Tag: Leadership

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How To Grow Your Church In 2018

Creative Pastors Blog - January 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy New Year! Right now, each of us is thinking and praying about what we can do to make the biggest impact in our ministries. In a word, it comes down to VISION. We need to say it, spray it, wheel it, deal it, and make people feel it! Constantly casting and recasting the vision of the church is the best way to get-and keep-people involved and excited about the purpose of the church! (For one of my favorite vision series, check out The Table!)

As we ring in 2018, we see so much potential. We want to help you reach that potential. So below, you’ll find 7 Vision Tips to help you reach and get newcomers involved in your church, not only for the new year but for years to come!

Blessings,
Ed Young

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How to Grow Your Church in 2018:

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]1. Kick off the year with a bang! Starting the new year with a strong, new series will bring a lot of excitement to the church. We have so many series ideas to help you bring the new year to the people! Download them HERE.

2. Reach out. If you want the community in the church, take your church to the community! Go to local events and promote with teams of volunteers, signs, invites, and flyers.

3. Realize the power of a poster. Print posters to promote the weekend or an upcoming series! Spread the word and put up posters at schools, coffee shops, community boards, etc. EVERYWHERE is a promotion opportunity!

4. Sign UP to bring them IN! Promote with BIG signs on or around your building to bring in the BIG crowds. Great signage is attention-grabbing, so the bigger, the better!

5. Make it personal. Plan a message on evangelism and make a point to challenge your church to invite, invite, invite. Hand out packs of flyers and invites after service to everyone and really initiate the invite!

6. Take advantage of social media reach. Create a Facebook event, spread it through your staff and volunteers, and watch the checkmarks pour in! Facebook events are a great way to get the community involved in the inviting process. What easier way to invite all of your friends and family to church than over social media?!

7. Please, un-silence your cellphones. Challenge everyone to take out their phone during service (yes, DURING service) and text at least one person, inviting them to your new series![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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7 Tips To Make Your Christmas Service Run Smoothly

Creative Pastors Blog - December 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is the time of the year where so many people are willing to give God and the Church one more try, and our goal is to make sure they come back! One of the most important aspects to any meaningful experience is making sure we don’t miss a beat. Thats why the FC Creative team and I have come up with 7 tips and tricks to help make your Christmas service run smoothly and seamlessly. Remember, it’s all about those small tweaks, because small tweaks take you to giant peaks!

Blessings,
Ed Young 
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7 Tips to Make Your Christmas Service Run Smoothly:

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1518129957499{border-radius: 2px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]1. Get the Party Started Right
Make your pre-service memorable with fun Christmas trivia! We have created this FREE Christmas Trivia Slideshow you can play on the big screen as guests are coming in.

2. Say it, Spray it, Wheel it, Deal it, Make Them Feel it
This season is a time that requires a lot more time and energy from our volunteers. Make sure you are casting EXTRA vision to keep the energy high and excitement up for this busy season.

3. Practice Makes Perfect
Rehearsing is crucial. Having a few run-throughs of not only the worship music, but the Scriptures, welcome, and announcements will make the entire thing seamless. Have everyone who will be on stage or helping stage at each rehearsal so everyone is prepared.

4. Don’t Play Musical Chairs
Make sure your service doesn’t include multiple times where the audience moves from sitting to standing and back to sitting. This can be uncomfortable for people and have a “musical chairs” feel. Think through this BEFORE your first Christmas experience. Make sure it is communicated clearly when you want the audience to sit and stand throughout the service.

5. Transitions Are Crucial
Great transitions make a great service! Flawless transitions between worship, carols, special elements, the messages, and announcements will make the service feel tight and add to that WOW! factor newcomers are looking for.

6. Set the Stage Crew up for Success
Have stage crew on hand and rehearsed to take band equipment on and off stage in between transitions. This will help speed up the transition and look much better from the audience’s perspective.

7. Have a Creative Critique Meeting
Invite your top creativity consultants to rewatch the first message immediately after the service ends. Go over the entire service with a fine-tooth comb and have a critique session to improve any loose ends![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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The Importance of Excellence

From the very beginning of my life in ministry, God has impressed upon me the need for excellence. Why? Simply put, excellence attracts. We see it all around us. Those entities who exude excellence are the ones that people are drawn to. And excellence within the one-hour window of weekend worship not only motivates people to keep coming back, it motivates them to come back with more people!

