#2 - Throw a BBQ

I know it probably seems like a lame idea, right? Well, not if you do it a little different. Try setting up at the local park, or local venue for fireworks, and throw a FREE BBQ. That’s right, free, as in no strings attached, no donations accepted, no tracks passed out, no attempts to promote the church - other then telling people who ask, no preaching, teaching, or anything. Just FREE.

Why do this you ask? What benefit does this have for the church? Well besides just being a great thing for your community, it does promote your church. people will inevitably ask why you are doing this and who you are. At that point you tell them the truth. “We are (Your Church Name). And we are just out here to do something nice for the community”. You will probably even have some people ask when you meet and such so you should have some small, and I stress small, invite cards handy to give those that ask.

It may not seem like muc for the amount of work and money involved, but hey serving the community should be blessing enough.

And on a side note please go to a public place to do this, not your church parking lot. If you do this from the parking lot you will miss a huge opportunity to reach people who will take the opportunity in a park, but would drive past a free BBQ in a church parking lot.

***Another easier variation on this would be to only hand out free (cold) sodas/waters to people.***

#3 - Do A Giveaway For Military/Vets

Our active duty military give up a lot to serve our country and often times aren’t acknowledged or rewarded very often. Go out and get some things to offer in a giveaway to active duty military personnel. Weather you have to buy it or ask for donations. It is a great way to say thanks to those who are currently protecting us.

Some things you could give away:

• Gift Certificates(Restaurants/Movies/Sbux/Retail Stores)
• Video Game Consoles/Games
• I-pods/MP3 Players
• Gift Baskets
• Anything and everything you can get donated in new condition.

How would you get some of these items? Well besides buying them as a church or asking attenders to donate them, you can go around to businesses and ask them if they want to sponsor the giveaway by donating items, advertising (for newspapers/TV & Radio Stations/Websites), money, promotional materials.

Once again try to run this event in a public place on the 4th as you are more likely to get more participation then running it at your church. And once again mention that church is running it but don’t make that the main point. The main point is that you are wanting to honor service members and you shouldn’t care who gets the glory.

If you have good relations within the community then you would be suprised at the amount of support you can get. Every business want to be associated with honoring the military esspescially on the fouth of July, it is just good advertising for them. and great community service by you.

With the 4th of July coming up I thought I would put out four ideas for churches looking to celebrate.

#1 Honor the Vets

Now when I say honor the vets, I don’t mean ask anyone who has served to stand up on Sunday morning. That is uncomfortable and not really doing anything to honor them. If you really want to honor the vets go to a local VA home or hospital. Visit with some of the vets, take some stuff to give away to them. Show them that you are thankful for thier service.

If you really are thankful for what they have done, go back more than just Memorial Day, the 4th, and Veterans Day.

These guys and gals have sacrificed for this country so we cn have the right to even have church. Lets be the church to them and honor them by serving them.

So I forgot to add this book to my recap of reading the other day. here are a few quick hits that I took form this book:

• Everything a church does creates an Impression, good and bad. What Impression are you making?
• If you don’t have a plan for guests they will notice and they will have a plan, to not come back.
• Marketing materials are a first impression. From the Web site on down to every printed piece in your building
• The building itself can leave an impression. Is it clean? Dirty? Cluttered? Full? Empty?
• Plan. Plan some more. Then Plan again. Make sure you are thinking of all the ways guests are going to come and plan for them.
• Put yourself in their shoes.

If you want to see why I was reading this book, check out this First Impressions Manual I put together for my church.
All in all if you are trying to do a better job with your guests this is a great read and will get your brain thinking.

G-“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me.” Acts 18:9

­R-What is it that God is saying to me?  I feel like to some extent it echo’s the word he spoke to Paul. Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! In my life I feel that God has been calling me to speak out at a lot of things. This blog is just one of the ways I feel he has called me to speak out. What is God saying to you?

O-Lord, help to me to hear what you are saying. Help me to listen and obey the words you are speaking to me. I want to follow where you are leading and hear what you have to say.

W-I need to be more attentive in listening to what the Lord is speaking to me, but I also need to be more obedient in following it.

Think about it!

G-“So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.” Acts 16:10

R- I find it incredibly interesting that up until this point Luke (the author of Acts) was writing everything as simply an observer to the events he had seen or had been told of. But this is the point for him where the rubber met the road. This is the first time we get an indication that he is not just observing the events but participating in them. How many times do we sit on the sideline watching what God is doing and say “Wow, God is doing so many amazing things. I wish I was a part of it.” Well what’s stopping us? Not God. He wants us to be out there participating and not just observing. So get in the game.

O-Lord give me the strength and courage to get in the game. Even though doing so may be dangerous. I want to serve you with all that I am. I want to stop observing all the amazing things you are doing and start participating in them.

W-I can find various ways to walk out my faith, by serving within my church, and my community. But I also need to be constantly looking for opportunities to reach out to people outside of church based ministries. I need to see people who need Jesus and get myself in the game.

Think about it!

G-“Then the Jewish leaders… incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and went on to the city of Iconium.”Acts 13:50,51

R- So Paul and Barnabas are out preaching the word and what happens? They get attacked by a mob and ran out of town. Would that discourage you? It would discourage me. I mean here I am doing God’s work when out of nowhere  people just start getting angry at me for it and literally run me out of town. I would probably get sad and feel sorry for myself and maybe even question my mission. Not these guys. They just shook the dust of their feet and went on to the next town knowing that the next town needed to hear God’s word too. When we face persecution and our mission gets shut down by others, we need to persevere and always be thinking, whats the “next town”.

O- Oh Lord, help me to have that eternal mindset and always be thinking about the next town that you have for me. Do not let me get discouraged or defeated by persecution and suffering , but instead help me to remember that this Good News I have to share needs to be preached.

W-I am going to make a better effort to preach in the “town” I am in now, and if it doesn’t work out, Oh well, on to the next “town”.

THink about it!