God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower- strewn pathways
All our lives through;

God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

God hath not promised
We shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;

He hath not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the laborer,
Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Annie Johnson Flint

I have enjoyed this poem both personally and as a speaker for many years.  I first heard Dr. J. Vernon McGee read it on the radio.  Later I found it on a card.  I have referred to it for my own life and used it in numerous sermons.  Through the years several people have asked me for copies. 

I hope it blesses and encourages you like it has me and others around me.

Should YOU read THE DIP?

Subtitle – A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit
(And When To Stick)  by Seth Godin

Length:  It is a short book, only 76 pages.

There are no chapters.  There is a Part 1 and a Part 2

Part 1 is titled, “Being the Best in the World is Seriously Underrated.”

Part 2 is titled, “If you’re Not Going to Get to #1, You Might As Well Quit Now.”

Summary

“I feel like giving up.”  The bottom line is we all feel that way sometimes.  Seth Godin begins by using a famous quote by Vince Lombardi.  He then references this quote throughout the book.  Lombardi said, “Quitters never win and winners never quit.”  Godin calls this “bad advice.”  He says, “Winners quit all the time.  They just quit the right stuff at the right time” (p.3).

In a break with conventional wisdom, Seth Godin advocates quitting, however, in an almost contradictory way he advocates not quitting.

“Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny bit longer than most.”  And “Extraordinary benefits also accrue to the tiny majority with the guts to quit early and refocus their efforts on something new.”

He says that both of these scenarios involve an attempt to be the best in the world.  The book is about the value of attempting to be the best in the world at something and then being able to determine when to quit, what to quit, and when it is right to see it through to the end.  To the person who decides to become the best in the world Godin gives this advice. “Quit the wrong stuff.  Stick with the right stuff.  Have the guts to do one or the other.”  Really good advice.

Godin gives an incredibly persuasive plea for you and me to attempt to become the best in the world.  There is amazing benefit which comes from achieving this goal.  He refers to Ziph’s law which states that “Winners win beg because the marketplace loves a winner.”  Typically, the number one, in any market earns 10 times the benefit of #10 and a hundred times the benefit of #100.  This seems to be true because people want to find out what’s best in town and start from there.

How To Define “The Best In The World.”

Best is subjective and it is decided by the customer.  Best in the world refers to “best fo them, right now, based on what they believe and what they know.”  And “in the world” means “their world, the world they have access to.”  This definition makes “being the best in the world” achievable because there are millions of micro markets.  Godin states that it is not only important to be number one, “It’s also easier, – if you pick the right thing and do it all the way.”

Since being the best is so important to success, Godin advocates what he calls “strategic quitting” (p. 16).  He also advises against “reactive quitting” and “serial quitting” which sabotage success.  He uses three scenarios which he calls “curves” to describe in simplicity how to know when to quit and when to stick. 

Curve #1 is called “the dip.”  It describes the task that is worth doing, but involves a learning curve or set of skills that must be mastered before achieving success.

Curve #2 is called “the cul-de-sac” which is French for “dead end.”  It describes the job or task that requires continual effort, but heads nowhere.

Curve #3 is called “the cliff.”  It describes a task or job or activity in which you cannot quit until you fall off.  In other words, it feels too good to quit.

The question is how to know which scenario you are in and what to do about it.  The desirable scenario is “the dip” which is the only one that leads to long term success.

Next Godin shares with us how to know which situation we are truly in.  He gives us the tools to think it through.  Then, like a master consultant he prods you to make the tough choices, like quitting that leads to lasting success.  He warns of the danger of allowing pride to keep us from quitting.

Throughout the book he references people and organizations who escaped the cul-de-sac, survived the dip and became the best.  He refers to Jack Welch, Butch Cassidy, Invincible, Vanilla ice cream, and more.  In fact, he has a two page list in the back of the book with nothing but names.

