Last updated April 22, 2008
● We both want to provide participants with an event of the highest caliber. And as partners, we have the opportunity to work together, each stronger with the other's gifts.
● My goal is to provide you with the most effective practical and technical support possible before the event, and the highest quality presentation during the event. And I am committed to reaching as many church members as possible, so I keep my base fees modest and affordable. I can do this because, by using the latest technology, I do not need to employ a large support staff.
● In turn, I must rely on you to generate all the "on-the-ground" support possible so that together, as a team, we can provide participants with a first-rate, professional quality event.
Potential sponsors, equally keen to present a quality event, usually ask questions like these:
What types of congregations benefit from your events?
What package of product and support do we get if
we hire you and what will an event cost us?
As a sponsor, what do we need to be able to provide?
How do we contact you for more information?
SERVING CONGREGATIONS
The Magnetic Church is designed to help churches and their members learn realistic new member ministry strategies and is intended to complement your existing programs. Very affordable, it usually requires only modest program financing, based on a reasonable number of participants and a modest registration fee, never exceeding $US 45.00 (excluding accommodations, if provided). And, it amplifies and extends the many tools provided in my book WELCOME !, Tools and Techniques for New Member Ministry, published by The Alban Institute.
The sessions and workshops have proven to be very effective both in starting and re-energizing evangelism programs, and by renewing hope in churches across the U.S. and in Canada. They have been manifestly successful in inspiring, motivating and equipping lay persons and clergy in:
● struggling churches, for whom an attempt at evangelism may appear to be a tempting cure-all for their problems.
● churches in interim periods which wish to examine their sense of mission, and their history of and desires for evangelism and incorporating newcomers, as an integral part of their profile and visioning processes.
● large, "successful" churches without well coordinated new member ministry programs, often because of strongly held prejudices about emotional or "in-your-face" styles of some public evangelists.
● churches with good programs to react to those transferring within their denomination, but which lack a sense of purpose and format to attract, retain and educate those in the community no longer committed to any particular denomination, or those with no religious background or experience.
● churches with existing incorporation programs whose members desire to review, renew and help ensure the continuity of their current mission endeavors.
I am also discovering that an increasing number of congregations, when scheduling their annual ‘retreat weekends’, are choosing to begin those gatherings by sending their entire management teams (vestry / session / council) to these events for inspiration and equipping. Then, to take advantage of the momentum they have gained on Friday and Saturday with me, they follow through immediately by continuing together Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon on their own, reflecting and building on what they experienced and learned at The Magnetic Church.
I PROVIDE A COMPLETE PACKAGE FOR YOU
Fee Schedule: 1 site, Friday evening and Saturday (Effective May 15, 2007):
These fee structures are designed to make the event affordable to small judicatories and single congregations while also offering reduced rates for sponsors anticipating much larger groups.
● *$2000.00 for up to 60 participants, plus $31.00 per person over 60, deposit $1000.00; OR
**$2600.00 for up to 80 participants, plus $30.00 per person over 80; deposit $1300.00; OR
***$3100.00 for up to 100 participants, $29.00 per person over 100; deposit $1500.00; OR
$3500.00 for up to 120 participants, $27.00 per person over 120; deposit $1700.00; OR
$4100.00 for up to 150 participants, $25.00 per person over 150; deposit $2000.00; OR
$5000.00 for up to 200 participants, $23.00 per person over 200; deposit $2500.00; OR
$6700.00 for up to 300 participants maximum, deposit $3300.00.
Since January, 2008, airfares to non-hub US cities, and to Canada (particularly Toronto), have
increased dramatically - in some cases - doubled. These increases mean that travel expense
for most events beyond the eastern/central US have become cost-prohibitive for very small
groups. Therefore, and with possible exceptions:
* the lowest base fee for 60 participants is available only to US sponsors in the Eastern time zone;
** the base fee for 80 participants is available only to US sponsors in the Eastern and Central
time zones, and to Canadian sponsors in the Atlantic and Central time zones;
*** the base fee for 100 participants is the minimum available to other US and Canadian
sponsors.
● In addition, sponsors are responsible for reimbursing me for air/car travel, and moderate hotel accommodations, but not any of personal expenses. Historically, sponsors have preferred to have all costs ‘unbundled’ and specific; therefore I break these out separately. And, I make all the arrangements myself, using my experience and frequent-traveler status to ensure that we get the best fares and discounts available.
● Plus, for Thursday night: an extra 15% of the total fee if two locations, 25% if three locations.
Comprehensive PowerPointXP Presentation, Version 7.5 January, 2008:
(you may review the topic outlines on the Curriculum page)
● Using PowerPointXP: 6 Program Sections: over 200 program slides; Friday evening, Saturday
morning and Saturday afternoon opening ‘shows’: 44 information/ inspiration/ humor/ slides.
All in full color with detailed, specific, informative texts and charts; over 400 graphics,
photoimages and illustrations which are both humorous and provocative, and also gender- and
age- balanced and ability and racially inclusive.
