5 Ways to Follow-up

Posted in Assimilation, Church Chat, Church Consulting, Church RevitalizationLeave a comment

The KEY to all guest follow-up at church is to obtain the contact information of the guest, but what do we do with the information the following week? Here are a few suggestions that I have practiced during the years.

5 Ways to Follow-up with Guest Contact Information

1. Send a personalized email (Monday). Send an email on Monday just after lunch. Make sure to personalize the email as much as possible by using the name of the guest throughout and by mentioning something you talked about if you met in person at the service. Jot down a quick note after talking to a guest at the weekend service, so you can remember it in the Monday email.

2. Send a handwritten note with a gift (Wednesday). Write a brief note and mail it on Wednesday, so the guest will receive it on Thursday or Friday. Include a $5.00 gift card from your local ice cream shop as a special treat. There is something special about receiving a handwritten note since very few people write them in today’s fast-paced world.

3. Invite them to attend again. Make sure that you personally invite them to attend again the following weekend or a weekend in the near future. Do that in both the email and the personalized note. Say something like “John, again, I’m so glad you attended this past weekend and I want to personally invite you attend again real soon.”

4. Make a personal visit. Depending on the culture, a personal visit can be a good practice. Make it a doorstep visit and drop off a nice church information packet. As always, be sure to invite them to attend again real soon.

5. Remember their name next time they attend. This is hard work, but it can be accomplished with good organization. Make a list of the guests who shared their contact information along with the weekend they attended. Carry this on your phone or in your Bible. Look over the list often and memorize as many of the names as possible. Utilize the list when needed without letting the guest know that you are doing so.

For more posts on similar topics, also see:

Six Keys to Obtaining Guest Information

Churches and Car Dealerships

4 Things That Should Happen In the First 7 Minutes

7 Minutes and Counting

5 Keys to Begin Making Disciples

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship1 Comment

Have you ever discipled someone one-on-one?  1-2-1 discipleship is arguably the most effective discipleship method.  If you are interested in this approach, here are 5 things to consider as you get started:

  1. Pray that God will lead you to the person He wants you to disciple.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of prayer in this whole process, so focus the process toward prayer from the very beginning.  God will match you with the person He wants you to disciple.
  2. Start by being a friend with that person (man to man, woman to woman).   By nature, this method works through relationships.  If God leads you to a person with whom you do not have an established relationship, take time to build a friendship before proceeding.  Don’t rush this step! For obvious reasons, this method works best man to man or woman to woman.
  3. Read a book together.  One great way to add structure to this approach is by reading a book together.  You can choose a book of the Bible or a good Christian book to read and discuss.
  4. Suggest classes at church.  When helpful discipleship classes are offered at church, encourage your friend to attend.  Better yet, attend a class or conference together and discuss the material during your 1-2-1 meetings.
  5. Model Christ to them in real life.  Involve your friend in your life and model Christ in your day-to-day living.

Prayer: “God, stir our hearts and help us to get real about your command to make disciples!  Lord, teach us that we cannot personally disciple everyone, but we can disciple someone.  Lead us to that person and give us the courage to get started for Your glory.”

For more posts on this topic, also see:

5 Reasons to Disciple One-On-One

The Skinny on Spiritual Growth

Grow Up

Make A List

5 Reasons to Disciple One-on-One

Posted in Church Consulting, Church Revitalization, Discipleship, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Many effective discipleship approaches exist, but one of the simplest, most rewarding methods is one-on-one discipleship. This method is also called life-on-life or mentoring. Since my college days, I have personally utilized this method as one of the ways to obey Matthew 28:19.

Disciple One-on-One

1. One-on-One discipleship develops lasting friendships. When two people work together towards spiritual maturity, the Holy Spirit connects their hearts in a way that is difficult to describe.

2. One-on-One discipleship is flexible in schedule. Since this method involves only two individuals, meeting places and times can be very flexible. Even when traveling, you can utilize your mobile phone and email with this approach.

3. One-on-One discipleship provides modeling. The good news with this method is that the person being discipled can see your life “up close and personal.” The bad news with this method is that the person being discipled can see your life “up close and personal.” As the disciple-maker, we cannot model perfection, but we can model a Godly, Christian life.

4. One-on-One discipleship has staying power. Because of the built-in relationship and accountability factors, this model is very effective over time.

5. Almost anyone can disciple one-on-one. Any Christian who is sincere about his walk with Christ can build into the life of another person.

You might also like these blog entries:

The Skinny on Spiritual Growth

Make A List

Grow Up

6 Tips for Beginning Runners

Posted in Funny, Life Happens, Running1 Comment

Shoes

I’ve been an on-again-off-again runner for the past 48 years.  I love running, but on occasion, I’ve allow life’s responsibilities to cause me to set aside my favorite sport for matters that seem more pressing at the moment.  Over the last 15 years, I have been “on-again” with my running and I feel better as a result.

