Idea of the Week – THREE

Have a rota of church members to be on the door each Sunday as ‘Greeters’. Not simply people who give out the books, but those in your congregation who are friendly and confident in welcoming people they don’t know. Having someone who’s only job is to greet people, without being distracted by giving out books, putting up hymn numbers, or any of the other pre-service tasks could make a big difference to someone attending for the first time.

Idea of the Week – TWO

Get a group together to do a visual check of your church grounds. This need not be a long or complicated process, but a simply check to ensure the outside of your premises look well cared for and inviting. Just weeding regularly and checking your noticeboard is up-to-date can make a big different to how your church is perceived by the community.

Idea of the Week – ONE

During the notices each week include items about your church’s involvement in the wider community. This will help church members know more of your church’s impact and make it more likely they will talk to others about your church.

Book of the Month – September 2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

Radical Welcome – Stephanie Spellers

Paperback: 180 pages

Publisher: Church Publishing – New York (2006)

ISBN: 0-89869-520-1

Synopsis

Radical Welcome is a natural follow on to ‘Everybody Welcome’, covering more challenging topics and a deeper theology of welcome far beyond a friendly greeting and pleasant surroundings.  This book will challenge everyone, but our churches will be much the better for that challenge!

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If you would like to read this book in full it can be purchased online from Amazon.

Comment on resources within this book to follow.

If you have already read Radical Welcome and you would like to add your comments, then please add them using the comments box at the bottom of this page.

the unlikely evangelist

 

Book of the Month – August 2010

AUGUST 2010

Everybody Welcome – Bob Jackson

Paperback: 144 pages

Publisher: Church House Publishing (2009)

ISBN: 978-0-7151-4190-8

Synopsis

Everybody Welcome is a four session course book for the whole church to consider afresh what it is to be a truly welcoming church today. Full of simple, practical advise on how to attract and retain new members. Mush of the advice is obvious once it’s pointed out, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t thought of it already. A must read for every church!

The book is designed for the leaders of the workshop sessions and is accompanied by an optional participants workbook and a DVD containing presentations for each session.

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If you would like to read this book in full it can be purchased online from Amazon.

Comment on resources within this book to follow.

If your church has already used Everybody Welcome and you would like to add your comments about this resource, then please add them using the comments box at the bottom of this page.

the unlikely evangelist

 

Book of the Month – July 2010

JULY 2010

Spadework – Carl Beech

Paperback: 143 pages

Publisher: Scripture Union (2007)

ISBN: 978-1-84427-259-4

Synopsis

Now the world cup is over you church may be awash with men with nothing to do. Or maybe you have a men’s fellowship group which struggles to find speakers or interesting topics to explore. Does your church have a Bible Study group, but find that men are much more reluctant to attend then women? If any of this is true, then this may be a helpful book for you.

Spadework is a refreshingly ‘blokey’ book of Bible based discussion starters, 52 of them- enough for a whole year of interesting investigations into the Bible and how we share our faith with others, particularly how to connect with men. Like all workbooks it works best if you use if flexibly to suit your group rather than addressing every question or activity, but there is enough in this book to stimulate every men’s group in the church. Each session takes a male figure from the Bible as it’s theme – from ‘big name’s’ like Adam, Moses and Noah, to lesser known Hezekiah, Achan and Caleb. After a short and readable introduction to the Biblical character, each chapter concludes with a few simple questions for discussion and some suggested responses or actions you might try as a result of what has been shared.

This book might not be everyone’s cup of tea in its perspective, style or theology – but it’s refreshingly different and direct enough to be well worth exploring and allowing yourself to be challenged by and to challenge the material inside.

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If you would like to read this book in full it can be purchased online from Amazon.

Comment on resources within this book to follow.

If you have already used Spadework and you would like to add your comments, then please add them using the comments box at the bottom of this page.

the unlikely evangelist

 

Book of the Month – June 2010

JUNE 2010

Messy Church 2 – Lucy Moore

Paperback: 223 pages

Publisher: Barnabas (2009)

ISBN: 978-1-84101-602-3

Synopsis

Messy Church is a growing movement helping churches of all denominations to reconnect with families and children through creativity, fun and food. Messy Church 2 is a book packed with new ideas and 15 exciting session outlines to help people of all ages reconnect with God.

Get it NOW to help you plan for summer activities or a new session of children and family work in September!

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If you would like to read this book in full it can be purchased online from Amazon.

Comment on resources within this book to follow.

If you have already used Messy Church 2 and you would like to add your comments, then please add them using the comments box at the bottom of this page.

the unlikely evangelist

Idea of the Week – TWENTYTHREE

Design a simple welcome pack for your church. Include photo’s of people and activities, not buildings and give current information about what your shared values and mission are, rather than your churches history and doctrinal statements – People can encounter that later!

Idea of the Week – TWENTYTWO

When a couple contact your church asking how to ‘book’ a wedding or baptism,  always reply that the first step is to come to worship on Sunday and chat to the Minister or appropriate Elder at coffee time after the service. Rather than being put off most people will think this is a perfectly reasonable request and will be willing to come along if they are looking to hold their special occasion at your church. It’s then a great opportunity to expose them to your ordinary worship – just make sure its extraordinary!

Idea of the Week – TWENTYONE

Do you use your room hire bookings as opportunities to invite people to worship? Could you give invitations to the Carol Service to the weight watchers group, or Children’s Holiday Club flyers to the dance class. Maybe ask the craft group to the Harvest Supper and ask them to contribute the table decorations. There must be losts of ways at your church to invite people who are regularly in the building for other reasons to attend worship or a church fellowship.