QUESTION:
We have a new pastor coming to our church after an 18 month search. We want to prolong the “welcoming party” for him the best and most creative way that we can. I’m looking for some cool, innovative ideas to welcome him that would also bring people in from the community.
- Jason :: Angola, IN
ANSWER:
At first thought, I would not consider a welcome party for a new pastor as an event that would attract many people from your community who are not already members of your church. In most cases, I would expect that welcoming a new pastor to a church is not appealing, fun, or interesting to unchurched people.
But I do think it is possible.
[More]
FontShop is currently giving away yet another one of their great fonts for free. This one is a nice sans serif font called FF Good Wide Light by Lukasz Dziedzic.
Download it today!
CNN reports that antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Too many people take drugs when they really need to be making change in their lives.
- Dr. Ronald Dworkin :: Hudson Institute
The study also notes:
Adult use of antidepressants almost tripled between the periods 1988-1994 and 1999-2000.
Dr. Kelly Posner of Columbia University explains that 25% of adults and 8% of adolescents will have a major depressive episode sometime in their life.
Americans desperately need a life changing personal relationship with Christ.
UPDATE:
By my closing statement, I am suggesting, like Dr. Dworkin does, that many Americans do not need to be taking drugs to “fix” their problems but, instead, need to be making changes in their lives. I believe that pursuing a personal relationship with Christ is the most powerful catalyst for change available to people. I believe that joy is a natural result of pursuing a personal relationship with Christ, and I believe that the more one invests into their relationship with Christ, the more joy they will experience in their life.
Church Relevance’s April 2007 newsletter, Just Do It, has been added to the site.
I believe that the greatest threat to success for many leaders is not a lack of knowledge but a lack of doing.
Think about all of the books you have read, the classes you have taken, and the scriptures you have studied. Consider every life lesson you have learned up to date. Now ask yourself – how often do you actually do what you know is best?
Read More >>
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Mark Batterson of National Community Church (Washington, D.C.) just announced free MP3s downloads from this year’s Buzz Conference sessions. Eventually, video will be available as well. Sessions include:
Mark Batterson converting the Moscow Rules into leadership tactics for modern ministry.- Tim Stevens of Granger Community Church (Granger, IN) sharing insights into creating buzz by using the leverage of modern culture as the momentum to compel.
- Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) discusses innovation in leadership and ministry.
- Craig Groeschel discusses practical atheism.
(available to download October 2007)
- Mark Batterson discusses tactics for greater leadership.
Enjoy!
Further Reading:
View upcoming church conferences.
Harris Interactive conducted a recent survey of teenagers age 8 to 17 discovered that while on vacation:
- 84% of teens want real-life action
>> 77% of boys
>> 90% of girls
- 16% of teens want to play video games at their hotel
>> 23% of boys
>> 10% of girls
So what makes a dream vacation for a teen?
- 78% desire a unique, once-in-a-lifetime vacation event or activity that will provide them bragging rights
- 68% want to explore a new place
- 63% want to stay up late
- 60% want to tell their friends they swam with dolphins
- 49% want to see a celebrity
Why does this matter to the church?
Contrary to the beliefs of some, fun for teenagers is not wrapped up in video games. Surveys such as this suggest that the success of youth group road trips is far from extinct. In fact, it supports the idea that youth groups would rather experience some real-life action than having Halo tournaments.
And the fact that 63% of teens want to stay up late while on vacation suggests that church lock ins are still cool.
While video games are still a staple of cool for teens, don’t use the fact that your youth group has some Xbox 360s as an excuse for not planning special events and trips.
[via Ypulse]
Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Christian Fellowship (O’ahu, HI) says,
You can teach what you know, but ultimately, you are going to reproduce what you are.
Anne Jackson of Lake Pointe Church (Rockwall, TX) is writing a book called Mad Church Disease that will investigate the epidemic of ministry burnout in today’s contemporary church.
But she needs your help!
She needs 5,000 surveys anonymously taken by church staff, their spouses, and volunteers. I already took it, so make that 4,999. To take the survey, visit MadChurchDisease.com and select whether you are:
- A current/former church staff member
- A spouse/family of a church staff member
- A current/former church volunteer
All of your information is confidential and anonymous.
