An Open Letter to All Pastors and Church Staff

By Brian Dodd

“The two most important words I and everyone else under your leadership can ever say …”

To all pastors and church staff,
I want you to know that I know being a pastor or church staff member is the most difficult job in the world. While it has unbelievable highs, and on its best days is the most rewarding occupation/calling in the world, it is also the most difficult. Unlike those of us in the marketplace, you lead volunteer armies and face an enemy (Satan and his demons) we may or may not encounter on a regular basis.
You have given your lives to serve people like me, my family and friends. As a result, the two most important words I and everyone else under your leadership can ever say is “THANK YOU.”
1. Thank you for going to God on our behalf and praying for us daily.
2. Thank you for studying God’s Word and communicating its truths to us in a compelling fashion.
3. Thank you and your family for being willing to live in a fishbowl.
4. Thank you for demonstrating grace, love and patience when people question your motives and competency. Sheep may be dumb, but they bite. And they have a taste for pastors and church staff.
5. Thank you for putting in countless hours.
6. Thank you for being a continual learner.
7. Thank you for being men and women of impeccable character and integrity.
8. Thank you to your spouses and children for their willingness to share you with us.
9. Thank you for helping us discover our spiritual gifts.
10. Thank you for challenging and then helping us live a life of meaning and purpose.
11. Thank you for seeing what we could be through the power of Jesus Christ and not just what we currently are.
12. Thank you for presiding over the landmark moments of our lives—baptisms, weddings and funerals.
13. Thank you for telling us, “You’re going to make it. It’s going to be OK.”
14. Thank you for having the courage to tell us about the sin in our lives and our need for repentance and a Savior.
15. Thank you for allowing us to serve alongside you and make a difference.
16. Thank you for expanding and helping shape our worldview.
17. Thank you for modeling generosity and never allowing us to pick up a lunch tab.
18. Thank you for your great faith in what God can do.
19. Thank you for creating environments that help us raise godly children.
20. Thank you for making hard decisions and then living with the results.
21. Thank you for paying the price of preparation and getting such a great education.
22. Thank you for your willingness to take a compensation package well below the level of your education.
23. Thank you for walking with us through tragedy, marital troubles, raising children and life’s great challenges.
24. Thank you for the periodic phone calls, texts and emails just to see how we are doing.
25. And most of all, thank you for not quitting each Monday.
And also, please forgive us for many things, these five in particular:
1. Not being a better friend because being a pastor is the loneliest job in the world.
2. Not paying you more money.
3. Not praying for you more.
4. Not being as passionate as we could be about the church’s mission and vision.
5. Not bringing our friends to church as often as we should.
In conclusion, we will thank you every day of eternity for serving us, the church and our Lord so well.  “Thank You” is not nearly enough, but I hope these two words encourage you today.
Blessings,
Brian Dodd  

More from Brian Dodd or visit Brian at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001037842621

How to Make a Real Impact in the Lives of Others

By Mark Altrogge

Serve in any way you can, wherever there’s a need, big or small.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6
We all have gifts, and these gifts are varied and different. God gives his children ALL KINDS of gifts. Some gifts are public; some are done behind the scenes. Some are used when the church gathers; many are used outside church meetings. Our God is so great, so creative, so generous, so wonderful, we wouldn’t expect him to give only a few gifts. The God who created Monarch butterflies, tiger lilies, cactuses, memosa trees, hummingbirds and hammerhead sharks is lavish and overflowing and gives a multitude of varied and wonderful gifts.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:7
God’s gifts are gifts of his grace. Undeserved, free, unmerited. God gives gifts because that’s his nature. He gives every one of his children at least one gift, and usually more than one.
All our gifts are gifts of the Spirit—they’re spiritual gifts. Even gifts that seem to be natural or “unspiritual.” Many days last summer, a member of our church, Frank, would be out on a riding mower joyfully caring for the church property. He loves it. He reminds me of Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire: “When I run I feel his pleasure.” I can almost hear Frank saying, “When I mow I feel his pleasure.” And Frank doesn’t just cut the grass—he meticulously trims around each and every one of about a dozen birch trees that line the road on our church property. Frank’s gift may seem to be natural—he just loves to cut grass—but it is a gift of serving from the Holy Spirit.
So let’s use our gifts.
God gives us gifts to serve others. They’re not for ourselves. If someone has the gift of serving, it isn’t so he can serve himself. If someone has the gift of giving, it isn’t so she can go out and buy herself presents. God gives us gifts to USE to bless others.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10
Let us use our gifts to serve one another. We all have work to do. We all have a contribution to make. We are all called to serve each other. It’s not just the pastor’s job.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12
The leaders don’t do all the work—they equip the saints for the work of ministry. It is the saints who build up the body of Christ.
… from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (16)
What if I don’t know what my gift is? Just start serving wherever you can and God will make it clear. Serve wherever there’s a need. As you serve, God will make it clear. Other people will confirm it. When I was a young believer, one of my friends needed some body work done on her car. I knew nothing about body work, but she needed help, so I went to the auto parts store, bought the necessary materials and fixed the dent in her door. I just wanted to serve wherever I could. And it became clear that day that auto repair was not my gift.
Don’t limit yourself. Don’t say, well I have the gift of teaching, so I can’t serve as an usher or a greeter. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me it’s their first Sunday and they have a ministry as a teacher. My first thought is, so you have a gift of teaching? How about helping us set up chairs?
Let’s use our gifts IMMEDIATELY.
To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. Matthew 25.15-16
Serve in any way you can. If you can serve in any way in the church, great. But you can use your gifts in many ways outside the church. You can give someone an encouraging word when you run into them in Walmart. You can pray for someone over coffee at the local coffee shop. You can give money to the church and the poor. You can serve in a pro-life or campus ministry. Every tiny act of service is pleasing to God. If you give someone a drink of water in Jesus’ name, you won’t lose your reward.
Sometimes life circumstances may limit us. If someone suffers from a sickness or other physical condition, God doesn’t expect them to be out washing cars. But they can pray for someone. Spurgeon’s wife, Susannah, became an invalid at age 33 and could rarely attend her husband’s services after that. She was confined to her bedroom for long periods of time, yet she encouraged her husband, raised godly children and started a fund for supplying theological books to clergymen and ministers too poor to buy them.
You have a spiritual gift. USE THAT GIFT! Serve in any way you can, wherever there’s a need, big or small. Even if it seems “mundane.” As you serve, God will make your gifts clear and he will use you to bless others.  

