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Activate Winds Down - Sunday @ The Journey
Today we wrap up our Activate series @ The Journey as Adam Bishop, our Pastor of Groups, teaches on “The Habit of Friendship.” This has been a great series as we’ve discussed the five classic spiritual habits:
The Habit of Bible Study
The Habit of Prayer
The Habit of Generosity
The Habit of Solitude
and The Habit of Friendship (Fellowship)We will most likely make this series available at CLI…I’ll let you know in a few weeks.
We have cancelled our Sunday evening services tonight and replaced it with a servant evangelism outreach to students at New York University…should be a fun day!
Personally, I’m off today and will be catching the services at some of the newer churches in the city.
Have a great Sunday!
Nelson
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Be A Transformational Leader - Labor Day Weekend Quote
“There are painters who transform the sun to a
yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their
art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into sun.”
— Pablo Picasso: was a Spanish Artist and Painter. -
First Time Guests Want Information
First Time Guests want to get information about your church when they are ready to receive it - not when you want to give it to them.
So the question to ask yourself is:
Are you making information about your church readily available to your guests?
Examples of this include:
- Putting out easy to find brochures about key areas of your church, such as children’s ministry, small groups, etc. You can place these on a guest table so that they are easy to find.
- Making free CDs and DVDs available that go in depth on the questions newcomers may have about the faith. One of our most popular DVDs is a message I did entitled “What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?”- Having friendly members who are willing and trained to answer common first time guest questions.
Over the next few weeks, think through how you can make information available to your guests when they are ready. And remember, First Time Guests want three things that we’ve discussed this week:
1. To fit in with everyone else attending.
2. To be anonymous.
3. To get more information as they are ready.Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
Nelson
P.S. Watch for an email from CLI today about a Labor Day Sale….$9 downloads on most of our single resources. Sale starts at 10:00am today and ends at 11:59pm on Monday. Click the “Store” link above.
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First Time Guests Want to “Fit In” With Everyone Else
On Tuesday I said that an unchurched first time guest wants at least three things…
1. To fit in with everyone else attending
2. To be anonymous
3. To get more information as they are readyLet’s talk about #1 today. A first time guest wants to fit in with everyone else attending. This means that you want to:
- Avoid singling them out in any way. Allow them to identify themselves. See my earlier post for more on this.
- Provide directions for what to do and when to do it. This means that you want to provide clear directions both in signage and from the stage, so that a first time guest doesn’t ever feel lost or confused.
One big area where you should provide direction for newcomers is in the worship service itself. This means you give instructions on when to ’stand up’ and when to ‘bow your head and pray’ (beware of prayers that just start and leave newcomers standing with heads up while everyone else bows their hands).
In general, just a few small instructions throughout the service can help newcomers fit in. This not only leads to a great first time experience but highly increases the likelihood they will return. And that’s the first goal of assimilation: to turn a first time guest into second time guest.
Action step: think through your entire worship service and ask, “Am I giving my first time guests enough instructions so they can ‘fit in’ with everyone else.” Next, think through signage from the parking lot to children areas to the main auditorium. Can people figure out where to go without having to ask someone?
Tomorrow we’ll discuss why first time guests want to remain anonymous.
Nelson
P.S. For a complete treatment of my full assimilation system (that goes way beyond the Fusion Book or the basic seminar) check out The Assimilation Intensive by clicking here.
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Fusion Seminar is Coming to LA Area!
I’m excited to announce that The Fusion Seminar is coming to the greater Los Angeles area.
OK, so actually its Orange County - which is even better…near Los Angeles but closer for my friends in San Diego.
If you are anywhere within driving distance (or Southwest Flight), then consider this your invitation to join me on Thursday, September 18 at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa, CA for The Fusion Seminar from 9:00am - Noon. Early bird registration is only $39 per person.
Group rates are available, just email cristina (at) churchleaderinsights.com for all the details.
