Consulting
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
There was a Revival meeting in Texline, Texas. It is one of the most out of the way places in the whole world. It is in the northwest corner of the tip of Texas on the border of Oklahoma and New Mexico. It is known for few things and was a hard place to eke out a living from the land. Only about 300 people in the whole community.
Bro. John Hicks had come into the community to preach that series of messages and stayed with a humble, but believing family in there. During that week of Revival one little boy was saved. His name was Wally.
Many might have wondered about how worthwhile that week of ministry was. However, Wally, always thought it was worthwhile. You probably know him as W. A. Criswell, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas for 50 years, and founder of Criswell College. He published 54 books and received 8 honorary doctor degrees and his ministry led thousands of people to Christ. I am glad someone brought him to the Revival.
The events of last week hit close to home and remind us how fragile life is and how important it is to CARE about the things that matter the most in the end.
I hope you will take advantage of the opportunities during our 2 weeks of Revival to invite a family member, friend, work associate, neighbor, or anyone the Lord may lay on your heart. Who knows what may be written 50 years from now because YOU CARED.
“Who CARES?” Sunday in Bible Study is August 28th.
Call
And
Reach
Everyone
You Are Loved,
Bro. Kelly
Are you ready for exciting worship, renewed fellowship, answered prayers, real life change, and a spirited challenge? Revival is exciting. Revival is renewing. Revival is challenging. Revival is essential. Every so often, Christians need a time to be challenged and inspired in a direct and personal way. It gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak to us about things we have put off or ignored.
Revival meetings, sometimes merged with evangelistic crusades, offer the church an opportunity not only to hear from God in a fresh way for themselves, but also to reach out to the community in a powerful way. First and foremost, revival involves spiritual preparation. It must have personal and corporate prayer as a foundation.
Preparation Precedes Revival!
If we want to see God work, we must be willing to work, also. “We are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9). Some of the greatest times of my life have been after having prayed and organized and worked and worshipped and then watch as God brings in the harvest! I know that many of you can relate to this, too.
August 28-31 has been set aside in our church calendar for a revival / crusade. Evangelist Jamey Ragle will be bringing the messages and Music Evangelist Mark Ivey will be leading out in worship. It is our desire to see God truly work in every part of our church family and then through us to our community.
We will be putting together a Revival Preparation Team soon. If you have had any experience in being on a team like this in the past or feel impressed by the Lord to serve on this team, please contact me at Kelly@highlandterrace.org . Teams will include General Leadership Team, Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Prayer Team, Publicity Team, Youth Team, Children’s Team, Counseling Team, and a few others.
Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory; Hallelujah! Amen;
Hallelujah! Thine the Glory; Revive us again!
Need a Revival or Crusade Consultant?
Coke Zero
Many churches today are out of the habit of using an evangelist or bringing in a special speaker. I don’t blame them. Many churches and pastors have been burned by bringing in the wrong person, or because the church leadership and the speaker / evangelist were not clear on the needs and expectations of the church BEFORE the meeting began. For this reason, many churches have ceased to have revivals, revival meetings, or crusades, altogether.
Another reason so many traditional and contemporary churches have quit having crusades is because the last few times they tried, they were not able to get enough people to attend to make it worth their efforts. It is true that Revivals require time, money, and effort. However, one reason many of these revival meetings have failed is because there was not enough planning put into them.
It is hard to imagine why a church would plan an event on their schedule that would require as much time, and money, and effort as a crusade and then not spend adequate time getting organized for it. But it happens all the time. Often Pastors and people expect that merely the fact that they are having in an excellent preacher will guarantee a great crowd, or that the Evangelist will somehow bring the crowd and the results with him magically. But that is not the cae. The truth is that you can have a great meeting, revival, crusade, seminar, etc., if you PLAN for it.
Do you know how to PLAN for it? If not, then it might be a good idea to sit down with a consultant to either outline the process for you, or even to come in and work with your Revival Preparation Team. Of course, if you have a consultant come to lead your team, then you will also have that added expense. The great benefit of it is that it is like having another staff member for a couple of months and if he does it well, then he will train your team and you will only have to bring in a planning consultant one time.
Something to think about. 
If you are close enough to Greenville, Texas, I might even come and talk to you about it for only a Coke Zero.
