Ready to Risk? Starting a new church is never a sure thing. How ready are you to walk onto that limb? Lee A. Dean
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Starting a new church is like beginning a new business because both are entrepreneurial activities. An entrepreneur is defined as someone who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture. Leaders of new churches face the same three challenges. This activity will focus on the willingness to take risks, both as individuals and as a group.
God's Call for Me How can we be sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing? Nancy Ortberg
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There are few things more attractive, more noticeable, than those who pursue an activity they are good at. We've all had the remarkable experience of sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher who engages and awakens the deepest parts of who we are. Or someone who runs a gardening service and instructs on how to keep our yard looking nice. The joy and skill these people bring to what they do are ...
Lots of people would like to be mentored, but those willing to mentor are harder to find. One advantage of mentoring is the sense of significance you receive. A second benefit is personal growth. As a mentor discusses character issues with the one mentored, both are forced to look at their own character issues.
What does a mentor actually do?
1. Set the tone. It is up to the mentor to create an environment ...
People Who Need People Ministry happens when God's deep compassion meets the world's deep need. Roger Barrier
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Open
Pass out newspapers and scissors. Ask people to clip news stories that show local people in all kinds of circumstances: those who are hurting, lonely, afraid, in trouble, angry, rejected, etc. After these are presented to the group, discuss how Jesus might relate to such people.
Read
John 4:1-42. The Samaritan woman was incredulous when Jesus asked her for a drink: "How is it that you, a Jew, ask ...
Pass the Secret 3 activities to discover the effects of gossip. Eric Reed
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Allow 10-15 minutes for each activity.
• A Little Bird Told Me
This is a variation on the gossip game. The first person holds a plastic bird and says a sentence starting with, "A little bird told me … " (For example, "A little bird told me Joe bought a convertible.") Then he passes the bird at random to someone else. That person should attempt to repeat exactly what the preceding player ...
Who Is Our Target? 3 questions to match our church strengths. Wayne Schmidt
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Here is a simple activity to improve the process for connecting newcomers into the life of your church. Simply spend the first 10 minutes writing your answers to the three questions, and then spend the next 10 to 15 minutes discussing them with the team.
1. What does our church offer newcomers?
First, list at least three key strengths of your church. For example, you may write, "Our church provides ...
We grow in the values of the kingdom symbiotically—that is, by cooperating with the work of God in our lives. Here's an activity, done best in a relaxed setting, to sharpen our awareness of what God is doing to shape us into the image of Christ.
Materials needed: A five or ten-pound block of red or brown clay (available for under $10 at most art supply stores); washbasin and several old towels; ...
Values are determined not by how we talk about them but what we do about them. The same is true for church values. This activity will help sift between your spoken and true values.
Materials needed: Large pieces of paper (2-3 for each group), markers, and masking tape.
Step 1: Ask individuals to sit in groups of three or four, and then to appoint someone to be the group scribe. Have each group process ...
Thankful Connections Listing the reasons you appreciate others can solidify your bond with them. Steven Mathewson
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Let's take a cue from the words of thanksgiving in Paul's prayer for the Philippian Christians. He began by thanking God for his fellow believers, thus deepening his connection with them in the most foundational way. When believers today follow his example, expressing thanks for one another, the bond among them also grows stronger.
Setting
Use this exercise in board meetings, small groups, staff retreats, ...
Hats on to This Discussion An exercise to keep team members on task by identifying phases of decision making. Phyllis Ten Elshof
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In a team model of decision making, everyone works together toward a solution. To give structure to the process that follows—even make it more enjoyable for participants—try the following exercise based on Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats (Little Brown & Co., 1999).
Prepare
For the hats, cut strips (about 3 inches wide and about 30 inches long) of construction paper in these colors: blue, ...