Monthly Archives: April 2014

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April 10, 2014

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Executive Office, Pastoring

Anticipating Easter: Two Principles for Success

By Clint Cook

Easter is an important day for Christians

Easter is such an amazing day of miracles! Of course there’s the obvious miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We cannot forget, however, a second amazing miracle: God will wake people up that Sunday morning in all of our communities, and send them to our churches!  The gospel will be preached and lives will forever be changed.  Many may not return the next Sunday, but at least they will hear the gospel on Easter!

Through the years I have learned a few things that I can do as a pastor to increase the percentage of returning visitors.  They have become principles that I cannot overlook!  Bottoms line: the more times guests return, the more likely doubt will melt away and a new belief in Jesus emerge.

The first principle is that I launch a new sermon series on Easter.  To be quite honest, I used to think I was supposed to end a series with a final, passionate message on Easter.  The problem with ending a series on Easter is that first-time guests feel as if they have missed a great series so there is no need to come back the following Sunday.  However, if I launch a new series on Easter and invite everyone to come back to hear the rest of the series, many will return!

The second principle is the placement of a communication card in every bulletin or program give to attendees.  The communication card provides a way for each attendee to share contact information: name, address, email address, and phone number.  Now armed with this information, the church leadership can pray more specifically for each guest.  We also mail a piece of church information to our guests with an invitation to come again.  Some guests will not return, but many of these God-sent first-time guests will return, resulting in many coming to faith in Jesus Christ!

Easter is the greatest Sunday of the year!  Not only for those who already know the resurrection power of our Risen Savior, but also for those who will be our future brothers and sisters!  I wait with great anticipation to hear about the miracles that will occur in our churches this Easter!

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April 8, 2014

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Christian Life, Leadership, National Missions

3 Secrets to Avoiding Train Wrecks in Your Church

By Carl Nichols

If you are anything like me, you HATE when things don’t go as planned. I must admit I am a little OCD in this regard. I hate for a meeting to run long, I hate for things to change at the last minute, and I hate when I plan something and then, out of nowhere, things beyond my control begin to happen. Yes, hate is a strong word, but that’s the way I feel.

Recently at Relevant Church, we launched #STUCK and focused on “circumstances beyond our control.” I learned several valuable lessons from a situation that happened during one of the services. avoid a train wreck during worshipOnly about six weeks off the heels of an entire side wall of pipe and drape falling in the middle of one of the most important seasons in the history of our church, a few weeks ago we nearly had another train wreck—during the second song of the second experience, our drummer’s in-ear monitors quit working. I noticed it immediately and was hoping the guys could keep it together. If you know anything about playing in a band, you understand that if the drummer can’t hear then everybody could be in trouble. At any rate, I thought the team did a great job of scratching through and making lemonade out of lemons. What was happening on stage was only noticeable to the trained eye, even though we nearly had a disaster in the middle of a rap portion of the song. Not only did most people not notice, but many complimented the music following the experience. With that in mind, there are three lessons I want to share:

  1. Excellence should always be the end goal. If this is the case, there is always a contingency plan for unforeseen circumstances. When you merely “get through” something in life, train wrecks are inevitable. This is true of everything from relationships to finances to business.
  2. Never underestimate the power of margin. As a fast growing church plant with limited resources, we have to be very strategic about ensuring that we have “extra” equipment, time, and planning. We have learned this the hard way on several occasions. Margin reduces stress and allows for fruitfulness.
  3. Having the right people around you is essential to achieve success. It was fun to watch each person play their part and make a success out of what could have been a disaster. Just as important as having the right people around you is ensuring that you set boundaries for the wrong people.

I’m curious, which one of these is the hardest for you?

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April 4, 2014

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Congregrational Ministries, Pastoring

The First Robins

By Dr. Franklin Dumond

The first really warm day of late winter/early spring in the lower Midwest sent many of us outdoors.  While the ground was too muddy for much activity the street at our house was passable for a nice walk.  The fields still maintained their somber winter colors of drab brown and dull grey.  Except for the 70 degree air temperature there was little that indicated the arrival of spring anytime soon.

Then I noticed a flurry of activity in the trees, and off in the distance Robins are a sign of new lifeI could hear the distinctive song of a robin.

Returning from that afternoon walk I soon noticed a dozen or so of these harbingers of spring patrolling the lawn, heads cocked with every careful step, searching for the first earthworm of spring to emerge from the still frozen soil.

Snow and cold came back into the forecast but with the arrival of robins and a few other birds of color and song it appeared that once again spring’s warmth would eventually arrive to replace winter’s chill.

These days I focus a great deal of my time aRobins are a sign of Springnd energy to work with churches on turnaround strategies.  Often, like winter’s chill, the signs of decline seem all too obvious while the indications of turnaround remain elusive.

Actual turnaround strategies must be customized for each congregation.  Specific timelines will be shorter or longer depending on local variables.

I have noticed, however, a few features of turnaround that indicate, like the arrival of robins, turnaround on the horizon.  Here’s part of what I have seen as preliminary indicators of turnaround.

1. A new or renewed pastor who has a vision of and strategy for winning people.

2. Folks hang around longer after worship.  One sure sign of decline is an empty building about 30 seconds after the closing prayer!

3. Greater attention is given to the details of worship planning.  When worship is viewed as important enough to prepare for, it will generally be received as important enough to invite someone to attend.

5. Occasional first-time guests begin to trickle into the services and ministries of the church.

4. A few new projects are undertaken with intentionality and confidence.  One factor in decline is doing so much that nothing is done well and everything is done with the motive of “We’ve always done it this way before.”

Have you identified any advance signs of turnaround?