Continuing Updates: Twice a year, between the seasons, I invest 200 to 300 hours to update
the entire program. I modify the text content with new ideas from ‘best practices’ I have
encountered, my own research, and form the comments on participants’ evaluations. Also,
given the importance today of engaging participants visually, I incorporate continuing
changes to the formatting of screens and animations of texts and images; plus, I continue to
replace / upgrade photoimages as I locate more compelling ones.
Recent Upgrade Log: January 2008: 145; July-Sept. 2007: 201; January 2007: 126; July-September 2006: 208; January 2006: 64.
Last Total Renovations: July/August, 2005: 98 new photoimages; 110 across-the-board
changes/upgrades to animations, transitions, formatting and content; Particularly: Marketing:
45 changes/adds; Greeting: new script and other changes; Communications: 31 changes;
Organization: total redesign and new content; larger print format for all sections.
July/August, 2004: 172 across-the-board changes/upgrades to graphics, photoimages,
animations, transitions, formatting and content: 51 changes and new slides in the 3 opening
"looping" presentations; 32 changes/adds to Introduction Parts 1 and 2; 46 changes/adds to
Marketing- revamped/ added signs, worship, and property interior slides; 44 selected
upgrades to Greeting, Communications and Organization. (see also Handout below).
● Recommended book samples; plus, book, sign, mailing and media catalogs.
● Schedule and site alternatives to suit your demographic realities; you may review these
alternatives on the Topics page using the link provided at the bottom of this page.
Full Companion Documentation: $ included in the base fee.
● Handout Package for Participants Master Set Version 7.5, January, 2008: 44 program
pages plus 5 ‘work’ pages, to guide your participants through the agenda and assist in their
note taking. The main body of this Handout is derived from the PowerPointXP presentation
noted above, and therefore reflects all the most recent changes. It also includes separate pages
for: the Greeter Practice Script, Worship Bulletin samples, the Media workgroup Checklist,
and the ‘Check and Look List’ as a reference guide for all the samples displayed on tables at
each event. All these items are hot-linked for participants on a special, unlinked index page
within this site.
● Handout Package for Churches Master Set: 8th Edition, September, 2007: 23 pages of resource lists, forms, texts and tools to encourage churches to pursue evangelism goals after the event. This package also includes the Post Conference Progress Checklist; churches can use this as an Action Planning Guide; sponsors may also use it as an initial agenda for a follow-up event for all participants. Most recent revisions: August, 2007.
Full Web-based Resources: $ included in the base fee.
● Handout Package for Churches in HTML Format: all the forms and texts in this Church
Package are hot-linked and available in html format via a special, unlinked index page within
this site. At the event, participants are given the address to access this material and all the
other related texts, lists and website information I continue to gather. So while sponsors and
participants can photocopy and use the Package contents as provided at each event, by
downloading them in html format, they may also adapt all the forms and texts for their own
particular uses without having to recreate them. Most recent additions: May, 2007.
● Other Resources for Churches in HTML Format: Over 110 hot-links to other product,
information, training and purchasing resources; and, Sample benchmark websites and Adobe
Acrobat newsletters. Available via a special, unlinked index page within this site. Additions
through August, 2007. Total renovation: August, 2005; added Participant Package
‘Check and Look List’; also added pdf files for all welcome brochures; all links now
‘hot’.
Preparation Support: $ included in the base fee.
● Detailed Guidelines and Checklists to assist your local organizers (even the most inexperienced) in producing effective publicity, managing all organizational preparations and providing an adequately equipped and furnished site.
● If desired, personalized invitations to adjacent congregations and regional judicatories of the
ABC, ECUSA, ELCA, PCUSA, UMC and UCC in the US; and of the Anglican, Presbyterian,
Lutheran and United Churches in Canada, to help foster pan-denominational connections and
boost attendance.
A Complete Publicity Kit: $65.00.
Proven, professionally designed forms customized for your event; masters printed in high-resolution on photo-quality paper to ensure the best possible results (all renovated during 2006):
● Registration Brochure: B&W: six panel, (11 x 8 ½), Tri-Fold with: schedule, content, mission statement; customized with your dates, site(s), directions, fee and contacts.
● 1 Poster: Color: 8½x11, customized with your dates and site(s).
● 1 Poster: B&W: 8½x11, customized with your dates, site(s) and contacts.
● ‘2-up’ Bulletin Insert: B&W: 8½x11, customized with your dates.
● 2 Posters: 8½x11: Color + B&W: Top Ten Reasons To Attend.
● 2 Posters: 8½x11: Color + B&W: Why Bother to Attend?
● Conference Curriculum: B&W: 11x8½.
● Printing and Distribution Guidelines for preparing packages for your own churches.
● Guest Printing and Distribution Guidelines for preparing packages to invite local churches of
other denominations, plus html links to letters of reference from previous sponsors in those
denominations for inclusion with the packages.
Also:
● In Adobe Acrobat .pdf format: Registration Brochure for you to upload to your own web site.
