I recently got an email with a great question, and I think it’s one many churches have. The question was:
“I have to get more parents serving in the children’s ministry! I’ve been asking ‘how’ for two years and still don’t have any workable answers.”
I have three suggestions. Continue reading
We all know that small groups are a great way for people to get more connected into church and to each other, but sometimes the hurdle can be getting them to take the first step of signing up to try a group. Here are some tips that we’ve seen work well for many of the churches we’ve worked with over the years. Continue reading
There are a lot of ways to follow up with new visitors, and you really just need to try a few methods and see what works for your church. Just make sure you’re measuring your results so you can clearly see what’s working and what’s not. Here’s a good starting point to adopt or at least get you thinking about an approach that will work for you. Continue reading
Every church has a group of people who know everything about everything. They’re the people who built the sound system, designed the children’s curriculum, manage the church. They’re the kind of people you got to love. They wake up earlier on the weekend than during the week, just to make your church work. They are the glue that holds your church together, and often you can’t have a normal service without them. (As an aside, just take a moment to send them a thank you card right now and show your appreciation.) Continue reading
One of the hardest parts of any major event your church sponsors, such as mission trips and community service days, is raising the funds, especially because each event seems so isolated. Expenses for utilities and rent are predictable and you can often plan ahead, but the cost of mission trips changes year to year.
So, to make things easier for you, and to help you support as many projects as possible, we have put together a few fundraising ideas based on what we’ve seen work. Continue reading
As Christians, we have the obligation to support and encourage people recovering from all kinds of struggles, but how do we do this without endangering our children? Below, you’ll find tips designed to help you provide the best security for your children, in a manner that is unobtrusive and inviting to guests of all backgrounds. Continue reading
When people think of church vision statements, there are usually two related but different things they picture. One is a vision statement, and one is a mission statement. These documents are related and most churches end up combining them, but for the purpose of discussion, we’ll treat them separately (You can read the mission statement tips here). The difference is that a vision statement describes how you and God see your church. It focuses on the personality of the church. A mission statement describes what actions will result from your vision. As you work on your vision statement, here are a few things to keep in mind: Continue reading
When people think of church mission statements, there are usually two related but separate things they imagine. One is a mission statement, and one is a vision statement. The difference between these is that a mission statement is very practical in its scope. It focuses on what you will accomplish and how you will do it. A vision statement is designed to be more abstract. It focuses on the personality of the church and how God sees your local church fitting into the larger context of the global church.
The distinction is subtle, and many churches end up combining the two, but for the purposes of discussion we’ll just address the mission statement here. Continue reading
For a lot of people it can be difficult to find a place where they feel comfortable serving. This type of dilemma is the reason so many churches struggle to get their youth involved. It’s hard to find opportunities that are age appropriate. In some cases, you may have to find some tailored jobs made specifically with the youth in mind. Continue reading
We all want our church members to get plugged-in, planted and flourish. This isn’t going to happen for everyone automatically. You need to have clear pathways for people to get involved. Continue reading