Mark Altrogge is the original triple threat: singer, songwriter, pastor. He has been the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA for over 25 years, and is the author of many well known worship songs such as “I Stand In Awe”, and “In The Presence”. When not pastoring or writing songs, Mark can be found consuming vast quantities of coffee. Unfortunately, Mark is not particularly gifted in the area of athletics. More from Mark Altrogge or visit Mark at http://www.theblazingcenter.com

Free Sermon Series Package: "Perspective"

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5 Bad Reasons to Plant a Church

5 Bad Reasons to Plant a Church

By Ron Edmondson

I love church planters. I moved into church revitalization, and part of the concern I had in doing so was that I might not have a foot in church planting. That would be tough for me. After two successful plants and having worked with literally hundreds of planters, I think it’s in my blood. (Interestingly, I learned a few years after my first plant that my mom served on the core of a church plant during her years before marriage. It’s truly in my blood.)

But I’m concerned.
Can I change gears in the conversation that quickly?
I seem to find some planters—or want-to-be planters—who are in it for the wrong reasons. The fact is we need people called to ministry in the established church. We need them in church revitalization. Not everyone needs to be a church planter.
But the bigger issue is that without the right reasons, if we are not careful, a church plant could become just a part of a growing fad and no ultimate good will come from it. And that’s not good for the planter or the Kingdom.
So, we must be careful to plant for the right reason. And not the wrong reasons.

Here are five bad reasons to plant a church:

You’re running from authority.
I’ve worked with some people who didn’t want to follow the rules. In fact, I am that person sometimes. That’s not a good reason to start a church, however. And when that is the reason—just offering this as a heart-check—it is usually out of pride and arrogance. God can never honor that. You’ll have authority in a church plant—if you’re smart—or you’ll find yourself in deep trouble. All of us need some authority in our lives.
You want to do things your way.
I understand. Really. Especially if you worked for a controlling leader or for someone who had no passion or vision. But be careful. Sometimes a desire birthed in good can quickly become something birthed in rebellion. And when that happens, many times you close yourself to ideas other than your own. You then become the controlling leader.
You want to be close to mama.
Or mama-in-law. I get that too. You love your family. Free babysitting. It’s pretty common to love family, isn’t it? Don’t we all? But our callings are bigger—and stronger—than that. Sometimes God gives us huge latitude in location. And that may be exactly where you want to plant. I hope He does. Sometimes, however, He doesn’t. But the decision is always His. Never ours.
Your buddy is doing it.
It’s popular to plant a church these days. As I write this, I am at a church planting conference. There are several—actually lots—of those these days. And that’s a good thing. We need lots of new churches. Tons. It’s just not a good reason to plant a church because everyone else is doing it. It’s not.
You’ve got the cool factor.
Don’t we all? In our own context at least. I needed to clarify that because I was almost 40 when I planted my first church and I had long passed the day I could wear skinny jeans. Church plants—anything new—attracts cool. (It’s funny, when I attend church planting conferences there are lots of similar looks. Styles change, but church planters keep up with the styles.) But cool does not make a good church planter. It doesn’t hurt—I should be honest—but it isn’t a reason to plant a church.
By the way—I have to say this—church revitalization needs cool too. Don’t forget that.

So why plant a church?

There is really only one reason to plant a church.
You are fully convinced God has called you to plant a church.

Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping church grow vocationally for over 10 years.
Learn more » Browse all articles by Ron Edmondson

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8 Easy Ways to Be Missional

By Jonathan Dodson

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“Don’t make the mistake of making ‘missional’ another thing to add to your schedule. Instead, make your existing schedule missional.”

Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples”; “Walk wisely toward outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “Be prepared to give a defense for your hope.” We can be missional in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Eat With Non-Christians.

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite others. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversation. Cook out and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

2. Walk, Don’t Drive.

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox, convenience store or apartment office, walk to get mail, groceries and stuff. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, taking a six-pack (and share), bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet and some people.

3. Be a Regular.

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out and coffee, go to the same places. Get to know the staff. Go to the same places at the same times. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of left over pastries to our church two to three times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a Regular.

4. Hobby With Non-Christians.

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports. Local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons. Teach sewing lessons, piano lessons, violin, guitar, knitting, tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

5. Talk to Your Co-Workers.

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form mom groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

6. Volunteer With Nonprofits.

Find a nonprofit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

7. Participate in City Events.

Instead of playing X-Box, watching TV or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, clean-ups, summer shows and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

8. Serve Your Neighbors.

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local police and fire stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!
Don’t make the mistake of making “missional” another thing to add to your schedule. Instead, make your existing schedule missional.  

