Answering Your Assimilation Questions – #2

Question # 2 – Do You Do A Newcomer’s Reception?

I get this question a lot. Pastors everywhere are wondering whether or not to do a reception and what it should look like if they do… should it be weekly? Monthly? What should it entail? How do you get people to attend? There are lots of questions wrapped up in this one.

The short answer is yes, we do a Newcomer’s Reception every two months. Let’s break the details out journalism-style, shall we?

What: Every two months, my staff and I host a Newcomer’s Reception.

When: The reception is held right after the last service of the morning and lasts no more than 30 minutes.

Where: We always hold the reception at The Journey’s meeting location, rather than at our offices or some other off-site location. Proximity is key.

Why: I am a strong believer that a Newcomer’s Reception creates stickiness. It gives all of your recent guests another reason to come back to your church. Then, in turn, the reception helps connect them even more deeply – At each one, we do a giveaway (using giveaway cards) that allows us to collect every newcomer’s information. On the giveaway cards, they can sign up for membership, small groups, serving, baptism, etc. The goal is to use this opportunity to get every attender connected on a deeper level.

How: So how do we get our newcomers to attend? After someone visits our church for the first time, they get an email within 36 hours thanking them for attending. In that email, we mention the next Newcomer’s Reception and ask them to RSVP. We also ask them to bring a dessert to share – This gives them “buy in.” Then, two weeks before the reception, we send out personalized invitations from me, via first class mail. It works! We had more than 50 people attend our last one.

Check back tomorrow for some Assimilation tips on giving away free gifts to your first-time guests!

- Nelson

P.S. – If you want to go more in-depth with proven assimilation principles, check out my Assimilation Seminar and my new book on assimilation, Fusion.

Answering Your Assimilation Questions – #1

This week, I’m going to spend some time answering a few of the most common questions I get about the assimilation process. These are questions that seem to pop up time and time again during my Assimilation Seminar and as people read my new book on Assimilation, Fusion. The first question is:

“What do you say to get people to fill out their Connection Cards?”

Well, I think it’s easiest to answer this in two parts. First, I’ll give you what I like to say before the message and then what I, or the host, says at the close of the message. These two “scripts” work together to get people on board with filling out their cards.

***

Beginning of Service (about 15 – 20 minutes into the service)- After you greet everyone and welcome them to the service (make sure you tell them what a great day it’s going to be!), say something like this: “When you came in today, you were handed a program. Inside that program are several things: One is your message notes, which you can use to follow along with the message and take notes. Also inside your program is a Connection Card. Go ahead and pull those out… Your Connection Card looks like this. (Hold up card.) If you are a member or regular attender, we ask that you fill out your name and email address. If you’re a first time guest, we ask that you fill out as much information on the front of this card as you feel comfortable sharing and mark the box First Time Guest. Also, we would love for you to answer the question at the bottom of the card: “How did you hear about The Journey?” At the end of the service, you can drop your Connection Card in the offering bucket.”

***

End of Service – As you wrap up the message, bring everyone’s attention back to the Connection Card with, “Go ahead and pull your Connection Card out again and look at the back. You’ll see a list of possible ‘Next Steps’ you can take following today’s message. Maybe you’d like to memorize this week’s verse, or commit to being here through the rest of this series. Just check the box to let us know. If you’d like more information on small groups, membership, or baptism, just check the appropriate box, and we’ll be sure to get that information to you. If we can be praying for you in a specific way, write that on the lines provided, and know that you will be prayed for this week. In a moment we are going to receive the offering, so please take this time to finish completing any information or next steps on your Connection Card and when our offering ushers come around you can drop the card in the offering bucket. If you are a first time guest with us today, we are so glad that you joined us and we have a gift for you. It’s a book called Case For Faith and all you need to do is drop your completed Connection Card in the offering bucket when it is passed and you can pick up your free book on your way out at the tables by each of the exits.”

***

As you learn to handle the Connection Card process with confidence, you will see more people filling out their cards each week – and that means more people getting connected!

- Nelson

P.S. Check back tomorrow for the answer to another common assimilation question. I know it’s one you’ve wondered about yourself!

Are you speaking Christianese?

Chris Forbes as a great article on the danger of speaking Christianease – you can read it here. Here’s a few of the highlights:

(Start Quote) Have you ever read copy in church advertisements like the lines below?

• “Join us this Sunday for anointed Holy Ghost preaching, dynamic praise and worship and intimate fellowship in the body”
  
• “At our church you will hear sound expository preaching on the doctrines of Grace”
  
• “We exalt the Savior, equip the saints, and edify the servants!”
  
• “Our church is a corporate outlet for truth-filled praise and worship!”
  

I can’t tell you how many church signs, brochures, worship bulletins, and websites I have seen that have sentences like those above. Much marketing coming out of churches today uses terms the general populace doesn’t understand.

