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

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

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.

A Transitional Pastor is a very intentional way of helping the church family navigate between a former Pastor and a new Pastor.  His goal is to help the church mend any spiritual or relational issues that may exist in the church family and have come to the surface since the former Pastor has left.  He may assist the church family in organizing for ministry and church growth.  He may also help the current staff by training for ministry and preparing them for the arrival of a new Pastor.  He will need to help the church plan some special events to enhance fellowship and outreach.  He will need to help prepare the congregation to receive a new Pastor by educating the congregation on the ministry of the church and the role of the Pastor. 

 Why do Churches Need a Transitional Pastor?

 Whenever a church is without a Senior Pastor, it is a very vulnerable time.  There are several options for filling the pulpit and the leadership role that has been vacated by the former Pastor.  According to Lifeway, the average time that a church spends without a Pastor is between 9 and 18 months.  So much can happen during that time that could affect the church either positively or negatively.  A Transitional Pastor can help the church stay focused on its mission and keep from becoming complacent during the intervening time.

 A church can choose to let staff members fill the pulpit.  If you have a large enough staff to get a decent rotation going then this can work.  However, it is possible that the preaching ability of the staff may not always be what the church body expects.  It is important in a large church, that the quality of the preaching remain high.  If not, there can be an extreme drop off in attendance.  Another danger of allowing staff members to fill the pulpit is the natural tendency of many church members to want to present one of the staff members to the Search Committee as a candidate.  This seldom works out and the normal result is that the staff member is not voted in, and the church is left fractured by the process with quite a few hard feelings.  The staff member is usually put in the position of having to resign since he has become the focal point of division.

A church can choose to schedule multiple preachers and speakers fill the pulpit in the interim.  The positive side of this is that the church family may get to hear many preachers they would never have been able to hear otherwise.  The downside of this method is who will be scheduling these speakers.  It becomes a very daunting task to schedule fresh speakers every week.  Another problem with this method is the inconsistency in the pulpit.  People do not know from one week to the next who is scheduled.  People are not able to develop a relationship with the speaker as they are with a Pastor or Interim Pastor.  This situation tends to lead to a great deal of uncertainty for most people in the pew.

 Many churches choose to secure an Interim Pastor.  Often it is a local retired pastor.  They are able to fill the pulpit and assist the Search Committee.  Depending on the Interim Pastor, often some in the congregation will want to make this person the Pastor.  They will often approach the Search Committee with this suggestion.  If the church has not already discussed this option with the Interim Pastor ahead of time, it can cause some division in the church if the Interim Pastor has any desire to become the Pastor.  For this reason a church should be sure not to secure anyone as the Interim Pastor that they might consider as a Senior Pastor.  Unfortunately, many churches suffer from a real sense of insecurity, so that whenever there is no Senior Pastor in place, many members will want to take whoever fills the pulpit in a halfway decent way, and make him the Pastor.  In a sense, they are saying it is better to have this person than no one.  People have to learn to trust the Lord and the Search Committee they have selected and learn to live with a certain amount of tension. 

A better option for most churches is a Transitional Pastor.  A Transitional Pastor is similar to an Interim Pastor in many ways.  Most Transitional Pastors have been trained for that purpose.  They tend to be experienced Pastors at some point.  They tend to be capable in the pulpit and with relationship skills.  They have the leadership skills to lead the church staff and lay leaders in the direction they should go in order to be ready for the arrival of the new Pastor.  In many cases, they are able to deal with problems in the church body, so that when the newly called Pastor arrives, he does not have to deal with them.  Those problems might include confronting a church boss, making a difficult change, organizing a ministry structure, developing the church’s stewardship, and more.  A Transitional Pastor comes in with a set salary which may be close, but slightly less than a full time Pastor.  He will set a schedule of office hours and ministry times for the church.  He will sign a contract with the church for a set period of time and in that contract agree that he will not be considered for the position of Senior Pastor.  By signing a contract with clearly defined job description, schedule, salary, time limits, and agreements for non-consideration, he enables the Search Committee to be able to proceed without worry about someone causing division in their church.  He also is able to provide leadership to the congregation during this time and hopefully prevent the church losing attendance.

What are the Objectives of a Transitional Pastor?

Lifeway has done a great deal of work in developing the Transitional Pastor position and also in providing training for Transitional Pastors.  On their website they list several objectives for developing the Transitional Pastor position.  They are listed below.

• Churches will learn from past experiences, free themselves from hindering traditions, and replace discord with harmony.
• Churches will develop more effective church practices.
• Churches experiencing decline or a growth plateau will experience spiritual and numerical growth; growing churches will accelerate.
• Churches will grow in their understanding of pastoral ministry and in appreciation of pastors and their families.
• More members will become personally involved in their churches’ ministries.
• Energy previously spent dealing with conflict issues will be redirected to expanded ministries.
• The tenure of the next pastor will be increased, sparing the church the expense of frequent pastoral changes and making more money available for ministries.
• Thus, the percentage of Southern Baptist churches without a pastor will decrease. Less time will be spent in the interim mode with growth plans put on hold.
• Church members will rediscover and celebrate their spiritual passion.

For more information concerning the ministry of a Transitional Pastor in Arizona feel free to contact Dr. Carr and also check the Lifeway website for more information and an informative video. 

Click Here To See The Transitional Pastor Video.

If you are a church in Greater Phoenix, Arizona and need a Transitional Pastor contact Dr. Kelly Carr using the contact form below.