Personal Response

I was very impressed with this book.  My only regret is that I did not read it 3 or 4 years ago.  It might have helped me to escape a cul-de-sac, and avoid a cliff.  It helped me a great deal to understand not only a job to pursue or avoid, but also specific activities within a job to pursue or avoid.  For instance, some activities of church ministry require a great deal of time and effort to learn, but they produce a great reward, so it is worth going through the dip in order to become the best.  Other activities require a great deal of time, but they yield only circular results.

Who Should Read The Dip?

This book is written for anyone who sincerely wants to be successful in their chosen field and is struggling with how to achieve it.  It is written for the person who is unsatisfied in their current job and is looking for some experienced guidance.  It is written for the person who is thiniing about quitting their education, career, relationship, but should reconsider.  It is even written for the man or woman who has achieved success, and still has a desire to improve.

The principles and illustrations apply to husbands and wives, business men and women, college students, doctors, preachers, salesmen, marketers, professional speakers, writers, and aspiring entertainers.  Each must decide if they can actually become the best in the world at what they have chosen to do, and determine whether their current path is a dip, a cul-de-sac, or a cliff. 

As a pastor, I suggest that every pastor and staff member should read and begin to apply these principles to their own larger ministry, and to the various ministries within their ministry.

Additional Facts

The book is illustrated by Hugh Macleod.  His simple drawings illustrate some of Seth Godin’s concepts very well.  “The Dip” is published by Portfolio, a division of Penguin Group

God builds no churches.  By his plan
That labor has been left to man.
No spires miraculously arise,
No little mission from the skies.

Falls on the bleak and barren place
To be a source of strength and grace.
The humblest church demands its price
In human toil and sacrifice.

Men call the Church the House of God,
Toward which the toil-stained pilgrims trod
In search of strength and rest and hope,
As blindly through life’s mists they grope.

And there God dwells, but it is man
Who builds that House, and draws its plan;
Pays for the mortar and the stone
That none need seek for God alone.

The humblest spire in mortal ken
Where God abides was built by men.
And if the church is still to grow,
Is still the light of hope to throw.

Across the valley of despair,
Men still must build God’s House of Prayer.
God sends no churches from the skies.
Out of our hearts they must arise.

(Edgar A. Guest)

This wonderful poem by one of my favorite poets trumpets a very important truth, especially for those involved in church planting or church growth.  We give God the glory whenever we build a new church building, whether it is a first building, a second worship center, a new education building, or family life center, and we should give Him the glory, because nothing of eternal significance happens apart from Him.  However, we must also remember that He has delegated the work of the church to us.  God does not actually raise the money and draw the plans and get the permits.  He has delegated that work to men and women and we are responsible for it.  Guest points out the “other side of the coin” in this great poem. 

This poem is great for a fund raising banquet, or to include on a program for a building dedication or many other similar occasions.  It is also very inspiring to Pastors and church leaders who are involved in the process of building anything for God’s church and God’s kingdom.

I have had the privilege of leading several different building programs and capital campaigns and this little poem has been an inspiration to me and others.  I hope it is a blessing to you, as well.

If you have ever wanted to share your faith with your friends, family, associates, classmates, or anyone God has placed in your orbit, but did not know how to get started, or what to say, this simple class may be your answer.  Telling people about Christ is not complicated or confusing, but sometimes we are.  Once you learn some of these simple techniques, you will be amazed at how natural it can be to share your faith. 

What you will NOT have to do…

• Learn hundreds of verses and complex outlines
• Knock on a stranger’s door, (or even a friend’s door)
• Take a public survey
• Put people on the spot
• Sell anything
• Say, “Hallelujah” (though you may want to)
• Invest in Expensive Materials

What is covered in the basic six week course? 