Nelson
P.S. I would appreciate any help you can offer in getting the word out about this seminar! Like everything we do here at CLI, we rely on word of mouth marketing.
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Where There’s Slack There’s Lack - Part 7 of 8
SYSTEM #7: THE LEADERSHIP SYSTEM
Welcome back to the weekly, Wednesday “Where There’s Slack There’s Lack” series! If you’ve been following along with us for the last six Wednesdays, let me commend you for putting in the effort to take your systems up a notch. As we learned a couple of weeks ago, effort = excellence when it comes to building stronger systems!
Today, we’re going to be diving into the Leadership System. This is the system that asks, “How do you develop leaders at all levels of your church?”
As your church grows, you will need to develop leaders at every level – staff, lay leaders and high power volunteers. A well-planned Leadership System will make sure you are developing the right people in the right ways. This system will help you with staff management, organizational efficiency, and personal development.
To get an idea of how things are going with your Leadership System, ask yourself these questions:
- When was the last time I invested in developing new leaders?
- How am I helping my current leaders grow personally and spiritually?
- Am I modeling the kind of leadership I want to see from my leaders?
- Are any of my levels of leadership in need of more people?
Here are a few tips to help you start structuring this system for health: Define the expectations of every leadership position in your church. Assign requirements for each role, and make sure that you don’t let anyone blindly climb the leadership ladder. And put deadlines on service roles, so that everyone who agrees to serve in a high level volunteer position knows that it isn’t forever.
I encourage you to carve out some time this week to sit down with your Leadership System. Think through your leader development process. Take a hard look at who is moving up through the ranks and make sure that you have enough leaders at all levels of service. Pick up and scan a book on leadership that you might want your staff to read together.
By the way – Don’t forget to make the connections between systems. The Ministry System that we discussed two weeks ago is a direct inroad to the Leadership System. Everything works together for optimal success.
The more attention you give your Leadership System, the better the leaders you’ll attract. So make this your mantra for the week:
In my Leadership System, attention = attraction.
Nelson
P.S. – If you haven’t already, make sure you download the free Church Systems Report, which details all eight systems and how they work together.
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“Hey, Are You A First Time Guest?!”
Is anyone at your church asking attenders if they are first time guests?
If so, could I kindly encourage you to have them stop asap?
In my Assimilation Seminar, I encourage you to have a Guest Table where you offer first time guests a free gift. For example, we currently offer first-timers a free copy of the book One Month To Live by Kerry Shook, with a welcome letter from me.
The books are stacked on a table near the exit. There is no one there asking those who pick up the book if they are first time guests. We allow guests to self-identify themselves and take the books without being pointed out or questioned.
Newcomers don’t want to be identified as newcomers. Unfortunately, I’ve seen…
- Churches that have a ‘monitor’ at their book table asking: “Are you a First Time Guest?”
- Churches that have their greeters asking: “Are you a First Time Guest?”
- Ushers come through the auditorium asking: “Are you a First Time Guest?”
I’m in favor of allowing guests to identify themselves and pick up a free gift or even attend a post-service gathering (like the 10-Minute Party that many churches do). But asking someone if they are a guest is off-putting and can actually push first-timers away from your church. Here’s why:
An unchurched first time guest wants at least three things…
- To fit in with everyone else attending
- To be anonymous
- To get more information as they are readyI’ll be posting more on all three of these starting Thursday, so check back!
For now, make a decision to allow your first time guests to attend without having to answer the awkward, off-putting question: “Hey, Are You A First Time Guest?!”
Read Part 2 by Clicking Here (To Fit In)
Read Part 3 by Clicking Here (To Get More Information)
Nelson
P.S. If you are new to my blog and you want more on How to Turn First Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church, check out these resources on Assimilation by clicking here. And, welcome to the conversation!
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Monday Proflections, August 25, 2008
Personally I’m taking a few days off this week but I’ve got some great blog posts scheduled so keep checking back here daily.