We may know what words like, “exalt”, “equip”, and “anointed” mean, but what do these things mean to the people who have never or rarely been inside the walls of a church? (Personally, I am working on what “magnify” really means…it’s not about magnets, right?) For example, for many people the word “gospel” is not about the message of Jesus Christ, it’s a genre of music. You can’t help people understand the real meaning of the gospel, until you understand the people you want to reach.

….

5 Steps to Cleaning Up Your Church Marketing Language:

1. Start with your audience in mind: Instead of just brainstorming in your office how you want to creatively word your message, write copy with specific people in mind. If you define your audience more clearly and have a mental image of the people to whom you are speaking, the best vocabulary will emerge in your mind from understanding them.

2. Purge your copy of words that need to be explained: Be careful to use only terms that have a clear meaning to your target audience. Try using a thesaurus to find other ways of saying what you want to say.

3. Make your meaning plain: When you have to use a specialized term, define the meaning of the word in your copy.

4. Test your copy: Show your materials and concepts to people in your target audience to get their candid impressions and reactions to your writing. It’s not as hard as it sounds, just ask, most people would love to help. Say, “I am working on a writing project and I need another set of eyes, would you mind looking at what I have written and telling me if I am coming through clearly?”

5. Make a commitment to keeping church-speak out of your marketing materials: Help ministry leaders understand the value of clear communication and revisit church documents like mission statements, descriptions of ministries, expressions used from the platform, etc.

(End Quote)

Read the full article here and then go through your website, church signs, bulletins or promotional materials and remove all Christianese.  Now!

Nelson

Monday Proflections – June 9 2008

I’m very excited about the week ahead, here’s what’s going on with me and CLI:

Monday – I’m in the office until 2pm and then off to Chicago.  Here’s what a Monday morning looks like around The Journey: 9:00am – Meeting with my Executive Assistant; 10:30am – Strategic Team Meeting (my direct reports); 1:30pm – All Staff Meeting (30min max); 2:00pm – Worship Planning.

Tuesday – Today is my dad’s 75th Birthday (Happy Birthday Dad).  I’ll be at Willow Creek Church in Chicago through Friday.  Today Jason and I are recording some Worship Planning resources that the Willow Creek Association is packaging to offer to church leaders via their website.  We are in the studio all day.  Here’s a link to the Worship Planning Resources that are available now. Also, watch your email for the new Church Leader Insights newsletter – I’m very excited about the articles in this months edition.

Wednesday – Attending the Willow Creek Arts Conference - if you are attending, let me know.

Thursday – Speaking at the Willow Creek Arts Conference. Even if you are not attending there are some great resources here. Jason and I are attending The Second City tonight – last time we went I almost pulled a muscle laughing so hard!

Friday – Wrap up at Willow Creek and head to my in-laws home in Atlanta.  I should get to Atlanta just in time for Atlanta rush hour traffic!

Saturday – My son’s second birthday party in Lawrenceville, GA (northeast Atlanta).  All of our families are coming together – should be a lot of fun!  Maybe I’ll post some pics over the weekend.

What a privilege it is to be in ministry!  Hope you have a great week!

Nelson

P.S. Here’s a FREE resource from Jason called The Worship Order Building System.

God on Film Begins Today

I can’t wait to kick off our new series today at the Manhattan location of The Journey!  This is the 7th Year in a row we have done this teaching series and I still love it!  In fact, about 20% of our church says they first attended a Journey service during God on Film!

Off to the first service….I hope you have a great Sunday!

Nelson

P.S. Our church plant in San Francisco is also doing this series starting next week.  If you know someone in the San Francisco area who needs a new church please direct the to www.JourneySF.com

Saturday Roundup – June 6 2008

Here’s a few resources, audios, videos and articles I found helpful this past week.  Enjoy!

Leading Your Church Through Tough Financial Times by Injoy Stewardship Services (MP3)
Note: You have to opt in to get the 30min MP3

Answer to Multi-Site Criticisms by Greg Surratt

Bill Hybels Responds to Misinformation Regarding Willow Creek (Video)
Tony Morgan gives a great analysis of the Hybels video here
Tim Stevens has the transcript of the video if you’d rather read it here.

Perry Noble on What You Should Or Shoudn’t Do In Your Pastor Blog

Have a great weekend…I’m off to a Servant Evangelism Outreach on the Upper West and can’t wait to kick off God on Film tomorrow.

Nelson

Best of the Rest . . . June 2008

Today I put the final touches on the June edition of the Church Leader Insights Newsletter (watch your inbox on Tuesday). I can only feature six articles from around the web, so here’s the best of the rest (and believe me, each of these deserved to be in the newsletter but just didn’t fit this month’s focus):

Top Six Temptations Senior Pastors Face by Perry Noble
When a pastor is not personally walking with God then He cannot expect His church to do so! Pastors, NOTHING should come in between us and our personal time with God–that is where our fire comes from! We NEED HIM…He doesn’t need us. SO…we need to spend more time seeking His face rather than merely asking Him to bless our plans.