• How being “Christ-like” means being a compelling witness.
• How to give a testimony (tell your story) people will really want to hear.
• An easy way to lead a conversation to spiritual things.
• How to end your next public testimony or speech with a real punch.
• Three Simple, Easy to Remember, Proven Effective, Gospel Presentations.  Not Kidding.  Really Easy.
• Number 1:  The Good News Sandwich
• Number 2:  A, B, C, and D
• Number 3:  SH-O-V-E  If you can memorize these 20 words, you cannot mess this up.
• Two Evangelism Methods for Chickens and Newbies.

These topics are also covered because so many church members are so confused on them today:

• What is the Gospel Message?  In other words what are we really supposed to tell people?
• What is Real Faith?  Or, What is God really asking an unsaved person to do?

Also, how anyone can change the world beginning today.

Quiz:

• There are two things you can do on earth that you cannot do in Heaven? 
• Which one do you think God wants you to do? 
• What does Jesus tell us causes rejoicing in Heaven? 
• What can you take with you to Heaven? 

Mesa Baptist Church is located at 

2425 s. alma school road, mesa, az  85210

phone 480-897-2036, fax 480-897-2870

 Contact the church office to sign up or contact Dr. Carr directly.

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

This sermon series deals with the internal emotional issues we all face and how God enables us to deal with them.  It could also be called Managing Your Emotions, or Facing Your Feelings.  While the topics for a series like this are almost endless and the Bible has so much to say about each of them, we are doing a 4 week series on a select 4 issues.  I have found that while these issues are real and people want and need to know how to deal with them, they tend to be so personal and sometimes painful, that short series are best for handling them. 

One characteristic of a sermon series like this is that it is universal.  In other words, Christians and non-Christians struggle with stress, and feelings of rejection.  It ministers to believers and speaks to the unbeliever where he or she lives.  So, if you are looking for a series that addresses the needs of the unchurched, this works.  If you have a lot of unsaved people who attend your church, this will speak to them.  It also gives your believers something good to share with their unsaved friends.  Each of them has a great evangelistic close since God is able to help us deal with these issues we cannot deal with alone.

This series is for Mesa Baptist Church in Mesa, Arizona where I am currently serving as Transitional Pastor.

Here are the four we are dealing with in April and May:

4-11        Standing Up To Stress
4-18        Beating The Blues
4-25        Overpowering Anger
5-2          Rebounding Over Rejection

These are topical messages and bring in many Scriptures that relate to the topics, however, each one has a primary passage, and all but one have a primary Bible character they relate to.

• “Standing Up to Stress” is based on Genesis 32 and focuses on the Bible character of Jacob.  When Jacob ran away from Uncle Laban and was about to meet his twin brother Esau who had promised to kill him years before, Jacob felt stressed out.  He was between a rock and a hard place.  It was at this time when he met and wrestled with a man who changed his name from Jacob to Israel. 
• “Beating the Blues” is a message about Depression or Discouragement.  The primary passage is 1 Kings 19 and it focuses on the Bible character of Elijah.  After a real mountain-top experience, Elijah went down into the depths of depression and prayed for death.  However, God graciously dealt with this depressed prophet.  We can learn how God cares for us when we are depressed and some principles for beating those blues.
• “Overpowering Anger” takes up the topic of how to deal with the anger we feel at times, and also how to deal with anger that is directed toward us from other people.  This primary passage is Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32.  It is subtitled, “Anger:  The Dragon You Must Defeat” or “How to Tame Your Dragon.”  In other words, everyone has a dragon they must defeat.  No one can “slay” the dragon of anger because it is a God-given emotion.  We must learn how to tame it or train it and keep it under control.  Like all emotions, we either control them or they will control us.  In this message I referred to a new song from Jaron and the Long Road to Love which perfectly illustrates one of the points in the message.  When we fail to deal with anger “before the sun goes down,” that anger can turn to bitterness, wrath, angry outbursts, public fighting, slander, and malice.  The song, “I Pray For You” is a great example of malice which is the expression of unresolved anger.  I will refer to it more in another post.
• “Rebounding Over Rejection” looks at the serious subject and emotion of rejection.  From our earliest days in grade school sending love notes marked, “Do you like me? Yes or No, circle one.”  We understand rejection.  Whether it is getting cut from the team, losing a best friend, getting gilted, receiving a “Dear John” letter or text, or going through the devastation of divorce, we understand rejection.  However, God also understands rejection.  Many Bible characters experienced the feelings of rejection.  This message focuses on the Old Testament character, Job.  He understood rejection after he lost everything and saw even his friends turn against him.  The primary passage for this message is Job 19:13-19.  How do we deal with rejection in our own lives and how do we trust God during those times?