I would call my time off this week ‘vacation’ but its really not. Kelley and I are renovating our apartment. OK, ‘renovating’ is a strong word as we aren’t knocking out any walls but we are doing a major overhaul and moving our 2 year old out of the foyer into his own bedroom.
Here’s what else is happening with Church Leader Insights and me this week that may be of interest to you.
Monday – Vacation. Maybe I’ll see you at Pottery Barn Kids!
Tuesday – The absolute last day for you to apply for my Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors.
Wednesday – I’m off most of the day but I’ll also be putting the final touches on the first lesson of tomorrows Tele-Coaching Network. I’m also hoping to announce a September date for a Fusion Seminar in the Los Angeles area.
Thursday – The first session of my new Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors. The response to this has been overwhelming! Other than the blog, I’ve promoted this network in two emails and we have had hundreds of applications. I’m very excited about the group that will be on today’s call. This may end up being the most significant coaching network I’ve ever done.
Friday – I’ll be back at the office today working on messages for September. I also need a title for a Christmas series, any suggestions?
Saturday – I’ll be doing some final prep work for our outreach tomorrow at New York University.
Make it a great week!
Nelson
P.S. If you have a church growth question you’d like to see me address in a future blog post, just use the Ask Nelson button on the right of this page.
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Members Reception Today
Today I’m hosting a brief reception for members after each of our services. It will be a 30 minute reception where I cast vision for the fall and provide key updates to our members. The basic purpose for this is similar to the Newcomers Reception (which I wrote about here) but the focus is on members.
Since last year I’ve been working harder to communicate vision to our members and the top 10% of leaders in our church. Today’s reception is part of that effort.
I normally invite members to join me for a couple of times a year for a special Sunday afternoon lunch. This time, I decided to do a series of shorter, more intimate gatherings for members after each service. So far, the total RSVP’s for the receptions have outpaced the single lunch (more options = more people).
For more on the Top 10% Principle, check out this months podcast by clicking here.
Since I’ll be tied up with the receptions today, Chris Brady who leads The Journey -San Francisco will be teaching today at all four services. Chris has a great story and is doing a fantastic job in downtown San Francisco - check out his website here.
Off to the first service….have a great Sunday!
Nelson
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Saturday Quote - Perseverance
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”
– Walter Elliott, American Roman Catholic Priest and Missionary -
10 Reasons to Invite People to Follow Jesus Every Week
Friday is for friends and today’s friend is Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv He had two great posts this week that tackle the same subject from two different angles. Here’s the posts:
10 Reasons to Invite People to Follow Christ Every Week At Church
from LifeChurch.tv : swerve by Craig Groeschel1. Someone may be at church only once.
2. The Holy Spirit may have been working on them for months or years.
3. Even some churched people don’t understand the gospel.
4. Many trust in the church for salvation instead of trusting Christ.
5. Seeing others saved gives believers another reason to worship and motivation to witness.
6. New Christians can “light a church on fire.”
7. Angels in heaven get to party when one person meets Christ.
8. Hell is a real place.
9. You care deeply about people.
10. Families, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, and generations could be different when one person meets Christ.10 Reasons Not To Invite People to Follow Christ at Your Church
from LifeChurch.tv : swerve by Craig Groeschel1. You are afraid of rejection.
2. You think everyone at church is already a believer.
3. You wouldn’t dream of offending someone.
4. You don’t really believe the gospel changes lives.
5. You are so busy preaching about “sex” or “how to have a better life” that you don’t have time to present Christ.
6. You would rather tell another joke than spend time explaining the gospel.
7. You don’t want to be criticized for being narrow minded.
8. You care more about everyone feeling welcome than about their eternity.
9. You are embarrassed to talk a lot about Jesus.
10. You don’t really really believe the gospel yourself.For more from Craig, check out his blog by clicking here. I also highly recommend his new book, find out more by clicking here.
