10/3/2012
Did you know October is Clergy Appreciation Month? I like what Lovett Weems suggests in the Leading Ideas newsletter. Showing Appreciation for Your Pastor Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Some of you may know that October is designated Pastor Appreciation Month in some denominations and congregations. This is not a major national observance, but some churches do use the designation to make sure they show appreciation for their clergy leadership. While such gestures are thoughtful and appreciated, most ...
8/13/2012
Sunday school classes for children sagging in attendance? Struggling to get teachers to commit to teaching because preparation is demanding? Classrooms outdated, empty, or underused? Seeking to rekindle energy for Sunday morning children's classes this fall? For over 20 years now, many churches have been answering these questions and concerns with the Rotation Model. This approach is still working and if you haven't tried it, there is plenty of reference material available to help you ...
8/2/2012
Bill Burch and his team at Sam Jones Memorial UMC in Cartersville has come up with a great Sermon series!
11/26/2011
How many emails and phone calls does it take to schedule a meeting? If your experience has been like mine over the last few weeks, the answer is: way too many! Everyone is so busy that it's almost impossible to find a time that works for everyone. Why not cut down on some of the back and forth by using one of the online scheduling services to help you find the perfect time to have your meeting? Here are two great (and free) websites that can help: Doodle: http://doodle.com When2Meet: http://...
10/5/2011
Rev. Rebecca Holmes at Anna Kresge Memorial in Cedartown shared these worship planning sheets she created after attending a Worship Workshop with Marcia McFee and the Preaching Planning Workshop at Camp Glisson. See a sample of Rebecca's Worship Planning Workbook
4/25/2011
I asked Nanci Hicks to share how her church is implementing Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Here is what she wrote: Five Practices Implementation by Nanci McNeil Hicks A personal ministry goal for work in this congregation is facilitating leadership development and creating an excellent culture for spiritual growth, faith formation, and community development in an environment of love that grows in grace and in service. Leadership has been static between15 and 20 years in most ...
3/30/2011
As soon as a family at McKendree UMC shares that they are expecting a new baby, they are given a card to fill out for the "Great Expectations" bulletin board. Information on the card includes: parents names, sibilings names, baby's sex, due date, and possible names. Once the baby is born, the nursery council coordinates meal delivery for the famiy and delivers the baby a blanket that has been prayed over. They update the bulletin board with birthday and baby stats. Finally, the nursery ...
3/23/2011
I presented a power point to the Athens District yesterday full of great ideas I've seen around the conference. Feel free to check it out. Click Here to View as a pdf
1/12/2011
Covington First UMC does a good job of keeping the congregation connected to college students! A bulletin board has pictures of the students and which college they're attending.