Plus: $ included in the base fee.
● Sample Press Releases for promotional use in your own print media and on your own Web sites. I provide these both in print form and also in html format; sponsors may adapt selected texts in this package for their particular uses from the hard-copy, or more easily by downloading them, along with The Magnetic Church color and black and white .gif graphics, and texts and graphics from the brochure and all the posters, from a special unlinked index page within this site.
● Inclusion of your event on the Calendar Page of this Web Site.
● Links from your own denomination’s Web Site, if available.
● And if the sponsor is an individual congregation, I also provide, in return for their generosity
in inviting other congregations to participate, a personal audit of all their printed material
(bulletin, newsletter, all welcoming material, etc), and their web site (if any).
My book Welcome! (Alban):
● You may order copies of my book WELCOME ! discounted on bulk orders; and the companion CD: Chapter 6 Forms and Brochures on CD.
Companion Sunday Program: Base fee $200.00.
Personal, individual "Monday through Saturday" evangelism. I provide: a sermon, a companion "take-home" Bulletin insert, a 45 minute interactive Forum and a short list of follow-through "reminder" ideas. This separate arrangement (not to compete with the conference) allows the members of a local church to take advantage of my being in the area. The base fee for a moderate size church is $200.00 for one service, the Forum and materials. Unfortunately, given the current turmoil in airline schedules, especially to early Sunday afternoon flights, I can offer this program only if I still can depart on Sunday early to mid-afternoon.
I DEPEND ON SPONSORS
For any event to be successful, we "suppliers" are called to present our best. Many who come to
your event will have attended well-planned business and professional seminars, and
they will have similarly high expectations of your event. And at an evangelism
conference like this one, we have the additional pressure of dealing with participants
who are more likely to be extra intense because the topic itself will raise challenging issues for
them.
As the "software supplier", I have spent over 5500 hours refining the color presentation media, using the most recent programs available. And I continually update the content of the visuals and all the companion printed materials. All this to provide a spiritually moving, challenging and practical experience for your members. None of which matters without your enthusiasm and determination.
Because, as the sponsor, you become the primary publicist and chief "hardware supplier". The success of this event will depend just as much on your attention to preparations and details as it will on the quality and content of my presentation. As the event sponsor, you will have two primary responsibilities: first, to generate the maximum possible attendance; and second, to provide a comfortable, well equipped and organized site so that participants will return to their churches with positive memories and excitement for this ministry.
As the sponsor, your mission will be to:
● Adapt and publish all the necessary publicity from the hardcopy and html templates I furnish, including: press releases, cover letters, phone calls, ads in your local church papers and magazines, announcements at events and notices on your judicatory and/or church web site.
● Copy and distribute the brochure/registration forms, posters and inserts (from the Publicity Kit masters I supply) no later than 90 - 120 days prior to the event.
● Supply sufficient copies of both Handout Packages at the event.
● Furnish a site suitably equipped with 2 or more separate non-worship areas:
a. one for the plenary session with a minimum capacity of 80 to 120 persons; equipped with a
cordless lapel or earpiece microphone with a quality sound system (minimum left / right
speakers); one or 2 data projectors (LCD minimum 1500 lumens or DLP minimum 2000
lumens); one or two hi-resolution white screens; and, a back-up laptop computer.
b. one or any number of smaller spaces (gyms, parlors, classrooms) for the lunch and work
groups, with the same total capacity; equipped with chairs and tables for eight.
● Furnish 1 backup laptop WXP/PPt2002+, 1 data projector; 1 screen, a sound system.
● Provide suitably varied refreshments, lunch and other reasonable amenities.
● Limit the participant fee to a maximum of $45.00 (ie to not make a "profit" on the event), and a minimum of $20.00 so as not to ‘devalue’ the event.
TO CONTACT ME:
Would you like more information by email or phone about engaging me to present an event for your own church, or for your area, cluster, conference, convocation, deanery, diocese, district, presbytery or synod? Or, would you prefer me to supply a hard-copy proposal with complete specifics,including schedules and other fee structures scaled to different group sizes?
If so, and if you represent a "mainline" or similar church which ordains both women and men,
and would welcome me to receive communion, I would be most pleased to respond to you. In
order for me to respond to you effectively and specifically, please advise me of your:
Name, Title and the name of the committee, commission or church you represent
Denomination
cell and daytime wired phone numbers
e-mail address
snail-mail address (if you wish an original hard-copy with pre-printed enclosures)
The probable/possible size group you would anticipate for the event - (sponsors usually plan
between 75 and 200; the effective synergistic minimum is 30).
I welcome your inquiries at:
● Andrew D. Weeks
421 Black Plain Road
North Smithfield, RI, 02896-8026 OR
● 401-766-7656 (Best time 9AM to Noon, ET, Monday through Thursday) OR
● aw@magnetic-church.com (please put your church/judicatory name
in the subject line so my spam filter won’t delete your message);
click here to connect right now.