Nelson
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Have You Called Your Office Lately?
Here’s a great exercise… call your church office with a basic question like “what time are your services?” Or better yet, have a have friend do it. Then, sit back and see what happens.
Are you able to reach a live person? If so, is the greeting friendly? Do they know ho
w to transfer a call? Does the person answering the phone know how to handle basic requests? Does the conversation start out on a friendly note but then seem rushed as the call is quickly transferred?Does the answering machine or voice mail sound OK? Does it give you enough time to leave a message? If you leave a message, how long before someone returns the call?
I often do this exercise with my coaching networks. We take turns calling each others’ church offices and ask basic questions about service times, what to expect or even for a staff persons voice mail. Honestly, the results are usually horrifying!
Take a few minutes this week and have a conversation with your staff about phone standards. Make sure everyone is presenting the positive attitude you expect. I’ll be doing that with our staff, too.
Nelson
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Where There’s Slack There’s Lack - Part 6 of 8
SYSTEM #6: THE STEWARDSHIP SYSTEM
Wednesday has rolled around again! Time for the weekly installation of our eight-part “Where There’s Slack There’s Lack” series. I’m particularly excited about the system we are looking at today. It’s a crucial system and one that’s surrounded by a lot of questions and misconceptions…
Have you ever had a hard time getting new believers to tithe? Have you ever wished you had more faithful givers? Of course you have. We all wrestle with the money issue. That’s where The Stewardship System comes in. This is the system that asks, “How do you develop extravagant givers at your church?”
Stewardship is a tough issue. That’s why most of us, as church leaders, tend to separate it from other spiritual disciplines, like praying, reading our Bibles and going to church. We are afraid to hold our attenders accountable in the personal area of money.
But, let’s face it – money is not only essential to Kingdom growth, it’s also an essential factor in the spiritual growth of our people. We will never develop strong disciples until we learn to develop strong givers.
How effective is the stewardship system you have in place? To get an idea of how things are going, ask yourself these questions:
- Are you modeling extravagant giving?
- How do you know when someone gives a gift for the first time? How do you respond?
- When was the last time you taught on the spiritual discipline of giving?
- Have you given your people a tithe challenge in the last year?
Most new givers – and even a lot of more seasoned givers – don’t understand the importance of bringing the full tithe. There is a path we have to lead them down, as they mature in their understanding of stewardship. That kind of growth doesn’t happen haphazardly. But as God blesses and works through the Stewardship System, we can build churches of faithful, and even extravagant, givers.
This week, spend some time with your Stewardship System. Think through your process for explaining the importance of giving. Think about how you follow up with those who give. Write out your own financial testimony.
If you will give this system some true attention, you can begin to recast the sticky issue of money as the important spiritual discipline it really is.
Nelson
P.S. – If you haven’t already, make sure you download the free Church Systems Report, to learn more about the eight church systems and how they work together for the healthy growth of your church.
P.P.S - To dig deeper into this issue of developing extravagant givers, check out The Stewardship Seminar.
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Church Growth Hero: Bob Whitesel
I recently had the opportunity to teach a special week long graduate class for Dr. Bob Whitesel. If you aren’t familiar with Bob, here’s what I consider his three best books to date:
Dr. Bob is one of the best church growth thinkers of our generation.
I had a blast spending four days with some really sharp students but I had even more fun picking Bob’s brain.
Nelson
P.S. We actually recorded all four days of my lectures. I spent a day on Assimialtion, a day on Growth Barriers, a day on Small Groups and a day on Church Systems - all at graduate level discussion. Church Leader Insights is currently not planning on packaging these lectures as a resource but if you would like to have them for your library, I can make them available for cost-recovery…email me at ns1 (at) journeymetro.com for more info.
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Monday Proflections, August 18, 2008
Here’s what’s happening with Church Leader Insights and me this week that may be of interest to you.
