church growth
If you are looking for a good way to increase fellowship or even boost attendance, one possibility is to build around a day that the community, or even the country recognizes, like the World Series. Lots of churches have tried to have a Super Bowl Sunday and used the halftime to give a devotional or a testimony.
If your church has a strong sports identity, then a World Series Sunday could also work. I have used it a few times. Your options on a Sunday like this are to either ignore something significant in the culture as the World Series, or to just mention it in passing, or build a theme around it. Obviously you don’t have to build the theme around it every year, but sometimes it works, especially if YOUR team made it to World Series. Why not build on the natural enthusiasm and excitement that is already there? The danger of not even acknowledging it is that the people in your congregation who love sports may tend to think of you as the Pastor, or the church as irrelevant or out of touch.
The year we really did it big, we used some baseball music, had a drawing for baseballs, got some baseballs autographed, had a Christian baseball player come in and give a testimony and sign his own baseball cards, gave people permission to wear their favorite team’s jerseys or colors, and, of course, preached a baseball sermon.
I am including the video of the sermon I preached this year at our church. It is an old sermon that I have preached before, but I have never gotten it on video before, so it is coming from our church account on Vimeo. I think you will see how the sermon is designed to help people see where they are spiritually and also has an evangelistic invitation. Some sports fans will come on a special day, especially if you have a ball player or a chance for them or their kids to get an autographed card or baseball.
I hope you enjoy the sermon, “Baseball Is Life: The Four Bases of Life!”
9:30 HTBC 10/23/11 from Highland Terrace Baptist on Vimeo.
By the way, if I had it to do again, I would make the sermon shorter by taking out some of the references to the Philippian jailer.
Hey, if you enjoy the video sermon give me a “like.” If you would like more information use the contact page, or leave a comment.
Be Blessed Today and “Get On Base!”
Kelly
Join us for all three services on Sunday morning, October 23rd for the message:
“Baseball Is Life!”
8:15, 9:30, and 10:55 AM
It has been called the “All American Pass Time.” It unites all generations. It requires skill and strategic thinking. It is fun to play and to watch.
It is like a dream come true for Texas Rangers’ fans to be able to go to the World Series for the second straight year. The one thing that could make it an even better dream is when they WIN. It was exciting to watch them win in their American League Championship Series against Detroit last week. Nelson Cruz made it exciting with his record setting performance with 6 homers and 13 RBI’s. Rangers’ fans have waited patiently for a long time for a World Series like this one against the Cards. (Now you finally get to wear your Texas Ranger’s jersey to church.)
Baseball is a lot like life. There are a lot of ups and downs. There is a struggle. It takes practice and skill. You never know what will happen. Everybody gets their turn at bat. You cannot score a run unless you get on base. And there is so much more.
Baseball has woven itself into the everyday fabric of life and legend. And there are so many great stories that come out of baseball. We love to hear of those who have become great champions and others who have overcome great challenges. Many of us have loved playing the game and many more have been thrilled at going to the stadium and getting caught up in the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Even the Apostle Paul seemed to enjoy sports. He used many sports illustrations in his epistles. He said, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (I Cor. 9:25). He compared the Christian life with athletics. Anyone who is serious about their sport, whether it is baseball or something else, will train hard and those who train hard usually do well.
I hope you will join us this Sunday, October 23, for “WORLD SERIES SUNDAY!” I will be preaching the message, “Baseball is Life.” It is a rare opportunity to consider some of the similarities between Life and Baseball. It will be both fun and challenging. Let me urge you to invite a friend for Worship and Bible Study.
I want to urge all of the Adult Classes to make preparations for something special in class and try to have your whole “Roster” present. I know the Youth and Children’s Ministries will also be doing some related things in their classes and children’s church.
“Take me out to the church house…”
You Are Loved,
Bro. Kelly
PS Be sure to wear your Ranger’s jersey, t-shirt, or colors. (Or whatever your favorite team is, we love everybody 
) I will be wearing mine.
Play To Win!
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:19-24 (NASB)
When it comes to Bible Study, or Sunday School, do you think like a “missionary?” We send some of our best people to the mission field because they have to be good at many things to be able to be successful in a cross-cultural setting. In fact, many of the best principles we have learned about church growth have come from the missionaries who have returned from the foreign mission fields. How do you apply these concepts to your own Bible Study group?
For instance, we learned how important it is to reach the most “reachable” or “receptive and responsive” people first. We learned that it is easier to reach people who are most “like” us. We learned about the “natural bridges” that God has set up in humanity and that when we cross the “natural bridges” of family and social structures that are already in place, that we can reach whole tribes of people.
Is Sunday School a Missionary Activity?
The Sunday School movement was actually a missionary innovation. It was started to meet a need and was so successful that churches adopted it to minister to their own people and reach out to their own communities.
How does a missionary think? Well, at least one way, is to think about who is the “unreached people group” I am trying to reach? In other words, what type of people is our class trying to reach? Are they retired, married, single, divorced, widowed, teen, children, boys, girls, men, women, professionals, students, blue collar, white collar, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-up, etc. But Bro. Kelly, our class wants to reach EVERYBODY. Great, but how is that working? Usually, if we do not have a specific group in mind, then we are likely to reach no one.
How Do We Begin To Think Like Missionaries?
