Planning

Post Covid Opening up Strategy

Planning, Strategy / By

One of my coaching clients asked me a question about where we go now, and I decided to share my answer with a few of you who I have coached in the past.

We are a transition point. The last year and a half disrupted how almost everyone did church. Everyone had to adjust and find ways to minister during Covid. The hybrid church is probably here to stay.

We are now at another transition point. People are ready to forget about Covid and get back to life and the future. This is observable in many ways: air travel is growing exponentially, national parks are breaking all-time records, people are taking a vacation and going to see family, sporting events are packed to capacity. All of this tells us the focus of people in on the present and future. They are wanting to get on with life, not focus on the past and problems.

What are the implications for church leaders? I think every church needs to act like they are planting their church all over September 1st. What would you do if you were planting your church for the first time this September? That is probably what you should be doing.

How are you going to get people connected to your church who don’t even know you exist? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

  1. I would urge you to consider a three-issue mail campaign to your community (3 mailings two weeks apart). If you can’t afford to mail to your entire community, consider: 1) mailing to everyone who has purchased a home in the last year and a half; 2) mailing to everyone who has children living at home (Buy the address list from a marketing company); 3) mailing to everyone within 2, 3, 5 miles of your building. In your mailing focus on why they should attend your church from their point of view. Not your mission statement “To know Christ and live for him daily”, BUT “You can find faith that will transform and authentic friends”.
  2. Print invitation cards (sometimes called touch cards) for your members to use in inviting their friends, neighbors, and co-workers to come with them to church. Design them for non-Christians.
  3. Start a weekly email to every email address you have. Keep it short and focused.

First, share one-way people are being transformed at your church (one week you might feature one of the following:

      • youth (maybe a story from camp or a teen who turned their life around),
      • children (maybe a story from your summer kid’s ministry or how the kid’s ministry helps parents)
      • Young Adults (how someone found authentic friendship or direction in life)
      • Women (How someone’s life is being transformed by a small group or activity)
      • Small groups (How being connected helped someone in a tough time)
      • Community outreach (How your church is changing lives in your community)
      • You get the idea. People are not interested in programs or numbers, but they are interested in lives being changed.

Second, why they will not want to miss Sunday (The is your message teaser) How will the message be meaningful to a non-believer.

  1. Plan a fall fun event that is easy for your church people to invite friends to attend:
      • Have a Car or motorcycle show
      • 3 on 3 basketball tournament
      • Kids’/Family fun time
      • Food trucks after church
      • Concert in the park with several bands
      • A community serve day

Remember to reach your community you will probably need to build some momentum. That is why I suggest your brainstorm with your team on what you would do if you were launching this fall.

I know many of you are way ahead of me on this, but I thought I would share. May God grant you a genuine harvest of souls this fall and help your church to truly reflect Christ in your community.

Mel

 

 

“To know Christ and make Christ known”

LDR Church Planting Workbook Released

Church Planting, Leadership, Planning, Teamwork / / By

This week the LDR Church Planting Workbook was released on Amazon.

The Kindle version should be up in a week or two.

This will be followed by the two LDR Church Development Workbooks in the coming months.

LDR is excited to partner with Gravitational Leadership Press on these books.

You can order the Church Planting Workbook at:

amazon.com/Church-Planting-Workbook-Melvyn-Ming/dp/1944858601/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=ming+Church+Planting&qid=1581617024&sr=8-4

What Others are saying about the workbook:

“There’s no doubt in my mind, The Church Development Workbook and Church Planting Workbook are the most comprehensive field guides ever written for ministry leaders. The principles are powerful, and have been a strategic part of my personal journey as a leader for years. You’ll discover how to have the right systems and people in place to move your organization to the next level in health and growth.”

Kent Ingle, DMin
President
Southeastern University

“Nobody does the mission alone. Not even Jesus. So why would you try to plant a church by yourself? Do what I did and go through the church planting workbook and learn from my mentors, Mel Ming & friends.”

Wes Davis
Visionary of “People Becoming the Church”
Lead Pastor
Newlife.TV

“Whether you’re planting a new church or multiplying campuses, finding the right resources in right order makes all the difference. This Church Planting tool has helped and continues to assist us as we build teams, fine tune systems and endeavor to ask the right questions in the right order for greater efficiency and ultimately greater Kingdom impact. I highly recommend it to anyone with a vision for planting a healthy church.

Jeffery Portmann, DMin
Lead Pastor
newhope Church

Collaboration

Leadership, Planning, Teamwork / / By

“Without a culture of collaboration, the best processes, systems, tools, and leadership strategies fall flat.” – Evan Rosen

Effective collaboration is not really a technic or approach. It is a culture and climate in which people feel empowered to act, share, learn and engage.

Nothing kills collaboration faster than command and control leaders and star based cultures. For collaboration to be effective it must cultivate a sharing partnership culture.