Jonathan K. Dodson (M.Div, Th.M) founded City Life Church with his wife and a small group of people willing to take a risk for the kingdom of God. Jonathan is the author of "The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing," "Gospel-Centered Discipleship" and "Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection." He enjoys rowing, reading, writing, and playing with his kids. More from Jonathan Dodson or visit Jonathan at http://jonathandodson.org/

Dear American Church … I Am Not Renewing My Membership This Year

By Frank Powell

“I can’t sit comfortably in a club any longer.”

Dear American Church,
Let me cut to the chase. I am tired of this club. I want out.
Here is the thing. I didn’t sign up to join a club. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. Maybe I contributed to the confusion. I am not sure how we arrived here, but things are going to be different. I am not renewing my membership this year.
Here’s why.

Jesus didn’t die for a club.

The church should be missional. The church should have an external focus. The church should shine as a beacon of light in the community. I feel like you started this way. When you began, your focus was reaching the needs of your community and your world.
But something changed. Now you focus on your needs. Your mission is comfort and security … at all cost. You invite people into this “mission.” I am afraid you created a monster. A country club minus the golf course, which is the best part.
I love the church Jesus Christ died to establish. I believe in the church’s future. I believe the church is the primary means through which the world comes to know the power of the cross and salvation.
So, believe me when I say this decision is not a declaration of the global church. It is also not a declaration of every church in America. As long as the King sits on the throne, the church will thrive and be a beacon of light in a dark world. This is a declaration of the American church culture, generally speaking.
Let me highlight some of the reasons I think this a club.

Clubs pour time and resources back into themselves.

People in clubs think paying their “dues” gives them stock in the club. People in clubs expect resources to be used on them and their needs. The church of Jesus Christ should never equate giving with power. It should never use most of its resources to feed internal programs and events.

Clubs value comfort and security.

This is why you pay to enter clubs. You want to feel safe and comfortable. Clubs value health and comfort. I am not saying churches are wrong for pushing into suburbs. Our cities need men and women passionate about the mission of God in those areas.
But I am worried your desire to embrace suburbia is often more rooted in your country club mindset than in God’s direction.

Clubs keep conversations in the shallow end of the pool.

Clubs are not venues to share feelings, disappointments and struggles. Clubs keep conversations in the kiddie pool.
“How ’bout them Cowboys? What about the stock market? Will Trump be the next President?”
True story … I have a close relative (let’s call her “Jill”) who was asked the question “How are you doing?” by a member at her church. Jill had the audacity to tell this lady she was not doing well and needed prayers. The lady then proceeded to tell Jill she never intended Jill to actually tell her how she was doing.
This is a club mentality.
“How are you doing?” is not an open door to tell people about your problems. It is simply their way of acknowledging your presence.
Let’s be real, American church, you secretly hope “How are you doing?” does not lead to someone telling you about their problems. You don’t have time for that.
The church of Jesus Christ should value transformative community. You should bear one another’s burdens. No one should walk the road alone. No one. Galatians 6:2 says you fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens. That’s weighty stuff.
Are you bearing anyone’s burdens, American church?

People in clubs want to make their club the biggest, brightest one around.

Being a club is about competing. I am competing against you. You are competing against me. Clubs don’t care if they steal people from other clubs. In fact, stealing people from other clubs is called “winning.” It shows that one club offers something another club does not.
This looks a lot like the American church. You view stealing people from other churches as “winning” because the bottom line is attendance on Sunday.
The church of Jesus Christ should view church growth through the lens of people coming to know Jesus. How many people have you baptized this year? How many people know Jesus today that did not know Him a year ago?
Why is this a competition, American church???

Clubs only invite people into their lives that look like them.

Clubs value likemindedness. The church of Jesus Christ should value diversity. Can you honestly tell me, American church, you value diversity? You chalk up your lack of diversity to things like cultural differences.
Really?

Clubs are divisive and argumentative.

A few days ago my wife and I passed eight churches on the way to the church we were attending. We live 1.5 miles from the church building. Eight church buildings in 1.5 miles. That’s one building every .15625 miles (sorry, I like numbers).
I understand I live in the Bible belt, but is it necessary to have that many notches on the belt?
Please do not misunderstand me … this country is diverse and you need different expressions of the church. But do you really need 8,000,000,000 churches in one city? This, however, is what clubs do. Insiders believe their way of doing things is THE way. This is a dangerous trap.
When the focus shifts away from Jesus, the level to which you will become divisive has no end. This starts by refusing to associate with those outside of Jesus. Then it moves to those outside of your fellowship (or denomination). Then it moves to people within your denomination who think similarly but differ on one “important” issue. Then it moves to those in your denomination who think less like you. And so on, and so on.
Eventually you create what you see today. Over 9,000 different denominations (your divisiveness makes it difficult to even define a denomination). Do you see the slippery slope?
American church, if you rallied around Jesus and not your traditions, your impact would be exponentially greater.

People in clubs value keeping everyone happy.

Clubs hate losing members, so they cater to every need. If Joe is unhappy about this change, the club caters to him. If Jill is unhappy about that change, the club caters to her.
Most churches today equate unity with happiness. Unity does not mean you keep everyone happy. Unity means you keep everyone focused on Jesus.
Some people feed on the attention they receive from getting their way. The church should be unapologetically focused on making disciples and shining light into the darkness. Clubs don’t like change. Clubs do things the way they have always been done. Making disciples and refusing to change are usually at odds with one another.
So which value drives you, American church? Making disciples or preserving traditions?
Honestly …
____________________
Again, I am not leaving church … I am leaving the club. There are churches living out the mission of Jesus Christ all across America. Praise God for these churches. But I am tired of spending time and energy contributing to a culture that fattens itself with more resources.
I am tired of spending my time convincing others I am right and they are wrong. This only feeds my natural tendency to be judgmental. If I am right, everybody else is wrong. But if Jesus is right, love, grace and truth become the standards by which I look at the world. I like those standards. It feeds a much less natural tendency to accept and love.
I want to focus on those who haven’t experienced the gospel. I want to spend time figuring out how to minister to my neighbor whose marriage is on the rocks, my friend battling cancer or my classmate struggling with pornography. I want to surround myself with a group of men and women that are missional.
There is hope for you, American church. There is hope because God reigns over all things and situations. There is hope because Jesus is the head of the church. But I can’t sit comfortably in a club any longer.
I want to join a movement. I hope you understand.
Sincerely,
Frank Powell
I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!  