A Gut Check for Growing Churches by Mark Batterson
Vision is the key to unity! The larger you get the more frequently you need to cast vision. Unity doesn’t happen by default–Eph 4:3.

Church Pirates by Ed Young
Note: Video

I hope you find each of these articles helpful! If you find a good one, pass it along, maybe I’ll feature it in the newsletter or here on the blog.

Nelson

Do You Feel Stuck?

Have you ever felt like your attendance was just stuck? Like you haven’t grown in eons and don’t know how to? Believe me, I have! Most churches face growth barriers at five points – when their attendance hits 65, 125, 250, 500, and/or 1000. When you feel like you are on the edge of getting stuck, the first thing you need to do is make sure you are asking the right question about growth:

The Wrong Question: How do I get my church to grow? Your job is not to force growth. When you think growth is your responsibility, you will inevitably make bad decisions.

The Right Question: What is keeping my church from growing? Healthy organisms grow. If you feel stagnation setting in, understand that there are barriers inhibiting your growth and put a plan in place to remove them.

Once you have started asking the right question, remember:

God Wants Your Church To Grow – Your church is an essential part of God’s redemptive plan. Of course He wants it to grow. Just take a look at 2 Peter 3:9. Growth signals repentance and life change.

You Want Your Church To Grow - Sometimes thinking about the next phase of growth can scare us into inactivity. Don’t get discouraged or let doubt set in. God never gives you a vision without supplying what you need to fulfill it.

When you are asking the right question, and you know in your core that both you and God want your church to go to the next level, you will be on your way to meaningful, Kingdom-building growth.

- Nelson

P.S. – Do you know what the most common growth barriers are and how to break them? If not, check out these growth barrier downloads.

The Power of a Doubting Pastor?

It has been said that people will not follow a leader who is not confident.  As pastors, we have the advantage of leading people with a confidence that is not rooted in ourselves or a great business plan, but in God himself!

I wish I could say that I have always led with an unshakable confidence in God and His purpose for our church.  The reality is that I struggle with doubt just like many other pastors do. In times of doubt I find great encouragement in the “least preached” portion of The Great Commission.”  Can you find the portion I’m referring to below?

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:16-28

It’s that phrase in verse 17 where I too-often see myself: “they worshiped him; but some doubted.”  I know God has called me; I know God wants to reach my community; I even know He has given me “All authority in heaven and on earth,” and yet I still find myself in the “some doubted” group.  And then I remember that the “some doubted” group was a part of the eleven men that were accused of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

So what should a doubting leader do?  I find two things in particular have been of help to me when I am struggling with doubt:

1) I make sure that I am taking enough time “away” from the business of ministry to be sure that I am able to listen to God when He is speaking.  I ask myself, “Am I in a position on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis to recognize when God is directing me?” The principles that we discuss in “Developing A One Year Personal Growth Plan” have been invaluable to me in this area.

2) I pray the prayer of the man in Matthew 9:24: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”  I find that nothing invigorates my confidence in God like admitting how deeply I need Him.

God will give faith to doubting pastors who come to Him in humility and ask for it. Why don’t you take a moment right now to pray, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Nelson

Attention Pastors and Worship Leaders – FREE Webinar

Tomorrow Jason is leading a FREE Webinar for Pastors and Worship Leaders called The Top 3 Worship Leader Challenges (its specifically for Worship Leaders but I suggest Pastors and Worship Leaders attend it together for maximum impact).  Here’s all the details:

The Top 3 Worship Leader Challenges WEBINAR
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Noon-2:00pm (EST)

“Every Worship Leader faces the challenges of planning creative and impactful worship services, working seamlessly with the Lead Pastor, and developing the leadership skills to lead their ministries effectively both now and in the future.

Join Jason Hatley, (Pastor of Worship Arts at The Journey Church in New York City) as he teaches proven lessons on how to overcome the Top 3 challenges that Worship Leaders face, including:

- How to develop a personal growth plan to ensure leadership and effectiveness at the highest level
- How to work with the Lead Pastor to produce a quality worship service every week
- How to plan life-transforming worship services each week
- Plus much more!

The Top 3 Worship Leader Challenges WEBINAR
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Noon-2:00pm (EST)

FREE! with RSVP. A reservation is required. To reserve your spot, simply add this item to your cart and check out.

After registering you will receive a confirmation of your registration and instructions to login to the webinar closer to the broadcast date. You’ll need a phone and a computer with Internet access.