1. Keep the main thing the main thing.
The weekend. The weekend. The weekend. So goes the weekend, so goes your church. Like you, your church can only do so many things and still maintain a level of excellence, so stay true to your vision. Your weekend experiences are the gateway to reach your community. I’m not saying don’t have other ministries, those are important. But, not if they are distracting from the main thing. The weekend.

2. Inspect what you expect.
Excellence is achieved when we check our egos at the door. Each weekend at FC, I gather the team after our Saturday service to watch the experience and critique it. We evaluate the flow, the length, and especially the message. Cut what doesn’t work and be open to suggestions. A culture of constant critique is not always easy, but it ensures that you and your leaders are being stretched to greater heights for greater impact.

3. It’s a no-go if it doesn’t flow.
We all want to avoid those “music screeching to a halt” moments. The same is true for achieving excellence in every worship experience. Get with your team and inspect your last experience:

  • Does the worship and production set up the message?
  • Does your emcee understand how to come out of a worship moment and turn the corner to greet people?
  • Are announcements too long? People check out quick so it’s important to keep those tight.
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Three Steps To A Great First Impression

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1510757776303{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”]Did you know that your first time guest experience begins BEFORE anyone even walks through your church doors? In this 4 minute interview, I break down our first time guest protocol with the one and only Tianne Moon, who leads out in our hospitality area. Don’t wait for your first big fall kick-off weekend to get this going. Work now to inspect and elevate your first time guest experience![/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1514910419532{margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_col-lg-12 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1510757851195{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}”]

Three Steps To A Great First Impression:

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1. The Person is More Important Than the Process. 

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It’s vital to have a solid plan in place for guests – from the moment they drive on campus to the follow-up call they receive that week from your team. But, take time this week to inspect your guest flow and make sure it’s personal – the volunteers teams, how you collect information, who is calling them and is it timely? Download our FREE Weekly Reach Report.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1514910425516{margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_col-lg-12 vc_col-md-12 vc_col-xs-12″][vc_column_text]

2. Put Your Best Foot Forward.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Spring cleaning should also take place in the fall. Clean your facility from top to bottom and update your signage for a fresh look. Take your hospitality to another level with special treats, schedule your sharpest volunteers, and make your experience unforgettable!

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3. Tell Them Why They Should Come Back. 

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Don’t be passive about this. It’s the best hour of their week and it’ll be here again in 6 days. Spice things up with giveaways or a porch party. If it’s membership class weekend, serve a fun meal. Depending on your schedule, you can also tease your next series.

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Three Steps to a Great Vacation

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“It’s so vital that we take time off. There is nothing as great as the ministry. Also, there is nothing as draining as the ministry. I call the ministry BRUTIFUL…”

 

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Three Steps to a Great Vacation:

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1. Pick a Date
“But I haven’t arranged for a guest speaker,” you say. Summer is a great opportunity for your upcoming leaders to gain experience at the pulpit. While it may be nerve-racking to entrust large amounts of responsibility to other leaders, it’s important to remember that our leadership is measured more in our absence, than in our presence.
2. Choose a Place
So…where should you go? Do you remember the last time your head was spinning with ideas? You found yourself daydreaming about the future and it seemed like you didn’t have a care in the world? Wherever you were then, go there! You don’t have to spend a week in Maui, but you can spend a week on the beach, if you’re creative. Traveling has become more affordable than ever. With companies like Uber, saving you from the hassle of renting a car, to Airbnb, making it possible to rent amazing rooms and entire homes at exceptionally low rates, there is no excuse not to TAKE A BREAK!
3. Take Your Mate
We hear you. Money is tight and it’s just going to cost too much this year. You’re right, but let me ask you this: what costs more, the vacation or arbitration during a divorce? Ministry takes a toll on you and your spouse which is why you need to get away. Nobody will ever tell you to do it but you gotta do it. Make the call, it will bless your life!

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_single_image image=”25004″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”5/6″][vc_column_text]“If you don’t take a break, your schedule will break you.”

– Ed Young[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]