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Frank Powell serves in the Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson, Tenn., ministering to college-age and young adults. More from Frank Powell or visit Frank at http://frankpowell.me

 Why Church Visitors Need You to Really See Them

I will never forget being a visitor, and, honestly, the experience has shaped almost everything I do in our current church.

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Why Church Visitors Need You to Really See Them

By Christine Hoover It’s that time of year! Many people have transitioned to new places and they are popping in to visit churches in their new cities. As that is happening in our city and our church, I continue to think back to the post below. I hope it is an encouragement to you as you seek to welcome others.
In the 14 years we’ve been married, my husband and I have only searched for a church home one time. It was during our seminary years, when we were first married and he had not yet become a pastor. After that season, he was hired by a church, and then, eight years later, we started one, so we’ve experienced church a little differently than most.
But I will never forget being a visitor, and, honestly, the experience has shaped almost everything I do in our current church.
As a visitor, I remember being nervous and uncertain, but mostly I remember being eager—eager to find our “family,” make friends, hear the Word preached clearly and powerfully, eager to worship, and eager to belong. When we weren’t spoken to Sunday after Sunday, our eagerness deflated quickly. It still makes me feel uncertain when I think about it. 
Until you are new, until you’re a visitor, it’s difficult to understand what it’s like and to put yourself in a visitor’s shoes at your church, but it’s so important to try. A warm, welcome and helpful environment is one of the most essential ingredients for a person to become a follower of Christ and grow and connect within the church.
A sweet friend of mine just moved away to a different state this past summer. She wrote and told me of the loneliness and uncertainty she’s feeling, especially in her and her family’s efforts to connect to a local church. This is a woman who loves the Lord and, while mothering young children, sacrificially served in our church. She is eager not only to connect but to serve where God has taken her. She wrote what she wished others could see, which I’m sharing with her permission:
“It is the first day of Bible study. I am in a new town and have had a hard time making new friends. I have looked forward to today, to an opportunity to meet some sisters in Christ, hoping to find My People in the midst of a storm. Please make me feel welcome.
I come to the steps of the church. I have a child on each side, and a stroller. You all say hello, then watch as I try to lift the stroller up the stairs. Please help me.
I am in a new place. I don’t know where to go and don’t see any signs for where to bring my children. Please direct me.
After dropping off my children, I meekly walk back toward the main entrance. I don’t see any signs directing me where to go. Good! There are some moms behind me! I will wait for them, smile and ask if I can go with them. I try to make eye contact. They continue with their laughter and conversation and walk around me. Please just say hello.
I finally find the sanctuary, yet I don’t feel safe. I see all these sisters in Christ. But they all seem to know each other, and are not interested—or at least don’t seem to be interested—in making a new friend. Please help me find a place.
I bow my head and pray. I ask the Lord for the strength to get through the morning, and that I will now respond to others the way I wish someone had responded to me. Please, Lord, let me feel your presence when I feel so alone. Let me find my place at Your feet.
I see a friend, the one person who has reached out. She smiles and makes room. Thank you for being like Christ and showing love.”
My sweet friend is in a time of transition, as are many people at the start of this new school year. We will all more than likely encounter someone new in our churches and our neighborhoods this very week. Let’s ask God to give us eyes to see the outsider, the new person, the lonely. Let’s push through the awkward and interact with them. Something as simple as a helping hand or a warm welcome can show them the love of Christ and invite them into a community of believers. We may even have the opportunity to introduce them to Christ Himself.

Christine is a popular blogger and ministry partner to her husband, Kyle. Together they planted Charlottesville Community Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. The church seeks to reach out to University of Virginia students, young professionals, and growing families. She is also the author of "The Church Planting Wife" (Moody, February 2013)
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Which Is the Best Church Marketing Tool to Reach Your Neighborhood?

Which Is the Best Church Marketing Tool to Reach Your Neighborhood?

By Hal Seed Some of my campus pastors had a debate last spring: Is sending a postcard for your Fall Outreach series worth the money, or is it better to do doorhangers, or advertise by social media?
What do you think, Pastor?

The Law of Invitation

My answer to them was and is do all three. The Law of Invitation says that, on average, people need to receive six invitations before attending your church, party or event. Using all three forms of mass marketing can accelerate their response by providing three invitations in a short period of time.

Add a Personal Invitation

Better still, add a fourth means of invitation. A personal invitation from a friend is by far the most powerful form of inviting. You can help your members with their invitations by printing business card sized invitations they can carry in their wallets. These cards are so inexpensive (about $20 per thousand) that you might consider printing up a new invitation for every series.

