MIM Ezine, October 19, 2007

-- "Purpose-Filled Ministry: Attracting, Retaining, & Returning Part II: How Do You Keep Them Coming Back?," Part 2 of 3, by Teena M. Stewart

-- Book Review: "A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation to New Life", by Bill Easum, reviewed by Tom Hanover.

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In my last issue I wrote about ways to attract people to your church. Getting them to the church is half the battle, But once they finally made the decision to attend worship services, how do you make sure they come back?

I noted previously that people tend to judge a church by what they see and hear, and who they talk to while they are there. When a visitor walks through the door they are sizing up a church by noticing most everything from whether the foyer was clean, if someone greeted them and the ease in finding their own way to the sanctuary. If they brought children with them, they are concerned about whether someone showed them to their classes.

As they walk into the sanctuary they even notice if your décor is dated. A small church that my husband Jeff and I served was being evaluated by an assessment leader to determine where we were in the church life cycle because the church wanted desperately to grow and attract more people.

Len, the assessor, looked at the dated décor that included a combination of orange upholstered pews and gold carpet with 1970s style overhead light fixtures. He suggested that if we wanted to attract people, we should seriously consider giving our interior a face-lift.

I realize that not every church can afford a major redecorating project, but you do need to be aware of how people see your church facility. A dated facility may indicate the presence of out-of-date methods of operations, ideas and beliefs as well, which just may not attract the average church goer.

Other ways to make people feel more comfortable include placing easily accessible brochures in the lobby that tell about your church's basic beliefs and about its different ministries.

Having a greeting time during your worship service will also help visitors feel welcome. But I caution against greetings that put visitors on the spot. The approach that I have seen that works best is when members are given about five minutes to turn to each other and greet one another.

Churches that put visitors in an awkward position often single them out, even making them wear a nametag or ribbon. Some churches actually make the visitor stand up, which puts them on the spot and makes them feel like an outsider.

Develop some way to gather information about your visitors. Our church hands out a response form that has a place for the name, phone, email and a section for indicating how often they have visited the church. They can also indicate their interest in classes, small groups, youth activities, or other ministries. Visitors can place this form in the offering plate following the pastor's announcement inviting them to complete the form. (I'll explain what is usually done with this information in my next article.)

You've worked hard to get your visitors in the door, but you want to make sure they come back. This is why having a means to get to know them is crucial.

My last article in this series will cover retaining visitors. How do you get people to keep coming back? Be sure to check out my next column to learn more.

Teena Stewart is a published writer, a ministry consultant and coach, and a product developer for DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion. Her new book Successful Small Groups from Concept to Practice (Beacon Hill) is scheduled for release in November, 2007. To learn more about Teena, her writing, coaching and consulting services, click here. Email Teena at smartwords@sbcglobal.net

Not too long ago I had eight teeth pulled so that I could get braces. My initial reaction to this procedure was “ahhh!” And just to clarify, I mean “ahhh!” as in “that really hurts!” Not “ahhh,” as in “my, that’s refreshing.”

My second reaction was a profound feeling of empowerment. I feel as though my teeth finally respect me.

For years I’ve been begging my teeth to straighten out. I’ve had numerous, lengthy conversations with them, imploring them to please, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, move over a tad and look pretty. I’ve warned them that if they didn’t, something horrible would happen.

But I was wholly ignored. The reason? No respect. My teeth didn’t think I’d get tough with them — that I’d back up my words.

But they were wrong. Way wrong. They pushed me too far and I went all oral surgeon on ’em.

Now that I’ve had eight teeth pulled, my remaining teeth have to believe that I mean business. In my teeth’s perspective, I am the Mafia. To them, having one tooth pulled is the equivalent to a mob hit. What I just did is a tooth massacre. They’ll never rest easy again.

My conversations with them these days have taken on more of a tough-guy tone. I look in the mirror and say things like, “I had those other teeth for 35 years and then just yanked ’em out. And I didn’t shed one tear doing it either. Do you think any of you are any more special to me than them?”