First, decide which “unreached people group” your class can reach. The group you are most likely to reach is the group you are a part of. What kind of people make up your current Bible Study group? Look around the room. Look on the roll. Look at the literature. Who are you?
Second, ask where do go to find these people? Where do parents with preschool children hang out? Where do parents with elementary children hang out? Where can you find teenagers? Where will you find Senior Adults? What kinds of activities does your “unreached people group” like to participate in? What is their learning style? Is it lecture, discussion, video, etc.
Third, learn everything you can about the group God has assigned YOU to reach and then begin to do everything you can to reach that group. Paul said, “to the Jews I became as a Jew to win the Jews, to the Gentiles, I became a Gentile, to win the Gentiles.” Adapt to your group, don’t expect them to adapt to you.
By the way, that is the reason that as a Bible Study organization within a church, we use “graded” classes. We grade our classes so that each class has a better understanding of its own best “unreached people group.” We also grade our classes so that when a guest wants to visit our Bible Study groups and asks which one would be best suited for him or her, we are able to point them in the right direction so it is a good experience for them and not a bad experience because they went into a class that was supposed to be couples 30-40, but was really singles 55-65. This also helps those at our Welcome Centers to be better able to direct guests since they can see the class distinctives such as age groups of each Bible Study.
This week when you come to Bible Study, look around the room and think like a missionary. And remember, you ARE one.
You are loved,
Bro. Kelly
Momentum is mysterious.
Momentum is powerful.
Momentum is an ally.
Momentum is lost quickly and easily.
Momentum can be created.
It is called “The Big Mo” and is sought by every athlete, every coach, every business leader, and yes, every Pastor and ministry leader. When you have momentum it seems like problems are easily overcome, but when you do not have it even small problems seem insurmountable. If you feel like you are having to push and pull every detail through your church and every little change, and every new ministry opportunity is met with little enthusiasm, then you are experiencing lack of momentum. We ALL know what that feels like.
When it comes to church growth, momentum is your best friend, and lack of momentum may be your worst enemy. Momentum can be delayed by gossip, bad attitudes in ministry leaders, unhealthy systems, unhealthy ministry leaders, lack of follow-through, insufficient finances, loss of good ministry leaders, and, of course, a poor attitude from the Pastor. Often lack of enthusiasm from the people is the result of a lack of enthusiasm from the Pastor, staff, and deacons.
There is GOOD NEWS! Momentum Can Be Created! Think about it. A locomotive running down the track has enough momentum to crash through brick walls, pull SUV’s down the track for a mile, and more. (Only Superman is more powerful than a locomotive.) But that same locomotive is sitting still on the track for hours waiting to be loaded down with goods and passengers. There are hundreds of tons that have to get started from a standing position. Ice can stop it. Wooden blocks can stop it. It really does take a lot to get the momentum started, but trains run on schedule every day. How? It takes lots of energy, and a plan.
Perhaps you have felt the enthusiasm of a Revival, or Youth Camp, or Vacation Bible School, 40 Days of Purpose, or a Friend Day. You know what kind of preparation went it the planning of it, and felt the momentum of getting “all aboard” both before the event and the glow of achievement and celebration after the event. It took a lot of work, but people seemed to be willing to pitch in because they understood the purpose of the event, the value or potential value of the event, and were caught up in the enthusiasm of the leadership.
Perhaps you would say, “Kelly, we are not an event church. We like to do quality worship on a regular basis and people should be willing to respond to that.” You are right, people should be willing to respond to that. But try an event and see if they respond to something that is out of the ordinary.
Perhaps you would say, “Kelly, we do events, but it is a long time between them and we lose momentum, and then we have a difficult time regaining it.” You are right, if you wait for camps and Vacation Bible School or other season events to provide your events and momentum, you are definitely at the mercy of someone else’s schedule. You must be pro-active and intentional when it comes to planning your annual church calendar. That is another topic.
Here is a great way to keep momentum on your side on a regular basis throughout the year. People love what is “New” and “Different.” Why do manufacturers continually advertise their products as “new and improved?” Car manufacturers design new body types, colors, interiors, and features every year. They are smart. They know they have to continually create a buzz, a momentum for people buying their products.
Try a New Sermon Series
Many of the large and fast growing churches have found a way to continually create momentum through good church calendar planning and through strategic “New Sermon Series.” It seems that every 4 to 6 weeks they are advertising a new sermon series. And when they advertise this new series, it is more than just an announcement from the Pastor. The entire church seems to reorganize around the new theme. The children, youth, and adults have something to get them involved. There are events planned, there are new graphics, and videos, and special speakers, and advertising, etc. People get excited. They want to attend and they want to invite their friends. How do they do it? Well, they plan for it. They get all of the staff involved, and the lay leadership is involved in the planning. It becomes a part of their structure, their system, and their church culture.
Give it a try. Use one of your best sermon series and get everyone involved in the planning and implementation. Or if you need a little help, download the free sermon series here and add some stuff to it. You can also find some great resources from Ed Young, Jr. at CreativePastors.com.
I have put together a New Sermon Series Checklist that you can use for your next sermon series and keep on using for future sermon series.
You can download it here free below. Simply “right click” on the link below and then select “save target as” to your desktop or the folder of your choice.
New Sermon Series Checklist
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