Content that Keeps People Coming, part one: Be CLEAR!

author    -    Rachel Price, VEF Director of Media

While I realize that not everyone is aesthetically minded, there are basic concepts of marketing that any minister or ministry volunteer can utilize to communicate announcements and news more effectively. I’ll even do you preachers a favor and put it into a minister-friendly format, by having three distinct points… that all start with the letter “C”.

CLEAR…
When you have a lot going on in your church, sometimes it’s hard to fit all of the events into a Sunday morning bulletin or on your website. How do you keep it organized so your average congregant can find the information that applies to them specifically?

Pick TWO fonts.
Let’s use a basic church bulletin as an example. Some churches try to separate different messages by using different font for every announcement. This usually just ends up making your bulletin look jumbled and disorganized. For now, just choose two fonts (you can move up to three if you’re feeling really confident in your design capabilities). Use the bolder, more graphic font as your header, and use the simple, easy to read font below. Then, repeat that same pattern again… and again. This will make your church bulletin more streamline. People will clearly know when one announcement stops and the next one begins. If you have a youth event, go ahead and spring for that third font, but only use it as the header – keep the details of the event in the same basic font you were using before.

Fonts can be a very valuable tool when coming up with an “image” for a certain event, but don’t over complicate it. If you can’t read the text at arms length, try something different. (I personally recommend DaFont.com – they have thousands of free, downloadable fonts for you to play around with).

Commonality and Uniqueness

author: Dave Hileman

I have been to worship at four very distinct venues this January. A traditional but casual service, a contemporary service, a dynamic live service with video preaching and, on the snowed in last Sunday of January, a live web cast service. Each one a significant blessing and each a unique locale, from a worship building to a YMCA to a theatre to my living room and each one a different feel. But in common, the Word was preached, communion served (DIY at Hileman’s), music sung and prayers shared. It is amazing how the central tenents of our faith endure regardless of the setting. Make sure you find your way to gather in worship this Sunday and rejoice in our commonality and our uniqueness.

Why we do what we do…

Recently I got to visit New Venture Christian Church in Midlothian, VA for their 5th Birthday service and to install their first group of Elders. It’s been a great journey with Steve & Sharon Thornton from the first phone call I got from Steve over 7 years ago about moving from Ohio to plant a church for us in VA to now having a self-supportive, elder-installed new church.

Here’s a emailed note I received from a gal at New Venture that explains pretty well why we want to plant more & more churches in more & more places:

Tim, thank you for New Venture!  Before New Venture I was wandering around my whole life looking for God in different churches.  When I found New Venture I realized God was in my heart waiting for me to find HIM there!  He was inside me all the time, patiently waiting.  So, I don’t know if you realize the chain you start when you plant a new church but it’s definitely the domino effect.  My son was 5 years old and had started asking me questions about God but I didn’t have the answers.  He’s almost 10 now and I still don’t have ALL the answers but I go to Pastor Steve & Sharon Thornton with the questions now and so does Nathan.  I had put God in the back seat of my life and now he’s in the front seat helping me steer!

Check out www.relaxedchurch.com

Tim Keller Quote

“The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ- for the corporate renewal of the Body of Christ and the revival of all existing Churches in the Body of Christ.

Nothing else:

not crusades,

not revivals,

not outreach ministry,

not para-church ministry,

not mega-church growth,

not congregational consultation,

not conferences,

not Sunday school,

not VBS-

nothing else has the consistent impact on the Body of Christ that dynamic, intentional, extensive Church planting does.

And for people who have done the research this statement is not in debate and not controversial.”

Tim Keller

Edge 3d at the Virginia International Raceway

 

Lane, Scott, Paul and Lindsay

The last VEF Edge 3d event was held at the Virginia International Raceway near Danville. More than 30 folks came to test their driving skills at the 5/8 mile Kart course. We held three 20 minute practice sessions with 12 drivers each, followed by 3 twenty minute races. The top four finishers from each heat transferred to the 10 lap VEF Championship Cup race. The race was tight until an accident in the hairpin slowed up half the field. Still the final laps saw two position changes and six people finished close together. The positions and times were recorded for each racer and each lap with Lane finishing in first place, followed by Scott Schmidt then in third Paul Viers and in fourth, Lindsay Ellis. Everyone had a great time, and we followed up the racing with lunch and a leadership lesson learned from the track. Be sure and watch the VEFNews for the next Edge 3d event.

From the Exponential Conference

This year three of the main speakers have captured my attention. Tim Keller, who spoke live last year, presented very brief thoughts over video that were all thought-provoking. Marc Choi, lead pastor for in2 Church in NYC was inspirational especially when speaking about the devotion of the Christians in Seoul, Korea where they gather by the thousands for prayer every day of the week starting at 5 AM. Craig Groeschel, who alluded to a redefining experience with God about three years ago, presented a challenge to everyone there to become “third-step” Christians. Not those who believe for the personal benefits (step one) or those who give marginally of themselves in service (step two) but those who are simply sacrificially living each day in obedience to Jesus (step three believers).

Who lives in your town?

This, City Data is a super resource that I learned about on Vince Antonucci’s blog. The data is arranged in a very accessible manner and is fairly comprehensive.

Influence

A short time ago I was in worship at Area 10 and Chris read an email from the manager of the theater that shows the hard work of being Christ’s agents in the city is bearing fruit. He wrote ” I don’t talk much about religion…mainly because I think people talk too much…and do too little when it comes to God’s work. But from what I’ve seen thus far, the people of Area 10 are exactly the opposite: following a plan and doing good directly…”

VEF Guys are men of prayer

VEF guys (pronounced vef) are men and women of prayer and I have a friend and a church that is need of your prayers today.  Can you take a minute and pray for an un-named guy who is hurting in the work of the Lord?  Can you pray for the survival of a congregation that needs lifted up to the Heavenly Father?  Sure you can and sure you will!  Thanks guys and gals

6-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4

This doesn’t exactly fit here but Dave Willis and Dave Hileman prevailed in the opening set of Williamsburg League Tennis in a marathon three-hour match. When Willis figured out by the toss which serve we were going to get, the match turned! Fun start to the season.