Here’s a new Fresh Ideas article from today’s Baptist Press (and the upcoming Indiana Baptist) with ideas  to encourage your church youth camp.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Kids are leaving for church camp. What does that have to do with you — a church member? Youth camp and kids’ camp offer an amazing focus for Christian growth, building Christian friendships, and knowing God’s will. Small encouragements from you can enhance that experience. Need fresh ideas?

– A church can order vinyl write-on wristbands, add a camper’s name, and ask members to wear a band all week, praying for God to work in that student’s life.

– As kids depart for camp, show up with individually wrapped Rice Krispie treats for the trip.

– Your choir, deacons or Bible class could ask the youth leader for a camp-enhancing idea, then collect money to purchase it (i.e. camp T-shirts, ping pong table, contest prize, sports equipment, money for ice cream or pizza en route to camp.)

– You or your group could write and mail prayer notes to each camper.

– Mail a giant container of fireball candies for campers to share. Jot a prayer note right on the container and add an address label.

– Invest personally as a volunteer camp counselor, sponsor, nurse or sports organizer.

– Donate a partial camp scholarship(s). Even better, do it as a class or anonymously. Some churches provide camp for minimal cost using budget or a special offering.

– Prioritize camp on your family’s summer calendar if you have a child.

– Fill a pretty bowl with fruit and snacks for a cabin. Provide replenishments for the week, and gift the bowl to the cabin counselor.

– A youth worker who can’t attend could pack individual goodie bags for their students, with a small gift, snacks, quarters and Scripture note. Or write daily personal encouragement notes for the cabin counselor to distribute.

– Help the camp leader with last-minute details the week before camp or with check-in and luggage duties on send-off day.

– Invite campers’ parents to Wednesday prayer meeting that week. Pray for their kids.

– Attend worship or help behind the scenes one night, if camp is nearby.

– Celebrate the results. Ask campers to tell you about their experiences. Enthusiastically attend any post-camp report, testimony service or baptismal celebration.

How will you help make your church camp a highlight of summer for kids this year?
–30–
Diana Davis is the author of “Fresh Ideas,” “Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry” and “Deacon Wives” (B&H Publishing) and the wife of the Indiana Baptist State Convention executive director. Learn more at www.keeponshining.com.

This will only make sense to you ladies who were at the First Baptist Daytona Beach luncheon last Saturday, where I talked about “The Secret Ingredient.” I’d promised to post my favorite chocoholic recipe–Chocolate Trifle Explosion–so here it is! The secret ingredient is the almond extract. 

A secret ingredient for Christian living is found in Philippians 2:3-4.

—-

Here’s the recipe:

CHOCOLATE TRIFLE EXPLOSION

Note: You’ve got to have a glass trifle dish for this one. See photo above. And don’t forget the secret ingredient*

INGREDIENTS:

1 Duncan Hines triple chocolate brownie mix. Prepare as directed.

1 Chocolate fudge instant pudding mix. Prepare as directed.

1 large Cool Whip. *Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

12 oz. pkg toffee bits or Heath bits of brickle (find it in baking section near the chocolate chips)

1 container fresh strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare brownies and pudding. Crumble brownies.

Layer ingredients in this order, spreading each layer to tthe edges of the trifle dish.

- crumbled brownies

- chocolate pudding

- cool whip (almonded)

- brickle bits

 - strawberries

Repeat; ending with cool whip.

Garnish with grated chocolate and a strawberry

   

Here’s an idea you might use for a conference theme.  “Fresh Winds of Change”

West Virginia’s ABW state retreat for women’s ministry leaders used that theme for this weekend’s retreat, with this Scripture:

“Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!”                        (Psalm 51:7b The Message)

The decor included huge colorful banners hung from the ceiling and behind the stage, with fans to create a gentle breeze.  They were using my book, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry, to show how to do women’s ministry with an “upward and outward” focus, called LIGHT, so the table decor was all sorts of lanterns and lights. 

Each retreat attendee received a soft, colorful scarf as a gift, and their reteat closing sent all 250 women outside, with the scarfs blowing in the breeze. What a lovely visual–rolling West Virginia hills, blossoming trees and flowers all around, and scarves billowing.

It was such a fun weekend, and a great honor  for me to get to share with all those ladies.  Praying for “fresh winds of change” as they go back to their ministries across that state.

If you live near these white sandy shores (DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA), maybe I’ll see you this weekend.

First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach has an annual ladies luncheon, “Beautiful You,” this Saturday, May 1st, and I’ll get to be there to speak.  Pray that God will encourage and bless each woman there.

And if you’re in the area, get a ticket for the luncheon and join us! See www.firstbaptist.org

I’m looking forward to leading a conference for West Virginia women’s ministry leaders this weekend. You’re welcome to register if you live in that area! It’s for the American Baptist Churches of that state and guests are welcome.  Last week they had 250 preregistered, so it should be a great group.

The title is “Winds of Change”. Their planning team has done an amazing job, and I can’t wait to see how God uses the conference.  Pray for all those who will lead and attend.