I have tried to glean from many great teachers and preachers for this series.  Adrian Rogers, Erwin Lutzer, Max Lucado, Chuck Swindoll, Warren Wiersbe, and many others who have written and preached on these subjects.  While I also checked out some great counseling books on these subjects and found some great insights, I have found that I received the most help from great preachers who have dealt with them.  Preachers are just better communicators and better at packaging and organizing the materials for the public. 

Here are a few observations.  People who are hurting really respond to these kinds of messages.  More people are hurting in your church than you probably realize.  More people are dealing with private pain than you currently think.  Some unexpected things will come to the surface.  It really gives a Pastor an opportunity to bring healing to some people.  This subject deals with down subjects so you have to be especially intentional to bring the message and design the services in an upbeat way.  You do not want people to leave more depressed than they were when they came in.  You do not want people to leave more angry than when they first arrived.  You do not want them to feel more stressful at the end of the message than they did at the beginning, etc.  So, if you can bring in some upbeat music, videos, and humorous stories, it is helpful.  Also, you have to be open to sharing your own personal struggles in these areas.  Perhaps this is a reason why some preachers do not want to deal with these issues from the pulpit.  The preacher has to be open to being vulnerable about how he has fallen short during some of these struggles.  That is easier for some people than for others.

open positions

The Shepherd’s Staff is a Great Organization in the Dallas area that helps churches connect with ministers and also helps ministers connect with churches.  It does an excellent job of helping ministries and ministers find a good “match.”  I am posting a recent update from The Shepherd’s Staff with a link back to their site.  Feel free to take a look and, of course, to contact them if you feel you might be a match for this ministry.  You might also want to contact them if you are seeking a position and let them know what you are looking for.  If you are a church that is seeking a full time minister, then you may find this to be a very helpful organization no matter what denomination you may be a part of.

I asked Greg Allen for permission to post this email and job description and he was delighted to let me.  I have also asked him to write an article for me about the ministry of The Shepherd’s Staff.  I have also left Greg’s contact information intact. 

If you happen to contact Greg, please do me a favor and let him know you saw his information here at Higher Purpose Ministries.  Thanks, Kelly.

Below you will find the email I received and a copy of the job description.

The Shepherd’s Staff is representing an exciting opportunity for a Teaching Team Pastor. We are seeking a gifted Teaching Team Pastor to be responsible for teaching within the team, leading mid-level staff and lay-driven ministries, and participating with elders in determining church direction. We are emailing you to see if you or someone you know might be interested. Please check out the job description below, and feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested. 

 Teaching Team Pastor  [click here for job description]

If you have any questions, please email me at GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaff.com. May God bless you and your ministry!

Thank You,

Greg Allen
The Shepherd’s Staf
214.699.8309 Office
GregAllen@theshepherdsstaff.com

Teaching Team Pastor – Little Rock Area, AR

We are seeking a gifted Teaching Team Pastor to be responsible for teaching within the team, leading mid-level staff and lay-driven ministries, and participating with elders in determining church direction. If you have the primary gift of teaching, and you are seeking an opportunity to express that gift within the context of a team of authentic, committed leaders, then you should stop and consider this outstanding opportunity. Read on…