Monday - I’m taking a day of vacation today and a few days early next week…a few last minute days off before the rush of the fall. We have a great team at The Journey and sometimes I think they do better with me out of the way!Tuesday – I’ll be making some final decisions on my new Tele-Coaching Network for Senior Pastors…last call for applications! Click here to apply.
Wednesday – I’ll be in Tampa for my Senior Pastors Coaching Network…pray that Hurricane Fay stays away!Thursday – An early travel day and then a full day in the office. Tonight we have a meeting with key leaders in our church about Financial Peace University this fall.
Friday – An early day in the office to catch up from travels and then my New York Coaching Network will gather for meeting #4. Tonight Kelley and I have tickets to a Toby Keith concert in Jersey…we are looking forward to Toby but are bigger fans of Montgomery Gentry, the middle act.Saturday – Alexander is away with grandparents so Kelley and I are doing some rearranging in our apartment…time for the big boy to get his own room and furniture.
Watch your email for some cool stuff from Church Leader Insights too.
Hope you have a great week!
Nelson
P.S. You might also want to check out my latest podcast, entitled “The 10% Principle.” Download or listen online for free by clicking here.
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Sunday Friend - Greg Rohlinger
One of the highlights of my trip to Phoenix last week was hanging with Greg Rohlinger. I’ve known Greg since 2002 and every time we are together he stretches me and encourages me. He’s the real deal.
I was also impressed that he sent 20 people to my Fusion seminar last Thursday but I was even more impressed that he attended himself. Here’s a guy that pastors a church more than twice the size of Journey yet he was in the audience learning, interacting and taking notes (and forgiving me that I called him Gary…twice! Some friend I am!).
Here’s his notes from the conference…click here.
Here’s a link to his fantastic church….Palm Valley Church.
And I highly recommend his blog to you….click here.
Have a great Sunday! And follow Greg’s lead and learn from everyone you can.
Nelson
P.S. Greg recently lead his church to read thru the bible in one year, the spiritual growth was off the charts. He chronciled it here at Route 66.
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How to Solve Any Problem - A Saturday Quote
“To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself:
First, what could I do?
Second, what could I read?
And third, who could I ask?“
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Six Lessons from Jimmy Buffett (kevineikenberry.com)
If you’ve heard me speak live, you know that I’m a fan of two very different Buffetts – Warren Buffett and
Jimmy Buffett. (They are actually more alike than you think.) So, this recent post from Kevin Eikenberry caught my attention . . I think you’ll find it helpful:“Tuesday night my family and I went to see Jimmy Buffett. I have enjoyed his music for many years, I’ve read his books, and I’ve been to a concert in the past as well.
Why do I blog all of this? Because, Jimmy is one of my heroes. As I reflected on the concert, I thought about what I have learned from Jimmy - and why he is a hero of mine.Here are six things that I learned, or relearned from Jimmy this week.
The Power of Passion. Jimmy Buffett loves what he does. From the stage to the trip to points around the world that was chronicled on video during the show - he loves his work. When people love what they do, others are drawn to that passion - in this case 24,000 plus, a sellout for the 21st consecutive year in Indianapolis (are you kidding me, sellouts for 21 straight years?). What are you passionate about?
The Value of Purpose. Jimmy has purposefully created a life that allows him to use his skills and strengths to the fullest - singing, songwriting, writing, marketing, and many other things. His purpose also allows him to create space for his interests outside of his work - surfing, fishing, and flying among them. If you want a picture of this purpose, read the words to one of my favorite of his songs - Schoolboy Heart. These are the words of person who knows who he is and why he is on planet earth. What is your purpose?
The Need for a Plan. He’s 61. He’s been touring for who-knows-how long. I’m sure he doesn’t need to tour, or do many of the other things he does. His tour gets shorter every year, and yet, at the end of the show, he told us, I’ll see you next year. And you could tell he meant it. What is your plan?