 

American Baptist

 

 Women’s

 Ministries

 

Spring Gathering

 

Winds of Change

There is a new wind blowing in American

Baptist Women’s Ministries.

 

Saturday, April 24,

2010

Parchment Valley Conference Center

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Registration begins at 9:15 a.m.

Cost: $15.00

Speaker: Diana Davis,

author of Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry

Registration forms are available at www.wvbc.org or by contacting Tracie at longwell@wvbc.org or 800.879.9822.

Our Indiana pastors and wives retreat this weekend was such fun! Our churches are blessed with wonderful, Godly leaders.

Looking for a good mixer for a large church event?  Here’s one we used at the retreat. You can see that the questions are designed for pastors and pastor wives in Indiana, but you can tweak the questions to fit your group.

Hang giant numbers 1 – 9 (made of posterboard) all around the room, high on the walls. Spread them out to cover the entire room. You’ll call out a question, show the answer choices on powerpoint (or posters), and ask everyone to go to the number that corresponds with their answer, and chat with others in that area.  Explain that when the buzzer sounds, everyone stops and moves to the next question.

We gave a new question every 3 or 4 minutes to keep the game moving.  People would move to their answer and immediately begin chatting with others there. We played music a little loudly to make conversaton less intimidating. The purpose, of course, is to allow the group members to quickly discover some things they have in common, stimulating friendships and later conversation. These are the questions we used:

FRIDAY NIGHT SCRAMBLE

 

[Questions & answer choices on powerpoint; host blows whistle to announce next question.]

 

COLOR OF YOUR SHIRT

(this one’s for practice…when you get there, tell someone your favorite joke?)

1)    Blue

2)    Red

3)    Green

4)    White

5)    Pink

6)    Black

7)    Brown

8)    Yellow

9)    Other

 

MY CHURCH LOCATION  (chat about what your town’s known for)

1)    North Indiana

2)    South Indiana

3)    East Indiana

4)    West Indiana

5)    Central Indiana

 

LIFE STAGE: (if you have children, share your favorite “pastor kid” story)

1)    Married with no kids

2)    Married with preschool kids

3)    Married with school age kids

4)    Married with teenager

5)    Married with college age kids

6)    Married with adult kids

 

BIRTH STATE  (where did you grow up?)

        Put up a map of the US with colors and have them to the right area by number

 

ARE YOU… (more than half IN pastors bi-vocational! Q: tell your worst wedding accident)

1)    Full Time Pastor/wife

2)    Bi-vocational pastor/wife

 

A SPORT I LIKE:  (FAVORITE PLACE/USED FOR MINISTRY HOW?)

1. 1.      Hunting
2. 2.      Fishing
3. 3.      Golf
4. 4.      Team sports (football, baseball, basketball)
5. 5.      Hike/walk/jog
6. 6.      Camping
7. 7.      Archery/Shooting 
8. 8.      Biking/motorcycling
9. 9.      Tennis

 

CHURCH SIZE: [your church’s high attendance this year](Q: what’s the best thing going on at your church lately)

1)    2-50

2)    50-100

3)    100-200

4)    200-350

5)    350-500

6)    500+

 

BIRTH MONTH   (a quick one. See if you can find someone who shares your birthdate.)

1)    January - February

2)    March

3)    April

4)    May-June

5)    July

6)    August

7)    September - October

8)    November

9)    December

 

OUR CHURCH WORSHIP MUSIC STYLE: (talk about how your music helps reach people)

1)    Contemporary

2)    Traditional

3)    Blended

 

I ENJOY…   (FAST)

1. 1.      Reading
2. 2.      Model building
3. 3.      Knitting/quilting/sewing
4. 4.      Bowling
5. 5.      Gardening
6. 6.      Eating J 
7. 7.      Scrapbooking 
8. 8.      Woodworking
9. 9.      Stamp/coin collecting

 

CHURCH SETTING: (after you get to your group, tell someone about your most embarrassing moment as a pastor/pastor’s wife.)

1. 1.      Rural
2. 2.      Small town
3. 3.      Medium size town
4. 4.      Large town
5. 5.      Inner city

 

IF YOU  WERE LEAVING TODAY TO BE A MISSIONARY, WHICH COUNTRY WOULD YOU CHOOSE? (Here’s a fun question for you.) 

1)    Chili

2)    Ireland

3)    China

4)    India

5)    Brazil

6)    Mongolia

7)    Iran

8)    Australia

9)    Zimbabwe

 

 

AGE GROUP I’M DRAWN TO FOR MINISTRY: (if you could only do ministry with one age, which would you choose?) 

1)    Senior Adults

2)    Adults

3)    Young adults

4)    Singles

5)    Youth

6)    Children

7)    Pre-School

 

WHICH COLOR WOULD YOU RATHER DYE YOUR HAIR? (Here’s your chance to tell about your funniest ministry story (baptism, evangelism bloop). Divide this way, then share.)