Start With a Postcard

As you create your plan to build top-of-the-mind awareness of your church in your city, start with a postcard. Direct mail postcards remain the most cost-effective means of mass marketing today. Compared to some other means, mailers can be expensive, but done correctly, every mailer pays for itself.
The key is the content, purpose and design of your mailer. I’ll explain how to craft a winning postcard—and why you want to send a postcard, not a letter—in next week’s post.
Like the time management illustration of filling your jar with rocks first, then pebbles, then sand, when it comes to an outreach campaign strategy, your postcards are your big rocks. They cost more than doorhangers or social media ads, so start your outreach budget with them, then fit the less costly tools around them.
It’s cheaper to mail to an entire carrier route than to buy a targeted mailing list to mail to select homes. So as you formulate your community-invite strategy, order a demographic study to determine which mail-routes contain the highest concentration of the type of people your church is likely to reach. You can purchase an in-depth study from Percept, or if you’re ordering your postcards through Outreach, Inc., they will give you a study as part of your order.

Mail Postcards Regularly

Once you’ve determined the carrier routes you want to reach, mail to those neighborhoods at least three times, but preferably five times a year.
Here’s a tip: Don’t waste your money on a single postcard. The virtue of postcards is the name recognition and credibility they will bring you over time. A single postcard won’t bring you either. A series of postcards over time will bring you both.
Here’s how it works: When I get a postcard in the mail from an investment broker, unless I’m actually looking for an investment broker, I glance at the card, think to myself, “I’ve never heard of this guy,” and throw it in the trash. When I get a second card from him a few months later, I glance at it and think, “Oh yeah, I got a card from him a while ago,” and toss it in the trash too. When I get the third card I think, “Ah, I’ve seen these before. This guy must be working my neighborhood, and it must be working for him or he wouldn’t continue to send these things. If I’m ever in need of an investment broker, I might give him a call.”
Church postcards work similarly. The first time you send a card, everyone will throw it in the trash. Everyone, except the family that is looking for a church. If your postcard is done well, there’s a good chance that family will visit you within the next two to three weeks.

The Value of Postcards Builds Over Time

Churches that spend $2,000 on a mailer and only see one family show up usually decide not to “waste” any more money on future mailers. There are two reasons that would be a big mistake.
The first is, if your mailer brings one family that becomes contributing members of your church, that one family will pay for your whole mailer in less than a year.
The second reason a single mailer is a mistake is because it has introduced you to your neighbors, and if you’ll follow-up with a few more cards, many of them will consider coming to your church. Yes, they’re likely to throw away the second card too. But with that second card they’ll say, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of this church before.” And with the third card they’ll say, “Oh yeah, I’ve seen a few of these, there might just be something worthwhile going on at that church.”
This is why I encourage brand new church plants to mail three postcards in the three weeks leading up to their launch. Pretty much everyone will toss the first card, and the second card.
But when the third card hits their mailbox five days before your church’s Grand Opening, some recipients will say, “I’ve heard of these guys. Their Opening seems to be a big deal, maybe we should check it out.”
Church planters, I encourage you to send a fourth card a month or so later, inviting them to a brand new series, with some fun children’s activities and food trucks during the series.

Fill in With Doorhangers

Printing a few thousand doorhangers is inexpensive. The cost involved in doorhangers is a time cost. Someone in your church has to put a fair amount of time into identifying walk routes for your volunteers, and then even more time recruiting volunteers, orienting and praying with them, sending them out and celebrating with them afterward.
The return for a doorhanger can be greater than the return for a postcard because postcards come in a stack of mail, whereas doorhangers hang alone on the doorknob or gate handle of each home. It’s possible to chuck a postcard without really seeing it. On average, recipients spend 1.5 seconds glancing at each piece of  “junk mail.”
With a doorhanger, it’s the only piece of paper the recipient picks up, and while they’re carrying it to the trashcan, they’re likely to skim it and think about your church.

Pour Social Media Throughout

Facebook has become so sophisticated that you can purchase an ad that targets only a specific area, and can even be focused only on a specific type of person of your choosing. Facebook ads are very inexpensive, and are therefore worth adding into your invitational strategy mix. They have the potential to be seen by a lot of eyes, and a lot of eyes means that at least a few may respond.
But I have found that there is little or no long-term memory that comes with these ads, so they should be supplemental to the rest of your approach rather than the primary means for building awareness of your church.

Top-of-the-Mind Awareness

The Holy Spirit is at work in your target community. His eyes are ranging the earth to find those who are fully committed to Him, and to find those who are seeking Him at any given time. If you will keep the name of your church in the minds of your community, the Spirit can use that to nudge lost and wayward people to your doors and to Himself.
Use any and every means to draw people to your church and to the Savior! For maximum effect, use these four means (invite cards, postcards, doorhangers and social media) on a regular basis.
And if you can find other means, use them too!

Hal is the Founding Pastor of New Song Community Church in Oceanside, CA. New Song has helped launch a church planting movement that has planted 163,000 churches in the past fifteen years. His latest book, The Bible Questions: Shedding Light on the World’s Most Important Book, is designed to launch a Bible Reading Revolution in our churches and cities.
Learn more » Browse all articles by Hal Seed

Free eBook: “Things Not Seen”

Free eBook: “Things Not Seen” by Jon Bloom

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God is doing far more than we can see in our agonies.

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Download and share this free eBook with your congregation.
From Desiring God, “We plead for God’s deliverance from our pain and wonder why he keeps letting it go on. We are not alone. A cloud of witnesses surrounds us. And they help us understand. In these 35 creative retellings of Bible stories, Jon Bloom explores the hope and joy that Abraham, Moses, Naomi, John the Baptist, and others experienced in the painful process of discovering that God’s promises really are more trustworthy than our perceptions.”

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Manny Pacquiao | What Is a Real Christian?

One Body, One Head, Many Parts: Why We Need Each Other

By Kathleen Ward

Unlike the power-hungry ways of the world, “leadership” in the church is always framed in terms of servanthood or building others up.

