Last updated January 9, 2008

TOPICS / CURRICULUM
(Click here for 1 page pdf)

SCHEDULE OPTIONS

STANDARD: Single Site - Friday / Saturday
Friday: 6:30PM Registration & Refreshments; Program 7 to 10PM
Saturday: 8:30AM Gathering; Program 9 AM to 4PM
Sessions 1 - 4 complete with small group
workshops; Sessions 5 & 6 highlights.

ALTERNATIVE: Multiple Sites - Thursday / Friday / Saturday
( Participants Attend Thursday/Saturday OR Friday/Saturday )

Thursday: Site A: 6:30PM Registration & Refreshments; Program 7 to 10PM
Friday: Site B: 6:30PM Registration & Refreshments; Program 7 to 10PM
Saturday: Site B or C: 8:30AM Gathering; Program 9AM to 4PM
Sessions 1 - 4 complete with small group
workshops; Sessions 5 & 6 highlights.

This option is useful for judicatory sponsors where there is
one large cluster of congregations in one area, and a smaller
cluster within 60 - 90 minutes drive of the primary site.

TOPICS / CURRICULUM

“This is the message we have heard ... and proclaim to you,
that God is light and in God there is no darkness at all”: 1 John 1: 5.+

These summary descriptions also available as a 1 page 11 x 8 pdf

These summaries will introduce you to the scope and breadth of the six event topics. While I maintain the scope of each summary as a constant, at regular intervals I update, modify and / or replace the details within each topic, the actual content of the visuals and the guidebook in order to present participants with the most comprehensive and current program possible. I supplant existing material with new concepts, fresh graphics, more effective answers and directions based on others' new research; own continuing study and experiences; and on the requests and suggestions made by sponsors and participants.

In addition, when the sponsor is an individual congregation, they may choose during the Communications Section to: have their property evaluation teams meet separately to begin their projects; and, have their leadership team meet separately to have a ‘dreams/wishes/hopes’ time together.

INTRODUCTION PART 1: EVANGELISM AS A MINISTRY OF LAY PEOPLE

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ..even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me ...surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long". Psalm 23.

●   Opening prayers; scriptural foundations; portions of my personal journey from ethical Christian to believer to evangelist.

●   Equipping all the saints for ministry; distinct roles for clergy as primary resource, and lay persons as apostles; valuing all personality types (with brief introduction to MBTI).

INTRODUCTION PART 2: MOVING BEYOND AND INTO THE FUTURE

 

●   Moving beyond inexperience, ignorance, confrontational modes and stereotypes; recovering Jesus' "Walk With Me" model.

●   Redefining the purpose of your church; avoiding pitfalls, frustrations and mis-
direction; how to practice evangelism while still respecting others' beliefs and traditions.

●   Realities of the 21st century paradigm: decline and paths to recovery; encouraging change; shifting your church from "community" to "destination", from "reactive" to "pro-active", to help attract potential visitors and retain newcomers.

3: PRESENTING YOUR CHURCH: SIGNS, PROPERTY AND MEDIA

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life": John 3:16.

●   Inviting the Community to Visit: Why bother? What's your Message?; National demographics and attendance statistics; Recognizing “their” unfamiliarity with our "product", symbols, and terminology; Responding to their different wants, needs and expectations, especially to those of baby boomers.

●   "Seeing" a church through visitors' eyes: Signs: Roadside, Bulletin Board, Entrances, Special Services, Events & Interior; Property: Grounds, Buildings, Parking Lots and Driveways; general access.

●   Developing and using External Media: Bulk-mail, Bulletin Boards, Coupons, Cable TV, newspapers, Yellow Pages, Web Sites and the Internet.

●   On-site Critique (& tour, if time permits).

4: THE MINISTRY OF GREETING: DEVELOPING SKILLS AND TEAMS

“My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the spirit and of power”. 1 Cor 2: 4.

●   Greeting as ministry - not task, and as part of a complete incorporation process.

●   Developing strong and versatile Teams; avoiding over/underwhelming visitors.

●   Effective practice dialogue for greeters; the power of story telling; developing listening skills; getting educated.

●   Materials for Greeters, and for Visitors.

●   What to do before, during, and after the Service; for subsequent clergy and lay visits.

●   Workshops in mixed groups of four.

5: DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS

“ ....always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness & respect”. 1 Pet 3: 15.

●   Learning to use positive, clear language, clean design and good organization to overcome newcomers' unfamiliarity and encourage their participation.

●   Auditing all existing forms; guidelines to create or upgrade Worship Bulletins, Newsletters, Response Cards, Welcoming Brochures and letters, Annual reports and Web sites.

●   Plenary discussions, with visual samples, of effective and ineffective forms design, layout and texts.

●   Workshops, in mixed groups of eight.

6: MANAGING GROWTH:

Tracking and Involving Visitors and Newcomers

"It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones be lost": Matt, 18:14

●   The basic system; records; personnel.

●   Procedures for lay and clergy visits.

●   Tracking newcomers, critical first year.

●   Adapting incorporating events and processes from the "3-6-9" Options List.
(From my book WELCOME !; *WELCOME ! TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR NEW MEMBER MINISTRY, © The Alban Institute. Available from Alban at (800-486-1318), at amazon.com, and in religious bookstores and catalogs in Canada and the United States. (Click here to access and download the texts of Preface, Introduction and Table of Contents).

Structuring Groups and Organization for Growth

Please note: congregational organization and development are ‘huge’ topics, each meriting their own exclusive events; therefore, my purpose in this section is to present an overview, designed to give particpants an introduction to the goals and concepts.

●   Meeting Needs: Analyzing current profile, context, culture, structure (org. chart).

●   Identifying each group's intended purpose, relative position in the overall structure and membership profile; assessing their evangelism potential, attitudes, inherent capacity for growth.

●   Blueprint for the Future: Planning new groups and structures; setting realistic goals based on these plans; documenting the results and creating a budget to empower the future.