This growing church was established in 1983 as a non-denominational fellowship that constantly strives to be an authentic church in a changing world. Since its inception, it has placed a primary emphasis on the inerrant Word of God as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Relationships are vital at this church, and true teamwork is truly seen everywhere – from its thriving small groups ministry through its age-appropriate ministries for college, youth, and children, to its core of leadership and worked out in its ministry planning and execution. This church can be described as a caring fellowship that proves to be sensitive and welcoming to the spiritual seeker, while at the same time providing depth and challenge for those who are embracing faith and following Christ. The celebration services include contemporary expressions of worship music that capture and promote the truths of scripture, along with teaching that is solidly based in the Word of God, applicable to real life situations, and taught in an accessible, relevant, humble and loving manner.

The Position:
Teaching Team Pastor
This Senior Staff position is charged to preach the Word, contribute to the overall leadership of the church, and provide direct leadership to assigned staff members.

Education and Experience Desired:
We are seeking seminary degreed candidates with at least 5 years pastoral and teaching experience that includes supervision and leadership of staff. If that describes you, we would like to learn more about you and share more about the church with you.

More information about the church and the position are available to you after an initial discussion with The Shepherd’s Staff. If you are interested in learning more, please click on the “inquire” button (above on the right side) to let us know of your interest. We will get back to you as soon as possible. You may upload your resume and let us know how to access your media – samples of your regular teaching / preaching.

If you have any problems uploading your information, please email GregAllen@TheShepherdsStaff.com. We look forward to speaking with you.

Go ahead and shoot Greg an email or give him a call.  I think you will enjoy the interaction.

1.  Write your own pamphlet to give away.  It could be your own testimony with a simple evangelistic invitation at the end.  This method works because people are more likely to read something if they know the author personally.  You can add some evangelistic verses and a prayer at the end.

2.  Wear something that gets people’s attention and makes them ask you a question.  This could be as simple as a T-shirt, or buying a unique lapel pin with a message, or a wristband.   www.ctainc.com Christian tools of affirmation.

3.  Carry copies of your favorite book, CD, or DVD to give away that has a Christian message.  Jesus Movie, Purpose Driven Life, More Than a Carpenter, American Tract Society, www.atstracts.org

4.  Master at least one, easy to follow gospel presentation.  After someone asks you a question, or after you have given your testimony, or they have read your pamphlet, you still have to be able to lead them to Christ.  All effective soul-winners follow some presentation or plan.  Whether it is the 4 spiritual laws, the Romans Road, or the ABC’s, you must have a plan to follow.  I suggest you have more than one, so you are able to choose the one you think will fit best.  Here are the three I like best:  Good News Sandwich, ABCD, and One Verse Evangelism.  All are clear, simple, easy to remember, easy for the listener to follow, non-threatening, actually present the gospel message, and call for a decision.  All of them are very easy to lead into.

5.  A good idea for Pastors and churches is to have one Unified Plan, to teach and use as a church family each year.  Choose one of the methods above, or something different like “power beads” or “one verse evangelism.”  Preach a series on the Plan you are using.  Have a special training session and let everyone know that this is THE plan your church is using this year.  Whenever possible, invite a guest speaker / authority to come in an speak on the subject.  Get all of your leaders on board.  Ask for testimonies of how people have used this to lead someone to Christ.  People will be bolder since they know the entire church is doing this and they are not on their own.  Testimonies will keep people encouraged and motivated.  Use One Verse Evangelism which focuses on Romans 6:23 and call it “One Sentence That Changed The World!”  Example:  “Would you like to hear one sentence that changed the world?”  “Can I tell you how it changed my life?”

Try one of these tactics and see how well it works for you or your church.  Send me a note to let me know or leave  comment at the bottom of this page.

If you found this article or others helpful, why not subscribe to the email list at the upper right hand corner of the page, or at least click on the RSS feed to be notified each time there is a new post.

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.

