Doing good with council…

November 13, 2009 by hayleyneal 2 Comments

If your church is eager to “do good” then can I encourage your church to build a relationship with your local council.
Most employ a community worker – who cares for the socially isolated, elderly, disabled, migrants and those who are generally in need. These workers are paid to know the needs of the community and so by catching up with them every now and then you will begin to see the ways your church can assist and support those non-Christians already doing good in your area. Get along side them so you and your Church can be proactive and responsive to the needs of our local community also.
How do you make contact?
Give them a call, ask to speak with a community worker:

1.    Hi my name is _______ I’m from the local church ________.
2.    I was just ringing to introduce myself and love to know about all the different things you are doing to care for the community?
3.    Are there ways our Church could be assistance?
4.    Are there gaps in the services you offer, that?

Think about the things your church community can offer… meeting rooms? people power? Maybe you will discover they need a seniors group, lawyers for legal aid, a JP – What are the resources your church has to offer your community?

Community, Evangelism, Ideas, Jesus, Uncategorized

8 ways to get new ideas…

November 12, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

1. Take a walk or a drive: A simple but effective way to shut out the noise of any busy day and to tune in on concepts and ideas. Take time out of your day to walk around you local area, walk around a suburb or down a street that you are unfamiliar with. Do some laps up an down. OR Hope in the car and drive somewhere an 1hr away. A new location

2. Keep a ideas notebook: Keep it with you or have one in your office draw, home and car. Find an app on your iPhone. When you get an idea however unrealistic or ill informed it may be write it down. Not only helps you remember but also helps to take action.

3. Spark up conversations: start chatting to a stranger… ask them about their day, their thoughts on what you need creative energy for.

4. Read blogs: . Consider blogs as an endless supply of people to brainstorm with. Their captured thoughts are there for your benefit. Read some blogs that you normally wouldn’t subscribe to – there are many on art and culture that can inspire you and get your ideas flowing.

5. Sit in a coffee shop: Watch & listen to others experiences and let ideas spark. Politely eavesdrop on strangers conversations.

6. Get a mentor: Seek  someone older and wiser. Not only for good consel but also they have seen lots of things done before. There really isn’t an original thought out there. So listen to the stories and events of past. You’ll also be surprised at their willingness and passion to help.

7. Put a new twist on an existing idea: Look around you and determine what creative expression can be done in a new and unique way. As I said nothing is new under the sun.

8. Pray: God is the ultimate creator and designer and the most ingenious thinker. Ask him to grant you creativity, ideas, deep trust so to take s

Uncategorized

and I quote

November 10, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

worthy

Jesus, Quotes

Another Christian ‘thredless’…

November 9, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Picture 5

Creativity, Jesus, Uncategorized

Invite a friend to church…

November 8, 2009 by hayleyneal 2 Comments

Church, Evangelism, Jesus, People

Christian ‘thredless’…

November 7, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Picture 4

Creativity, Jesus

Preaching as a means of Salvation

November 6, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

We often overlook the opportunity of evangelism in inviting people to church. Christ’s power is present when his people gather together. We are a testimony to his power, mercy and grace.  Another reason to invite people to church is that God has designed preaching as a means of salvation.

…you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God… And this word is the good news that was preached to you (1 Peter 1:23, 25).

When God’s living word, the imperishable seed of the gospel, is preached,  it causes people to be born again.

So no matter what the sermon is being preached on the truths being taught apply to all of God’s creation and so will be a word in season even to our unbelieving friends.

For sure there are some passages and topics that are a little harder for the unchurched to pick up and take on board…. so why not look ahead in the sermon series and look up the bible references to see weeks where the gospel might be clearly explained and think about inviting a friend that week.

This is also a challenge to our pastors and preachers. They need to be preaching grace often (if not somewhere in the sermon each week) and preach in a way that is relevant to our everyday lives. How great would it be if we walk out of services saying, “I wish my unchurched friend had been here,” …. the more this happens the more I think we will be ready to invite friends along.

The word of God speaks of his grace and mercy and the people of God are testimony to his grace and mercy – why not invite friends along to taste and see.

Church, Evangelism, Jesus

12 Mistakes of Christmas #4… Biting off more than you can chew

November 5, 2009 by hayleyneal 1 Comment

Picture 9

Brainstorming and letting ideas fly are great in getting creativity flowing through the veins of your organising team… however you plans need to be reasonable. You need to think carefully about shaping events and ministry around people and not pushing beyond your limits.

Develop the ideal plan, think about the resources: people power, skill, money, equipment, energy & initiative that is available and work out whether the ideal is realisitic and scale back.

i.e This year at our Carols Under the Bridge event, we dreamt that we wanted to get market food stalls (you know the ones at every market… think Turkish gosleme yum!)… So we tried to make it happen. We approached our local neighborhood centre who helps organise our local markets, they couldn’t help out as they will be too busy around Christmas. We could have organised ourselves, but don’t have the man power and financial resouces to do it this year. It is a cheap thing to do as stall owners need to do their own thing, but if we have food we need port-a-loos and bins which cost more money than we have allowed for this year. So instead we are going with hiring a few coffee cart vans and gelato vans that have a fundraisng element to them. We will keep Market Stall Idea for next year and plan for it earlier.

Not all is lost if you can’t do all that you hope to do. Know your limitations and remember it is better to do a few things well than do 1000 things poorly even if they are all brilliant ideas. Keep the brilliant ideas for next year and store them up in an improvement plan for Christmas. What you dont do this year can go towards making next year better, when your ministry, event or avtictivity has grown momentum and support.

Church, Community, Ideas, Tips

and I quote…

November 4, 2009 by hayleyneal 2 Comments

Picture 5fall down before the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. Revelation4:10

Jesus, Quotes

Why people don’t people come to church?

November 2, 2009 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Church, Evangelism, Jesus, People
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