About the Seminar Leader:

Jason Hatley
Pastor of Worship Arts, The Journey Church (NYC)

In 2002, Jason was a part of the launch team of The Journey Church, overseeing the programming of their worship services. He serves as the pastor of worship arts and has built from scratch The Journey’s worship arts team, a group of over 200 artists and technicians who develop and implement the creative and technical elements at weekly Sunday services.
Jason has been a worship leader for over 10 years. He invests in worship pastors around the country through interactive coaching networks and worship planning resources. He has been a featured break-out speaker at the Willow Creek Arts Conference, The Purpose Drive Worship Conference, as well as seminars around the country. He has a B.M. in sacred music performance from Appalachian State University. “

Laws of Lifetime Growth – Book Recommendation

I’ve been reading a lot lately about keeping the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ alive in a maturing organization.  Dan Sullivan, co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth, coaches thousands of entrepreneurs each months so his book caught my attention.  It’s a quick read with easy to remember laws.  Here’s a few insights I found helpful:

Law 2 – Always Make Your Learning Greater Than Your Experience
‘Make each day a source of growth.’
‘You don’t get to choose all the experiences you have, but you do get to choose what to do with them.’
‘Transform your experiences into lessons and you’ll never feel world-weary or disadvantaged by your past.’

Law 3 – Always Make Your Contribution Bigger Than Your Reward
‘Always focus on creating new kinds of value for larger numbers of people, and you will ensure that your contribution is always greater than your reward.’
‘People want to align themselves with others who are making great contributions.’

Law 4 – Always Make Your Performance Greater Than Your Applause
‘The greatest performers in all fields are those who strive to get better.’
‘Continually work to surpass everything you’ve done so far, and your performance will always be greater than your applause.’
‘The true sign of a talented performer is that he or she can perform the same material over and over and make it seem different every time.’

Enjoy!

Nelson

P.S. If you like book recommendations like this one, be sure you sign-up to receive my free monthly newsletter entitled Church Leader Insights, where I offer two book recommendations and six article recommendations.  You can subscribe for free by clicking here. Hurry, the next edition comes out in a week.

Monday Proflections – June 2, 2008

I still have two more days of vacation before I return to the city but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot going on this week.  Here’s a look at what’s happening with me and Church Leader Insights this week.

Monday – It’s not too late for you to get and implement the summer outreach ideas in my FREE report on How to Maximize Summer.  Don’t buy into the myth that you can’t grow as a church this summer!

Tuesday – We are rolling out my NEW “Time Management for Busy Pastors” to our entire customer list.  This resource pre-sold faster than anything we’ve ever done.  Watch your email for details or click here for all the details.  BTW, did you miss my three part series on Time Management?  Read it here.

Wednesday – Jason is leading a “Top 3 Worship Leader Challenges” webinar.  I highly recommend this FREE webinar for you or your worship leader.  I think this is a great webinar for pastors and worship leaders to attend together (put Jason on speaker phone and gather around the computer).  You must RSVP to get all the info and you can do that by clicking here.

Thursday – I have a new Executive Assistant starting today.  You’ll meet her by phone, email or in person soon I imagine.  In 12+ years I’ve only had a few Executive Assistants and I’m still friends with each of them (and would hire each of them again!) let’s hope things go as well this time around.

Friday – The second meeting of my New York Coaching Network – I’m very excited about the guys in this network.  My next “live” network will start in 2009 but I’m planning to start A Seniors Pastor Tele-Coaching Network as early as August – click here for more.

Saturday – I’m leading a Servant Evangelism Outreach on the Upper West Side with our six summer interns.  I love Servant Evangelism!

Sunday – Our big summer teaching series, God on Film, begins – can’t wait to kick this off!

I hope you have a great week!

Nelson

P.S. My newest book is just starting to hit the web – the topic: how to secure 100% adult participation in your small groups. It’s already doing great on Amazon (thank you early adopters!).  If you are an early adopter, you can pick up a copy by clicking here. For an early review, check out this blog post by Marty Schmidt.

June 1 Starts the Summer for Me

Today is June 1, and as for me, summer has started! This weekend our 6 summer interns arrived; the weather outside is very warm and it’s staying daylight way past 8:00pm. I know summer doesn’t ‘officially’ begin until later this month, but June 1 is close enough.

Summer is my favorite season. As I look forward to the next few months of warm sunshine, I’m reminded of this quote by business speaker Jim Rohn:

“Some people plant in the spring and leave in the summer. If you’re signed up for a season, see it through. You don’t have to stay forever, but at least stay until you see it through.”

What do you need to see through this summer? What are you trusting God to do in your life or in your church over the next few months?

It’s June 1- let’s decide now to persevere and stay faithful all summer long.

Have a great Sunday!

Nelson

P.S. If you still don’t have my new special e-book on “How to Grow Through the Summer” you can download it for FREE by clicking here

Photo Courtesy of Flickr