Lyle Schaller tells us that morale seems to be the number one problem in the local church.  In other words, keeping everyone positive, focused on a common goal, having real harmony, and a “can do” attitude.  The leader, the Pastor, the people who speaks in front of the congregation each week must model that good morale.  When they slump, so do the people around them.  This works in a family, too.  If the leader of the family is down, the family will be down even more.

So how do leaders stay inspired?  Well there are so many sources of inspiration and no one knows your sources of inspiration better than you do.  Some of those sources of inspiration are spiritual, and some are not, but they are all important.  Everyone needs a Daily Quiet Time, but sometimes we need more.

The Bible, the Word of God is a wonderful source of inspiration.  The Psalms, the stories, David and Goliath, the life of Paul, the death of Jesus, the love of God, are all rich sources of inspiration.  I love Philippians 2:5-11.  My pastor in college, Jerry Falwell, loved to preach on 2 Corinthians chapter 1, the God of all Comfort.  It seemed to be his signature sermon and I also noticed that he preached on this topic at times when he seemed to need inspiration.

Christian music is a rich source of inspiration.  If you are down, pull out your favorite CD, or now you can download it to your iPod.  Play it in your office.  Listen to inspirational music, not music that will depress you.  It is called “mood music” for a reason and it will put you in a mood, good or bad.

Current events provide many inspiring examples.  Someone said that every dark cloud has a silver lining.  We often find the most inspiring stories in the most difficult tragedies.  When Flight 1549 left LaGuardia Airport in New York and had to make a crash landing in the chilly waters of the Hudson River, the cool-headed heroic actions of Pilot Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, enabled all 155 passengers and crew to emerge alive.  How inspiring is that picture of those passengers standing on the wings of that US Airways plane.  The stories of passengers and crew who prayed and helped one another get out, of mothers who needed the help of fellow passengers to get their small children out of the plane.  As I write I am hearing about the disaster in Haiti.  I am also hearing reports from Christians and Christian organizations who are there doing their best to help people.  Keep a notebook with inspiring stories or clips you can keep on your wall.

Speeches and poems can also provide a rich source of inspiration.  I know we are not a nation who loves speeches, at least we don’t think we do.  However, we really do love what we hear contained in speeches.  Where would our nation be today with the Gettysburg Address, A Day that will Live in Infamy, or I Have a Dream.  By the way, all three speeches came from inspirational leaders who found it necessary to stay inspired and inspire others in the midst of very difficult circumstances.

I can remember a time in my own ministry when everyone around me was so negative and bringing me down to the point that I could not inspire anyone.  It got my attention one day when I was calling a list of prospects and I asked one of them how she was doing.  She responded by asking me how I was doing because I sounded so down and discouraged on the phone.  Well, that is not a very good way to attract new people to your church.  I decided I had to take action and do something about it.  I had to actually get away from the negative people and surround myself with some motivational books and tapes until I could emerge.

One of my favorite inspiritational poems or speeches comes from President Theodore Roosevelt.  It is often quoted as a poem or short saying, but it comes from a much longer speech that he delivered to the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910.  It was a speech about citizenship in a republic and the important of everyone to be involved and to invest in the citizenship.  It is usually called “In the Arena.” 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

I love this brief paragraph.  It inspires me because it reminds me and others of the importance and dangers of being personally involved.  But Roosevelt, familiar with how leaders and doers are so severely criticized when they stumble, or fail, by people who themselves, are not willing to step in the arena.  The arena is where the battles are fought and unfortunately, many are afraid to get into the arena.  Many are afraid of the unsympathetic criticism of the uninvolved crowd and so they stay clear of the arena.  Since I know what it is like to be in the arena day after day, and to hear the crowd, I can relate to his words, and I’ll bet that if you are a leader, you can, too.

Regardless of the methods you may use, as a leader, it is your daily responsiblity to stay inspired.  Read the words of Teddy again and see if you can relate.  Print them out and read them from time to time.

Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know some of the things you do to stay inspired. 

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