To be functioning at its peak, a body needs every part to be working effectively. Our role as the body of Christ is to equip and build one another up “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). To this end, those of us who are stronger, more mature or given gifts, ought to use what we have to empower and equip others in their journey.
This doesn’t make us more important—quite the opposite, it requires an attitude of servanthood. Instead of the “hierarchy” of the world, where people jostle for power, prestige and privilege, we have a “low-rarchy” in the church—in God’s kingdom, the way up is down, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
We follow a king who rode a donkey, who washed his followers’ feet, whose coronation was a crucifixion, who laid aside his right to equality with God and took on the form of a servant. Unlike the power-hungry ways of the world, “leadership” in the church is always framed in terms of servanthood or building others up. We are never to “lord it over” or “exercise authority over” one another as the “rulers of the Gentiles” do (Matt 20:25)—the way of love ushers in an entirely new paradigm of inverted hierarchy, where those of us with high status need to step down the ladder to lift up those on the bottom rungs. We go down, not to debase ourselves, but to lift others up. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:27-28).”
Here is what that looks like in the church:
The mature mentor the immature.
The elders instruct the younger.
The rich share with the poor.
Those who have gifts equip others for acts of service.
The powerful defend the powerless.
The strong bear with the failings of the weak.
And nobody ever positions themselves in Christ’s rightful place, as head of the church.
Our current structures for church are holding us back from empowering and building one another up by positioning us either as performers or audience members, as broadcasters or passive listeners. Pulpits and pews separate us into two camps, and prevent the mutual ministry and one-anothering described over and over again in Scripture. We need to rethink our meeting spaces, our seating arrangements, our use of music and our information delivery methods to find creative ways that release all of God’s people to be active participants in their journey toward unity and spiritual maturity. We need to be willing to step off the stage and into the circle, to talk less and listen more, to use our status to lift others high, and to get out of the way and let God work in his people.
This is an excerpt from the chapter I contributed to Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity. Order a copy now to learn about simple church practices from some great writers.  

Kathleen Ward’s driving passion is welcoming outsiders into community. This involves drinking copious cups of tea and spending time with neighbours and new friends from other cultures and backgrounds. Her secondary interest is encouraging the church to move from performance to empowerment; from audience to community; from passive listening to active learning. She co-writes this blog with her best friend and husband, Kevin-Neil Ward More from Kathleen Ward or visit Kathleen at http://www.churchinacircle.com

7 Ways Senior Pastors Can Keep Teenagers Listening to Their Sermons

By Brandon Hilgemann

Engaging the short attention span of teenagers (and even adults) is not easy.

A few months ago a 13-year-old girl approached me after I preached and excitedly proclaimed, “Good sermon. I actually paid attention to your whole message! I didn’t get bored once!”
My first thought was, “Thank you Jesus! I have witnessed a miracle! A 13-year-old girl’s fleeting attention was held by a sermon over 30 minutes.”
But then I thought, “Hey, wait a minute. … What is she saying about all my other sermons?”
Engaging the short attention span of teenagers (and even adults) is not easy. But if you are a senior pastor, and there are teenagers in the room, you better engage them or you will lose them.
I’m not saying that I have mastered this, but here are some tips that I have found helpful.

How Senior Pastors Can Keep Teenagers Listening to Their Sermons

1. Be Authentic

The most important thing you can do in your sermon is be the same person on stage that you are off the stage. Teenagers have a gift for spotting a fake. They will know if you are really practicing what you preach.
The best way to do this is to be vulnerable about shortcomings in your life. Don’t pretend like you have it all together. Tell us where you struggle. Tell us that you aren’t perfect. Let us know how you are wrestling in your own life with your sermon’s topic.

2. Be a Story Teller

Stories grab our attention and imagination. When told well, stories have a powerful way of capturing both the mind and the heart. The better you become at telling stories, and the more stories you tell, the more likely teenagers will be to listen to you.
This goes along with being authentic. Whenever possible, use stories from your own life. Give us a window into how Jesus is impacting your world. Let your personality show, and allow the audience to get to know you through sharing surprising, emotional, humorous or even embarrassing moments from your life that apply to the message.

3. Update Your Illustrations

World War II illustrations are great. Many illustration books and online resources are full of them, because they were incredibly powerful, back when the people in the audience had lived through the war. But if all your stories today come from a time period before the people in your audience were born, it’s time to get some new illustrations.
An example from a current event or popular culture can go a long way with a teenager in showing them that the Bible is still culturally relevant. Use illustrations that connect with their world. And please note that pop culture references from your teenage years will not translate.

4. Step Away From the Podium

I may get some pushback on this one, but nothing looks more boring to a teenager than a talking head behind a large podium reading lots of notes. If you want to engage teenagers, step away from the podium. Be more animated. Move around a little. Make eye contact. Don’t just use your hands. Gesture with your entire body.
Our brain was created to pay attention to movement. That is why when you play hide and seek, you find a spot and don’t move. Conversely, if you are stranded in the wilderness and spot a rescue helicopter, you would jump and flail your arms. Motionless things get ignored while moving things capture attention. This is true for preachers too.

5. Talk to Them

If you want to engage teenagers, talk to them. If you know that teenagers are in your audience, apply points of your sermon to their life too. Don’t just use examples of how this works in marriage or business. Look at a section of young people and apply the message to their friendships, school or relationship with their parents.
If you make a point to speak to teenagers, they will make a point to listen. Show them your sermon is not just for adults.

6. Use Words They Understand

Avoid big words. If the average teenager needs a dictionary for your sermon, you need to change your vocabulary. Academic and theological terms are helpful if you define them. However, if you don’t explain big words, you immediately alienate anyone in your audience who isn’t as educated as you.