On January 18, 2010, I made the decision to step on the bathroom scale.  I knew I had put on “a little weight” and in my mind I thought I might, for the first time in my life, even weigh close to 200lbs.  The scale rocketed past the 200-mark and finally settled on 218.  I’m 5′ 11″ tall with a small frame–let’s just say that I was much heavier than I imagined.  That moment was a WAKE-UP CALL for me.

The next day I began to run (mostly walk) again and I began to think differently about eating. Gradually, over the next few months, I lost a significant amount of weight.  I currently weigh around 165, but I still have to work at keeping my weight at a healthy mark.

You may be considering running.  You may want to drop a few pounds.  Allow me to share a few basics things that I would recommend as you begin.

6 Tips for Runners Who Are Just Beginning

1.  Start now.  If you feel any inspiration at all, then begin now.  Of course, if you have any health concerns, it would be wise to see your doctor and get his or her approval before beginning.

2.  Buy good shoes.  Find a local running specialty store and purchase a good pair of running shoes.  Go in the afternoon when your feet have “settled” for the day.  The clerk will measure and fit you properly which should provide you with a shoe that fits snugly around the heel and gives you a little extra room in front of the toes.  After you settle on the right shoe, you can buy additional pairs online at a discounted rate, but initially you should take advantage of the expert advice found at the running store.

3.  Walk a lot at first.  Start by mainly walking.  You will probably be able to walk a mile in 16-18 minutes.  Mix in a little running along the way.  Gradually walk less and run more.  Running coaches like Jeff Galloway say that you should continue to mix in some walking even after you become an accomplished runner.  Galloway advocates a “run-walk-method” for exercise and races.

4.  Keep a running journal.  You can use a simple spiral notebook, a 3-ring binder, a published running log (can be purchased at running stores or bookstores), or a web-based journal (runningahead.com, logarun.com, Runner’s World log).  There’s just something about writing it down!

5.  Keep an eating journal.  I personally found that the biggest key to losing weight was knowing how many calories I was eating.  I used livestrong/myplate.com to track what I ate and to keep a running total of my daily calories.  Other good sites include fitday.com, myfitnesspal.com, and myfooddiary.com.

6.  Subscribe to Runner’s World magazine.  Runner’s World magazine is an excellent source of information and inspiration for beginning runners.  For less than the cost of a nice meal, you can purchase a multi-year subscription.

Many people find that they are more consistent if they enlist a running partner.  I personally cherish the solitude of running alone most of the time.  Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions or questions.

Churches & Car Dealerships

Posted in Assimilation, Church Chat, Church Revitalization, Evangelism, Funny, Ministry, Preaching, Worship1 Comment

Car Salesman

Is there anything in life more frustrating than buying a car? Last week my wife and I attempted to replace one of our vehicles. It seems that every time I step on a car lot it tests my Christianity–that day was no exception. At one point during the “trial,” while the manager was making a dramatic last-ditch effort to make a sale, I wanted to ask “do I have the word stupid tattooed on my forehead or something?” I kept my cool, but I sent him back to his secret manager’s lair without a sale.

Don’t misunderstand, I realize dealerships are in the business to make money and salesmen are just trying to earn a living. I don’t fault them for that, but the truth is, buying a car is about as much fun as having your fingernails pulled out with a pair of needle-nosed plyers. Through the years, I have owned various brands: Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda, but my experience was usually the same. I believe both car dealerships and churches might benefit from some of the things I wanted to say to the dealership that day:

  • I’m not the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. Believe it or not, I actually have a brain. I’ve done some reading and research in my life. I can think, evaluate, and make decisions. Don’t talk down to me.
  • Give me some space. Sometimes I like to window-shop a little before being bombarded with the “sales pitch.” I expect a “sales pitch” and I’m ok with that, but just give me some space first. Let me just “kick the tires” for a while. If I really like them, I will buy them from you and a car to go with them!
  • Be honest with me. We all know the stereotype that car salesmen are dishonest. In many cases, they probably earned that reputation. The church is sometimes viewed the same way, so honesty is paramount to me.
  • Don’t play games and don’t play me. There’s nothing I hate much more than “being played.” Almost everyone I know feels the same way. Car dealerships, churches, salesmen, and preachers should be transparent and genuine.
  • Give me the facts and give them to me fast. How long can it possibly take to calculate the value of my trade-in? I looked up the Kelly Blue Book price on the internet in 5 minutes before I left the house! Don’t go on and on–it won’t change the facts. Give me the facts and I’ll make a decision.
  • Sell, but don’t oversell. I came expecting a sell, but don’t go overboard or you will turn me off for sure.

Boy oh boy…..I feel so much better now that I got that off my chest. Thanks for allowing me to vent. Let me end with this question, “how often does an unchurched person want to make these same statements to us after he visits one of our churches?”