The Importance of Personalization. Jimmy knows his Customers, and talked to us like he knew it throughout the show. He mentioned a variety of things about the state, the crowd, the earthquake a few months ago and more. This wasn’t just, “if it’s Tuesday I must be in Indiana,” it was our show on our night. When we personalize and customize for our Clients they will notice. How do you personalize your work or your Clients and Customers?
The Perfection of Play. I had tshirts made several years ago that say, “Make Work Play”! Jimmy doesn’t need the shirt, he lives it. How (and how often) do you play at work?
The Sound of Paean - Paean is defined as a song of praise. Jimmy certainly can sing, this is obvious. What is less obvious is that he showers his praise on his Customers (in this case the audience). He is grateful. He is thankful. When we sing praises to and for those we serve, and approach our work and lives with a spirit of gratefulness, we will always be happier, healthier and more successful. How grateful are you?
Oh, and he is also VERY good at what he does. In part because of these other five points, but we can’t leave that one out either!
There are more lessons, these are just five. Hopefully one or more of these resonate for you, whether you like Jimmy’s music or not.”
Read the complete article by clicking here. Have a great Friday!
Nelson
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Predictably Irrational – A Book Recommendation
Each month, in The Church Leader Insights Newsletter, I recommend two books that have been helpful to me personally or to our team at The Journey. One of this month’s recommendations is Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. Here’s what I wrote in the newsletter:
“Our Executive Staff just completed reading this book. Last month, I took one idea from this book, applied it to our small groups sign-ups and we had 119 new people sign-up! This book will help you understand how people make (irrational) decisions and how you can influence them toward the best (Godly) result. Along the way you’ll find some great sermon material on temptation, commitment and habits. You’ll also find great info to make you a better communicator and evangelist.”
I hope you enjoy the book!
Nelson
P.S. For more recommendations like this, make sure you subscribe to my free Church Leader Insights newsletter (click here) and that you have info@churchleaderinsights.com in your address book.
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Where There’s Slack There’s Lack - Part 5 of 8
SYSTEM #5: THE MINISTRY SYSTEM
Welcome to Part 5 of the weekly, Wednesday series, “Where There’s Slack There’s Lack!” If you’ve been tracking with me each week, I hope the effort you’ve been putting in is creating a new level of excellence in your church.
If you have you ever had a hard time mobilizing volunteers, then you are going to like today’s system – The Ministry System. We’ve also been known to call this system The Volunteer System. However you want to label it, it’s the system that asks, “How do you mobilize people for significant ministry?”
God created people to serve. It’s part of how they grow as disciples. You have to have a system in place that will help them get plugged in, or you will be hurting both yourself and your potential leaders.
At The Journey, our goal is to get 50% of our people involved in serving at least one hour each week. What’s your goal? Do you have one?
If you have multiple services on a Sunday, try asking volunteers to serve at one service and attend another. You can never have too many volunteers.
To take the pulse of your Ministry System, ask yourself these questions:
- How many passionate volunteers do we have?
- How many passionate volunteers would we like to have?
- What are we doing to make people want to serve?
- When was the last time I personally invested in our volunteers?
Encouraging people to serve will strengthen your church on every level. Ultimately, all of the eight systems will be run by volunteers, so you need as many dedicated servers as possible.
This week, spend some time thinking about what steps you need to take to create a volunteer system that makes people want to get involved… One that makes them want to do the things that you can’t hire people to do.
If you will give this system some true attention, I can guarantee you will begin to attract more volunteers.
Make this your mantra for the week: In my Ministry System, attention = attraction!
Nelson
P.S. – Don’t forget to download the free Church Systems Report to learn more about the eight church systems and how they work together for the health of your church.
Archive for August, 2008
Church Leader Insights is a bi-weekly publication sent via email that focuses on effective leadership, church growth, church planting evangelism and much more.
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Ignite: How to Spark Immediate Growth in Your Church
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