7. Vary Your Tone and Pace

There … is … nothing … more … boring … than … a … monotone … preacher. Please, don’t be that pastor!
Speak at a solid pace, then slow down or speed up for emphasis. Don’t be afraid to raise your voice for excitement, make sound effects when telling a story, or whisper in a tender moment. Moving your voice, like moving your body, captures attention.
So here is your homework. Look at your next message and ask:
• Am I being authentic?
• Am I telling stories?
• Are my illustrations dated?
• Am I hiding behind the podium or my notes?
• Is there a moment I can speak directly to teenagers?
• Am I using any words they might not understand?
• Am I varying my vocal tone and pace? 

Brandon has been on a ten-year journey to become the best preacher he can possibly be. During this time, he has worked in churches of all sizes, from a church plant to some of the largest and fastest growing churches in the United States. Brandon writes his thoughts and ideas from his journey at ProPreacher.com. More from Brandon Hilgemann or visit Brandon at http://www.propreacher.com/

How to Evaluate Your Church’s Health—Do You Really Want to Know the Truth?

Don’t hide from the truth or defer the pain of a real church evaluation.

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How to Evaluate Your Church’s Health—Do You Really Want to Know the Truth?

By Tim Spivey

I’ve consulted with dozens of churches formally, and perhaps hundreds informally. However, many churches never evaluate their ministry with any rigor. The reason, these churches say, is they don’t see the need for the effort, expense and potentially difficult season (emotionally) inaugurated by bringing in someone from the outside or going through an evaluation process. In my experience, those who refuse to evaluate themselves are either trying to avoid seeing empirically what they already know to be true through experience (painful), or are deferring pain in hopes it can be avoided by grasping for quick-fix solutions in the present (“We got this”).

Such mindsets betray feelings of, “We could fix this if we really wanted to or really thought there was a problem.” The words of the late Dr. Charles Siburt come to mind here … “Then why haven’t you?”
True, evaluations can be painful … usually if they are only engaged when crisis or decline is already upon a church rather than consistent church evaluation as a part of wellness care. We shouldn’t have physicals AFTER we’ve suffered a heart attack. We avoid heart attacks by having regular physicals and putting the doctor’s advice into practice. Most consistently healthy and growing churches I know have some ongoing method of evaluation. Others only engage church consultants or evaluative measures at the point of crisis or hospice.
New Vintage Church completed our first evaluation at the four-year mark. We hope to make it a non-invasive, annual process … like getting a church physical. The aim of this blog series is to walk you through how we did this … and how I have engaged this process as a consultant on behalf of other churches around the country.
I’ve found there are three kinds of churches that can benefit from evaluation:
1. The Generally Healthy. These are churches that engage in evaluation as wellness care.
2. The Crisis Church. These churches are in an immediate crisis—the loss of apastor to moral failure, a church split, etc.
3. The Hospice Church. The church has declined to under 50 in attendance with downward momentum. They lack financial, staff and spiritual resources for revival. They are often dysfunctional and relationally bitter toward one another. The proverbial fat lady can be heard hitting the High C in the distance.
Wherever your church is, you can benefit from evaluation or intervention. I hope you’ll make it a regular part of your diet—whether it is to engage an outside consultant (good for all three categories—but especially 2 and 3), or to engage in a season of congregational discernment using quality tools. Let’s begin here with some foundational questions:
Ask and answer this question honestly: Do I really want to know the truth? This is a different question than, “Can I handle the truth?” This question lets you know what you are seeking to avoid emotionally … and will let you know that you already know part of the truth—and it may not be pretty. This is all the more reason to proceed. I would suggest that if you find yourself avoiding truth or lacking the fervor to seek it, you need an external consultant more than those who genuinely want to know where they stand. Here’s another question to answer …
How much do we trust the congregation with this information? Not only did we engage the church in the process, we shared the information with them in our weekly assembly—both areas of excellence and “need to improve.” We did it because we trust the Body at New Vintage. If our church was a war zone or a place characterized by gossip, slander, negativity and the like—we would have been more reluctant and would have been reticent to share the outcomes. This highlights, once again, why evaluation as wellness care is preferable to engagement during the crisis or hospice phases. You will not get the same traction out of evaluation if you can’t involve the church in the process.
What instrument/consultant can we use to get the best possible results? Don’t even think about Town Hall meetings. Just. Don’t. DO NOT HOLD A MEN’S MEETING. Don’t exclude those who are fully engaged but haven’t been at the church for very long. You aren’t evaluating your past—you’re evaluating your present and looking to the future. Think about how you could get thoughtful feedback from a cross-section of those who are most healthy, engaged and interested in the church’s future.
You might be asking what, then, is a better way? I’ll pick up there in the next post.

Dr. Tim Spivey is Lead Planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, California, a fast-growing plant launched in 2011. Tim is also the purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting edge insights on leadership and theology and the author of numerous articles and one book: Jesus, the Powerful Servant.
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Free Sermon Series Package: “28,000 Days”

How will you spend the 28,000 days that God has entrusted to your care?

Free Sermon Series Package

From Open Resources, “Time. Time is one of the most precious gifts that God gives. You can make more money and you can make more friends, but you can’t make more time. Time is finite and how we spend it matters. Some of our biggest regrets grow out of missed opportunities and seasons of life that were wasted. The average person lives about 28,000 days. 28,000 days to steward well. 28,000 days to live out the life God has created them to live. How will you spend the days that God has entrusted to your care?”
This sermon series package includes:

• Promo graphic in PSD format
• Presentation slides in JPG format
• Series outline
• Sermon audio in MP3 format

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Parable of the Two Builders—Wise & Foolish

8 Reasons Why People Aren’t Coming Back

By Greg Atkinson

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Greg Atkinson: Do these eight things well and you’ll see a greater return.

