Recently a pastor asked me for a copy of my church’s building use policy. At first I did not understand the question. Then I got it. Trouble is that my church has never found a need for an elaborate written policy when it comes to various groups using our facilities.
Basically, you pay us to […]
Take A Core Team Deep
By: Bill Easum
What would happen to your ministry if every year you chose a dozen lay people you felt had potential and spent the year discipling them? What would happen if every paid staff person on your staff did the same?
Suggestions for such an experiment:
Begin the time exploring the movement […]
Beware of the Announcement
By: Paul Nickerson
Worship designers often do not realize how off-putting such announcements are to newcomers. First-time visitors begin to think they have come to some sort of secret organization that has a language all its own. It is far better to project announcements on a screen and let those in the […]
Linking to Worship
By: Paul Nickerson
Initiate a “hand-off” strategy that links an event to a worship service. For example, if a jazz concert is planned Friday night and the public is invited through advertising and personal invitation, at the concert it is announced that the same jazz group will be playing in worship that coming […]
First Impressions
By: Paul Nickerson
We were often told as children, “You only have one chance to make a good first impression!” Most first-time guests will make up their minds in 4-8 minutes about the welcoming atmosphere of a congregation. We cannot wait to greet people at the door. We need to be out in the […]
Make Visible Your Mission
By: Paul Nickerson
Our congregations are often the best kept secrets in town. One congregation claimed several hours of local cable access. They taped interviews with every member of the church who was a leader in a mission that reached out to that community. They also interviewed various mission partners they had […]
For the week of November 21, 2005
Focus…Focus…Focus
By: Bruce Cole, lead pastor of Joy! Lutheran Church, G
One of my most important tasks as a lead pastor is to spend time learning from lead pastors who are three to five years ahead of me in terms of how God is molding and shaping the churches they […]
For the week of November 07, 2005
Communication “Hub”
By: Tom Bandy
Traditional church buildings were designed for curriculums rather than conversations. In other words, ecclesiastical architects assumed worshippers would go immediately to Sunday school rooms, or return for midweek Bible study sessions, or gather routinely in community centers. Christians did not really need to converse over […]
For the week of October 31, 2005
Take Newcomers Down a Different Pathway
By: Paul Nickerson
One effective way of changing the core discipleship pattern in a congregation is to begin with those who are new to your church. While long-term members often find it difficult to think of “doing church” in any way different from the […]