Click Here to Contact Dr. Kelly Carr

It is so easy for people to simply get out of the habit of church attendance.  Even Christian people sometimes find it easy to find a reason to just stay home.  In spite of all the scriptural reasons for believers and church members to be in the fellowship with other believers, many will find a “good reason” to skip church.  After 3 or 4 weeks, it is not just “skipping” church, it is high risk for losing them altogether, especially if they have not been contacted by someone they feel is a significant church leader.

Here is an outline for a low keyed, low budget inreach campaign that can help you boost attendance after one of those natural slumps, and help to bring the straying lambs back into the fold where they will be safe and fed.  Inreach is a term that is used to refer to reaching out to church members or regular church attenders.  Outreach is used to refer to reaching out to the unchurched or unsaved in the community.

First, set a date on the calendar about 4 or 5 weeks out and invite someone local to sing, give a testimony, or preach and plan a pot luck or cookout with it.  Begin advertising it through your regular channels of promotion, your bulletin, newsletters, email, etc.  It is a good idea to begin a new Sermon Series in conjunction with that Sunday that you can also promote and that people will find interesting when they attend and be motivated to return for the rest of it. 

Next, begin your “postcard campaign.”  Everyone likes to receive personal mail.  Postcards are fun.  Purchase fun, age appropriate postcards for all of your department workers to mail out.  It might be helpful to let the church leaders in each department choose the postcards they will be sending.  You could give them a Lifeway catalog and let them choose what to order.  Sometimes I like to just go to Walgreen’s or Walmart and find postcards with local color such as a desert scene, or desert animals, or the state emblem, state flower, state bird, etc.  Those will catch someone’s eye when they arrive.  Count back from the date you set for the special date, or “inreach Sunday,” and ask all of your department workers to get involved.  Each department, children, youth, adult, senior adult, etc. should plan something special on that day.  It does not have to be big, just different.  It could be something as small as a promotional video, a new study, an update, or face painting. 

Week One:  Ask all of the Preschool and Children’s Workers to write a personal postcard, which the church has provided, to everyone on their rolls.  This includes visitors and sometime attenders.  After all, your goal for irregular attenders is to help them to become regular attenders.  Use Sunday School and Extended Session rosters and ask the workers to get personally involved.  Make each note personal from the leader who works directly with these children.  Say how much you enjoy having them in your class and that you are thinking of them, and mention the date for the special “inreach Sunday.”  Ideally, no leader should have to write more than 10 postcards.  The more church workers that are enlisted, the fewer cards each will have to write and the more participation you will have throughout the campaign and on the special day.  Have them mailed before Wednesday.

Week Two:  Ask all of the Youth Workers to write a personal postcard, which the church has provided, to everyone on their rolls. Again, this involves members, occasional attenders, and visitors.   Use the same procedure in enlisting your youth leaders.  As before, each note should be a personal note and also mention the date for the “inreach Sunday.”  It is important to let the youth workers add their own special touch.  They tend to know the pulse of the youth better than most.  But the postcards are still key.  They must be mailed before Wednesday.  It is also important to get many of the youth leaders involved, not just the youth staff.  Part of what makes this campaign work is the involvement with the lay leaders in planning something special and writing the cards.  Let your leaders know that they have a personal stake in the success of the event.

Week Three:  Ask all of the Adult Workers to write a personal postcard to everyone on their rolls.  This is the Sunday School, Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, and any other adult ministries of your church.  Sometimes, people who attend one of these ministries may not have their name on a Sunday School or small group roll.  Use the same procedure as before.  Remember the key is involvement and have about a 1 to 10 ratio or smaller. 

Week Four:  Send a Postcard announcing the special inreach Sunday. (Do not call it inreach Sunday, if you name it, call it something different like “Round up Sunday” or perhaps something that has to do with the events of the day or the new sermon series)  Mail this from the office on Monday.  On this week, ask each department to make a personal phone call to each person on their list that that sent a post card to.  Talk for a few minutes if they are home and then remind them about the special day, or invite them.  This should be no more than a 1 to 10 ratio. 

By week four, there will be a momentum effect.  Every person in the church will have received at least one individual, personal postcard.  Everyone will have heard about the special day through several different mediums.  Most families will have received more than one personal post card from someone they know in the church that also knows them by name. 

Week Five:  Enjoy a great day for your church family.  The benefits are that your church organization has been re-engaged and involved after a natural time of inactivity.  Many absentees will begin to show up after the initial contact.  So, hopefully, your attendance will begin to get back on track before your special Sunday, your atmosphere and attitudes will begin to brighten since people are busier.  The entire church family has been working together toward one goal and can celebrate together.  Members who might have been in danger of dropping out have been re-connected with your church family in a personal way.  People who have been marginal in their attendance will begin to be more regular.  Some relationships will form and become stronger because of the personal contacts. 

One of the beauties of this type of campaign is that it is low-keyed.  In other words, there has not been a lot of hype from the pulpit about it except to talk about the special inreach Sunday.  The organization has been working diligently behind the scenes.  The cost is very low.  You may or may not have to pay a special speaker.  You will have to pay for postcards and postage for every person on your church roll that God has led to your church.  You will have some expenses for a church wide dinner, but if it is pot luck, then that is a small expense.  The increase in attendance throughout the campain and afterwards should easily pay for these expenses and much more.

Let me know how you use this campaign in your church and how effective it was for you.  Also let me know any suggestions or special twists you may have added to it.  Just write a comment in the comment box or send me an email.