As a secret shopper or mystery worshiper of churches around the country, I’ve found there are some reasons that I will tell a church I would not return for a second visit, and some may be news to you. Whether I’m working with a church plant of 60 people or a megachurch of over 15,000, some things are universal and should be present regardless of church size.
Throughout this post, we’ll look at actions and areas every church needs to address.

1. The Front Door

Before a guest ever steps foot on your church’s physical campus, he or she has probably already checked out your church website.
What every church should have clearly visible on their homepage is a section or button for first-time guests. Once clicked on, this should take you to a page that addresses FAQs, service times, directions, parking instructions (is there a side of the building that is better to park on if one has kids?), what to expect (upbeat music and relevant, practical, biblical preaching in a come as you are atmosphere, etc.), what to wear (are jeans OK? are shorts OK?), and encouragement for them to be sure to stop by Guest Central or your church’s Information Booth to pick up a first-time guest packet.

2. What Stinks?

It’s important that no church ever underestimates the sense of smell. While sight is the strongest sense for short-term memory, the sense of smell is the strongest and most vivid for long-term memories.
If you’ve ever smelled something and had memories you hadn’t thought of in years come flooding back, that’s your sense of smell in action.
Every church has the potential for positive or negative smells. Mold is a bad smell. Coffee is a good smell. Bleach is a bad smell. Citrus is a good smell. Many churches have restrooms that are disgusting and smell bad. This lack of attention to detail can be costly and discourage many from ever returning.
As best you can, try to walk into the lobby or entrance of your church with a new

3. Park Here

One of Tim Stevens’ three “growth lids” that he thinks every growing church should have is someone who is constantly watching is parking.
Tim says, “This is why Visitor Parking is so crucial. If it’s difficult for newcomers to go to your church, they won’t go.” Some would argue that guests want to remain anonymous and don’t want special parking.
Of course, some want to go unnoticed and will choose to park in regular parking (a minority), but for the rest of newcomers, they are appreciative for a close parking space; it’s a kind gesture in an already intimidating and nerve-racking experience of attending a church for the first time, especially a large one with a huge campus.

4. This Way, Parents

One way to assure guests will not return is to have a confusing, long or hard to find process for getting their kids registered and in the right classroom. Wise churches have signs for first-time guest kids’ check-in and make the process quick and painless.
Regular attendees may know to go up to the check-in kiosk and enter their phone number or swipe their card, but guests will be clueless and need a manned station that is clearly marked for guests with a volunteer to walk them through the registration. Then have that person or another helper walk you to your kid’s class, explaining what will be going on and how to go about picking their kids back up. If they must have a sticker with corresponding numbers on it to get their kids, this needs to be explained to them.
Signage for the kids check-in should start in the entryway of the guest parking. Do not assume people know where to go once they enter the building.

5. Give It Away

Something subtle but powerful is a church that has a generous spirit. Chris Hodges at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Ala., is big on this. They have a coffee shop, but they also have a designated area where people can get free coffee and not pay anything. They also give away their message CDs.
Too many churches charge for everything and wonder why no one buys CDs of the message. If you want to bless people and create a generous spirit throughout your church, give away free coffee and message CDs (and other surprises throughout the year).
Chris Hodges will have ice cream trucks pull up outside the church doors and give away free ice cream to congregants leaving on a hot, summer day.

6. Security Counts

One issue that is huge to a secret shopper and visiting families is security. If a parent is worried about their child’s safety, they will not enjoy the service and will likely not return.
A children’s classroom must be clean, safe and secure. Security also includes the check-out process. If anyone can walk into a classroom and pick up a kid, you’re asking for trouble and will turn off potential newcomers. It’s important that your kids’ volunteers are trained well and know to ask for the parent’s sticker when picking up their kids.
This is vital and goes a long way to ensuring a tragedy doesn’t occur and a parent has peace of mind.

7. The Visible Pastor

Accessibility of the senior pastor is another subtle and powerful statement of a church. Even pastors of the largest churches in America make an intentional and strategic effort to be seen, greeted and hugged after a service. They may have a bodyguard present for security reasons, but they are available and willing to pray with people that need to speak to their pastor.
Some churches have a designated “Guest Central,” like Steve Stroope at Lake Pointe in Rockwall, Texas, or Brady Boyd at New Life in Colorado Springs. Some have a “Meet and Greet” like Charles Hill in Utah. Some pastors stand down at the altar and meet and pray with people like Kevin Myers at 12Stone in Atlanta. Some walk around the campus shaking hands like Don Wilson at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix.
Erwin McManus at Mosaic LA has an “After Party,” at which the pastor is present and available to meet with newcomers. This, especially in a large church, goes a long way toward countering the rock star or unavailable pastor stigma that so many guests walk into the church expecting.

8. Finish Strong

It’s simply not enough for greeters and parking lot attendants to say “Hello” or “Welcome” when one walks into their church. To go to another level, have your first impressions team stationed at their posts when the service ends to say “Goodbye” or “Have a nice week.”
This goes a long way to wrapping a bow around the entire morning experience and will send them off with a lasting positive impression.
Do these eight things and you’ll see a greater return and higher percentage of second- and third-time guests.

Greg is a pastor, author, speaker and consultant. Greg has started businesses including the worship resource website WorshipHouse Media, a social media marketing company, and his own consulting firm. As a consultant, Greg has worked with some of the largest and fastest-growing churches across the United States. Greg is the author of Church Leadership Essentials and Strange Leadership. More from Greg Atkinson or visit Greg at http://www.gregatkinson.com/