really speak into their life with precision and accuracy.

And even when I do speak into the life of a close friend, I’m sincerely hoping he or she gets a second, third and fourth opinion. The stakes are just too high.

Every time I’ve made a big decision (jumping from law to ministry, finding churches to serve in, stepping into a founding pastor role, becoming an author/blogger/podcaster), the decisions have been made after much prayer, much reading of scripture and hours of prayerful conversation with close friends and family. People who know me well can speak into my life.

Sometimes you hear the voice of God most clearly from the mouths of people who know God well and know you well. I know I do. They help me interpret what I’m reading in scripture and what I’m hearing in prayer much better than I do on my own.

Because of the constant connectivity we have with leaders and influencers, I think a lot of the time we think someone ‘famous’ can solve our problems, and we bank on that.

While I learn from the best leaders in the church and business world today, I realize Seth Godin may never personally speak into my life. That’s OK. I enjoy Seth Godin for about 100 other reasons.

Your best shot at staying connected is becoming friends with a leader who’s a step ahead of you in your town or a neighbouring town. They’ll likely have lunch with you once a month or even once a week. And you can learn.

Honestly, that’s how I started connecting two decades ago. I still treasure many of those relationships.

They’ve been the lifeline that has moved me through the ups and downs of leadership.

Simplify VBS Check-in

By
Dwayne Riner
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communicating with the unchurched

Ahh, the lazy days of summer…SUMMER!? What does that mean to Children’s Ministry? Vacation Bible School or Kids Camp!

Our Equip KidMin lead writer, Dwayne, experienced the pain of VBS check-in first hand. At a previous church where he served, his VBS attendance jumped from about 80 kids to over 250 kids in one year. Great, right? Sort of. The problem was that his check-in procedures weren’t ready to handle the influx of new families. The result: long lines and some families opting to leave instead of wait. From that point forward he determined never again to let check-in hinder ministry.

When we led day camps at our church, we had to figure out how to handle over 700 kids each day. Our parameters: Check-in couldn’t take forever; the system had to be simple, and everyone stayed secure. These are the same types of challenges churches face each year during their summer big events.

Here’s some ideas to help you navigate that dreaded first day of check-in.

  • Have fast pass tables – these tables are alpha lines with pre-registered camper packets. In the packets include their wristbands, information sheets and campus maps.
  • Make sure to utilize your computer check-in system by having all pre-registered campers assigned to a classroom. On the first day, the stickers will print out with their name and classroom assignment. We have also used color gaff tape on the floors of the hallways to make finding their rooms easier. For example, our greeters were able to look for their room number on the color coded map and tell them to follow the red tape on the floor to their classroom.
  • For those who have not pre-registered, pass out clipboards with the registration paperwork and have them fill in out while in line. Don’t forget to have plenty of pens. Once they reach the table, have registration packets ready for them. A great way to keep up with room ratios is to have the same amount of packets that you have room for in each area (i.e., five packets of 4th grade girls—pink wristbands) Then when you have passed them all out, you know that room is full. Remember to write the room/group on the registration form!

Whether your event is small or big, once they’re checked in on that first day you’ll want to have a great system in place to help you organize the groups and create an orderly check-out. Groups may be categorized by age, grade, gender or even all three. For your church, you may even have more options. So how do you help your parents and campers find AND stay in their groups? Color-coded wristbands, that’s how. These types of wristbands help your organization needs in so many ways.

 

Here’s some ways that wristbands can help you simplify the process:

  1. Weather/shower proof. They can last on the child’s wrist the full week. (Make sure you explain this to your parents, so they don’t take them off when they get home)
  2. Group identifiers. Pink wristbands—3rd-grade girls, Green wristbands—2nd-grade boys, etc.
  3. Tear away number tabs. Each band has a tab that has the same number as on the wristband. These numbers can be used all week to release children, securely, to their parents or guardian. (Hint: Have the parent take a picture of the tab in case it is misplaced, or so the parent text it to another adult who needs to pick up their child)
  4. Lost child assistance. That moment when you have a lost child who has accidentally followed another group. It’s easy to see that pink wristband when everyone else in that group has yellow ones.
  5. Price! You can find solid color wristband for as little as $16 for a box of 500. You can use leftovers for other events throughout the year such as Easter egg hunts or pool parties. They are a great investment for the whole year.
  6. Stickers don’t stick. They fall off in jumpy castles and become goopy when wet.

Check out these duplicate number wristbands and other options at churchnursery.com. Check-in shouldn’t get in the way of ministry; instead, it’s a tool to ensure a safe and fun summer.

This article originally appeared here.

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