The mistake my teeth made was overestimating their value to me. Now that I’m living with one-fourth the number of teeth that I used to have, I realize that teeth are largely overrated. That means mine had better straighten up, and I mean now, or I’ll pull every last one of them, and replace them with dentures. Let them just try me and see if I won’t.

And I think word of my new tough-guy attitude is spreading to the rest of my body, too. I’ve found that if I stare at my arm too long, it starts shaking nervously. It knows I’m not one to trifle with. If I took out some teeth, why not a limb?

We live in a world of medical marvels. Doctors can replace just about any part of your body now and often the replacement works better than the original. This means the rest of my body better start behaving or I’m going totally bionic.

Yes, it might be that I’m being a wee bit too harsh with my body. I’m certainly glad the Lord has more mercy than I do.

There was a time early in my Christian walk when I believed that God was scrutinizing every move I made, waiting for me to blow it. It took me a while to learn “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end.” (Lamentations 3:22 RSV)

I know that God is very much aware of my failings, but I also know that he is ready to forgive me no matter what it is that I’ve done and no matter how far I’ve fallen.

So, in the spirit of mercy, instead of pulling the rest of my teeth, I’ve thrown them all in jail. They are literally behind teeny little bars in my mouth now and they won’t see the light of day for the next two years. After that, it’s probation (wearing a retainer) for who-knows-how-long afterwards. If it turns out that they didn’t learn their lesson and go astray again, it’s back in the slammer.

Or, who knows? Maybe I’ll pull a few more of them, just to let ’em know who’s boss.

© 2007 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a nationally known Christian comedian and author. Visit his Web site at www.charlesmarshallcomedy.com or contact him via e-mail at charles@charlesmarshallcomedy.com.

Ministry in Motion has launched a new blog for readers just like you at http://ministryinmotionnet.blogspot.com/. It is a place to ask questions, exchange ideas, and encourage other ministry leaders in our growing network.

Tom Hanover will be checking the blog posts regularly to respond to questions and share ideas on strategic leadership. Stop by and let us know how ministry is going for you!

Are you leading a spiritually dead church? If so, Bill Easum wants to talk to you.

In his latest book, A Second Resurrection, Easum is sharing his passion for turning congregations around from decline and decay to effective ministry and mission. In his preface Easum reveals he has written the book to be read by the pastor and a group of leaders. However, it is not for the faint of heart. Easum is frank and honest about the state of the American protestant church and pastoral leadership.

Easum acknowledges that his recent trend of publications have focused on the spiritual dimension of turnaround leadership. Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First addressed the importance of the spiritual life of the pastoral leader. In Unfreezing Moves Easum unpacks the process for renewing the churches spiritual depth. This book takes the next step and emphasizes that dead churches need more than a turnaround. They need resurrection.

A Second Resurrection is lacking details. Several times Easum refers the reader back to his previous books, especially Unfreezing Moves. Students may want to have their copy of both books nearby when reading this one.

While this book is short on instructions, it is generous in inspiration. Once Easum has offended most church people in whatever capacity of leadership they hold, he uncovers his passion for ministry and his personal convictions for hope in Jesus Christ.

If the reader is not a student of other Easum books, Easum’s style is straightforward, fast paced, focused, and frank. He builds on more than 30 years experience as a pastor and church consultant. He is vice-president of Easum, Bandy and Associates, Inc. and has published a number of books in addition to the ones named in this review.

This book is a quick read, but worthy of a new yellow highlighter. Pastors, ministry leaders, and laypersons that want to see new life in their church and in their community will want to read this.

Attention: Churches, Small Groups & Non-profits. Are You Paying Too Much for Books & Resources?

If you or your organization normally orders multiple copies of books and Christian resources you can save money by applying for a special discount coupon via DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion's online bookstore. The coupon is absolutely free with no strings attached. Email Teena Stewart at smartwords@sbcglobal to apply for this discount coupon.

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DBMIM Ezine- October 19, 2007