Paul says it this way in Romans 12:3-5,

“Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” NLT

A few cultural elements of collaboration adapted from Evan Rosen are:

  1. Trust: developing comfort with colleagues
  2. Sharing: letting ideas flow and grow
  3. Goals: reading from the same script
  4. Innovation: embracing new approaches
  5. Anticipation: making room for the unexpected
  6. Honesty: willingness for robust dialogue
  7. Community: sharing interests and goals
  8. Appreciation: recognizing the value and contribution of others
  9. Partnership: the priesthood of believers in practice

Reflection questions:

  1. How could your church or organization develop a culture of collaboration?
  2. What could you do to develop a culture of collaboration?

Planning for Easter

Media, Planning / / By

In our day, many churches use some form of the “simple Church” format.

In this format the music tends to be all congregational, the announcements kept to a minimum and then the preaching/teaching. We tend not to have special music such as solos, duets, choirs.

I would encourage you to consider for special days to consider bring some of that back. A great song can prepare people to hear the Word of God in fresh ways. This also allows people in our congregation with musical gifts to use them to glorify God.

Big days can be a great time to add:

  • An orchestra/band (Violins, Cellos, trumpets, sax, flute, etc.)
  • A Gospel Choir either for a special or to back up a solo
  • A solo, duet or trio

All of these encourage people with musical talents to share them.

It also gives these people a chance to invite non-Christian friends to come and hear them.

There are some great production numbers that can be used for Easter.

One example is “End of the Beginning” by David Phelps

Read the words to the song.

I was takin a trip on a plane the other day
just wishing that I could get out.
When the man next to me saw the book in my hand
and asked me what it was about.
So I settled back in my seat-
“A best seller,” I said.
“A history, a mystery in one.”
And then I opened up the book and began to read
from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

He was born of a virgin one holy night
in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered round him underneath the stars
singing praises to the great I Am.
He walked on the water, healed the lame and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though he never ever did a single thing wrong
the angry crowd chose him. And then he walked down the road
and died on the cross and that was the end of the beginning.

“Thats not a new book thats a bible, ” he said, “and I’ve heard it all before.
I’ve tried religion- its shame and guilt and I don’t need it anymore.
It’s superstition, made up tales and just to help the weak to survive.”

“Let me read it again, “I said, “listen closely, cuz this is gonna change your life.

He was born of a virgin one holy night
in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered round him underneath the stars
singing praises to the great I Am.
He walked on the water, healed the lame and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though he never ever did a single thing wrong
the angry crowd chose him. And then he walked down the road
and died on the cross and that was the end of the beginning.

“The end of the beginning, ” he said with a smile.

“What more could there be? He’s dead.
You said they hung him, put nails in His hands
and a crown of thorns on His head.”

I said, “I’ll read it again but this time there’s more,
and I believe that this is true.
His death wasn’t the end, the beginning of life
that’s completed in you.
Don’t you see he did all this for you!”


He was born of a virgin one holy night
in the little town of Bethlehem
All the angles singing praises to the great I AM
He walked on the water, healed the lame,
and made the blind to see
(and for the first time here on earth)
Did you know that God could be a friend.
Tho He never ever did a single thing wrong,
He was the one the crowd chose.
then he walked and he died but
three days later HE ROSE!

Three days later he rose!
You see he came, he lived, and he died.
But that was the end of the beginning.

Can you see how a great song like this could prepare people’s heart to hear the message of Easter?

As you prepare for Easter, at least consider adding some special music.

 

 

  

ESTABLISH POSTERIORITIES

Planning, Time / / By

To do what really matters, you must set Posterioritites – things you will not do or will quit doing.

“The first rule for the concentration of executive efforts is to slough off the past that has ceased to be productive.” –Peter Drucker

“One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.” — Sidney Howard

Remember, Jesus did not do everything. But He did everything the Father wanted Him to do! He did what mattered.

Identify:

  1. Tasks not to tackle.

Reflection question: What are some things I should not do? What are some things I think I would like to do that I probably should not even start?

  1. Tasks no longer worth doing.

Reflection question: What are some things I am now doing I should stop?

  1. Tasks that won’t be missed.

Reflection question: What are some tasks or programs we could stop and hardly anyone would notice?

  1. Tasks someone else can do.

Reflection question: What are some things others could do that I am now doing?

A young violinist was asked the secret of her success. She replied,  “Planned neglect.” She continued, “For many years I deliberately neglected everything that didn’t help me reach my goal.”

“All true leaders have learned to say no to the good in order to say yes to the best.”  ― John Maxwell 

Some very helpful Reflection Questions that  have helped me identify things I should not be doing are:

  1. What am I willing not to achieve?
  2. What am I not called to do?
  3. What is not important to me?
  4. What gets in the way?

You do not have time to do everything, but you do have time to do everything that matters.

Church Events

Planning, Strategy / , / By

I think it is import for Church leadership to answer these seven questions about every event that they establish:

  1. Why are we doing this event? (What is its purpose and mission)
  2. How will this event help people move forward (take their next step)? Events are never an end, but a step in a process.
  3. How will we make the Next Step clear at and through the event? (Will an attender know what they should do next and is it easy to do?)
  4. How will we measure the effectiveness of the event? (It is not how many attend, but how many take the next step).
  5. Who is responsible for getting ALL the information to the communication people?
  6. By when will ALL the information be given to the communication people?
  7. How will the event be promoted?

If you can’t answer these questions, you probably should not be doing the event.