Ushers Ush
“Good morning, Mrs. Dalton. Do you have a seating preference?” “Oh, Sheila, you ask me every week. You know I always sit in the same place.” The usher smiled. “Yes, but you never know!” Then she turned to a couple who was just then coming through the door. “Good morning! Do you have a seating preference?” […]
Ten Tips for Using Your Newsletter to Grow Your Church
The fact is, most church newsletters do little to nothing to help grow a church… in fact, many church newsletters we’ve reviewed may be a part of the reason why a church isn’t growing. Here are a couple of do’s and don’ts to help you develop a newsletter that will at least aid your church […]
Never Call It a Welcome Center
Too many churches don’t have an information center – and the ones that do seem to tuck it away against the back wall in some out-of-the-way corner. A well run information center is worth its weight in gold. That being said, don’t make these information center faux pas: Instead of “Information Center,” it’s labeled “Visitors” or “Welcome” […]
The Four Core Processes: Not a Balancing Act
The Church: Mainline, 107 in average worship attendance The Location: Northeast US The Pastor: First call, seminary trained The Resources: Consultation completed, coach engaged The Presenting Issue: Lack of growth, few visitors, lots of busyness with little return The Real Issue: The pastor’s commitment to balance You can lead a horse to water. Sometimes, as […]
An Example of Communion Instructions
[fvplayer src=’https://s3.amazonaws.com/MiscVideo/CommunionInstructionsLow.mp4′ splash=”http://21stcenturystrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CommunionPlayButton.png”] Click Image to Play Video This is one of the best guest-friendly introductions to communion I’ve seen. Notice that Pastor Ted tells the congregation virtually every detail of how to receive communion. It’s also a good example of a lightened version of the Lutheran Liturgy for the Eucharist. Exceptional Practices of Note: Virtually […]
Shift Happens 2014
Our culture keeps on marching… and unfortunately, the North American church seems to fall further and further behind. I regularly begin church training exercises by showing the “Shift Happens” YouTube video that was initially uploaded back in 2008. The response to the video by the average layperson is typically shock … especially for those who […]