1)    Blue

2)    Green

3)    Pink

4)    Purple

5)    Yellow

6)    Orange

 

AGE: (couple/use younger age) (name your favorite restaurant)

1)    20s

2)    30

3)    40s

4)    50s

5)    60+

 

MINISTRY DRAW:  (Besides preaching, what’s an area of ministry that you really enjoy?) 

1)    Music

2)    Media/Arts/Drama

3)    Administration

4)    Prayer

5)     Benevolence

6)    Teaching

 

FAVORITE SEASON: (what’s the most unique ministry your church does in this season?)

1)    Summer

2)    Fall

3)    Winter

4)    Spring

 

FAVORITE STYLE OF MUSIC (Just for fun, which of these styles of music do you like best?)

1)    Jazz

2)    Rap

3)    Bluegrass

4)    Rock

5)    Classical

6)    Techno

7)    Country

It’s such a treasured time for many Christian teens! My article for next month is one about ways church members can encourage kids going to youth camp (or kids camp, mission trips, etc.)  The column is almost complete, but I thought I’d ask if any of you have suggestions.

Have you (or others you know) done anything–small or large–to inspire or encourage or treat those young Christians who are taking a week away at Christian camp?

“Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31b

We’re counting the days! On April 16 and 17, we’ll host a retreat for Indiana Pastors and their wives in downtown Indianapolis. Steve and I will have the privilege of speaking to share and encourage these strategic leaders in our state, so please pray for us.  Dan Odle is planning times of worship, and the state ministry staff are handling lots of personalized details. We’ve planned a really fun event, with time for networking, encouragement, relaxation and spiritural renewal. Registration is full, and we’ve begun a waiting list.

As I spent part of today helping Autumn at the SCBI office with some retreat details, I thought I’d invite you to pray for our pastors and their wives–140  of them–as they take 24 hours away from their regular life for this time of retreat. Pray for God’s special touch on their lives, for a time of joy and renewal and relaxation.  

11 days…and counting!

It’s Final Four weekend in Indianapolis! You can imagine what fun we’re having downtown. Justin’s coming in for Easter weekend, and we’re helping Autumn and Yale with Easter egg hunts for their apartment ministry tomorrow, and looking forward to great Easter celebration worship on Easter Sunday and Easter lunch and…

Final four. The photo is from a downtown Mayor’s Pep Rally for Butler University (an Indianapolis team who is in the final four!) I read a fabulous story in the Indianapolis Star this morning about Gordon Hayward, a Butler student and basketball team member.  Read it on this link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100402/SPORTS0609/4020327/1004/SPORTS/Mom-s-gift-gives-Butler-s-Hayward-a-lift

It’s a wonderful Christian witness. In one part of the story, it mention’s the family’s pre-game ritual. Mom texts Gordon this message: “RWYPF” — remember who you play for.  For a Christian, that’s every day’s key theme. We must “remember who we play for.” Where you work, go to school, hang out, live, play — never forget that God has placed you there to shine for Him.

Remember who you play for.

Read the story.

P.S. Go Dawgs!

 

So you’re celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus this weekend, but you’re a little old for an Easter Egg hunt? Need fresh ideas?

After you’ve planned your worship celebrations, why not plan an “adult easter egg hunt?”

A flashlight easter egg hunt is easy and unique.

We actually did this idea three different times — once for a large church staff party and another for our teenagers’ friends, once for our new singles Bible study group. It would be great fun for a young married couples Bible class. And, believe me, teenagers love it! 

We prepared lots of really good eggs–chocolate ones, prize eggs, ceramic eggs, wrapped candy eggs, and plastic eggs with really nice surprises inside. You’ll be surprised at what cool things you can fit into a plastic egg. Dye hardboiled eggs using a crayon to write numbers for 1st prize, 2nd prize, etc.  For our teen prizes, we used the newest Christian CDs. My daughter is planning an adult flashlight Easter egg hunt for her apartment ministry, and one prize is $ off next month’s rent.  The party was scheduled just before sunset (check the local newspaper for sunset time), and began with snacks. As soon as dark arrived, everyone received a flashlight for the hunt.  We used our large back yard, but any section of grass that is safe would do. Don’t make it very large. It’s harder than you think to find eggs in the dark!

Here’s how we began: “Friends, we’ve invited you here for a fun way to celebrate our Savior’s resurrection. We’ve enjoyed the Maundy Thursday Lord’s supper reenactment, the Good Friday service, and now we’re all awaiting tomorrow’s Easter worship celebration. Tonight, we’re just going to have a fun “adult Easter egg hunt”  to celebrate Jesus as the light of the world. (Read John 8:12.)”

Be sure to instruct everyone to walk carefully so they don’t step on eggs in the dark, give them all a basket to collect their eggs, blow a whistle so they can start. If some guests don’t attend a church, give them a printed invitation to worship with you at your church on Sunday. 

Oh, yea, it’s silly, but a great excuse to gather friends or family if you don’t have little kids in  your group. 

Happy Easter, friend.  Praying your Resurrection Sunday celebration is the best yet.

He is risen indeed!