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.

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!

 

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!

Here’s  a reprint of a Fresh Ideas article I wrote a while back. I thought it might inspire you to get busy and plan an egg hunt for your neighbors this Saturday! Happy Easter!

FRESH IDEAS

Finding Eggs AND the Savior 

by Diana Davis

      What’s cuter than a two-year-old at an Easter egg hunt dumping six eggs as he picks up one? Or a fifth grader stretching to reach that last elusive egg?  That’s as good as it gets! …or is it?  Why not take this fun event, add a twist, and touch entire families in Jesus’ name?  Whether it’s a community-wide event at your church or a neighborhood egg hunt, it’s inexpensive, simple to plan, and lasts only an hour!

      Our family’s annual egg hunt was a friendship outreach for friends and neighbors, sharing the true meaning of Easter with parents and children.  As she outgrew hunting eggs, our daughter, Autumn, took over planning our egg hunts. Dozens of precious children adore her for the special annual event in our yard, and many neighbors heard the Gospel for the first time at an egg hunt. You can do that! 

Your event could include your neighborhood, your church family and their friends, or your entire community. All you need is a large area of grass.

Place invitations in a plastic egg and hand-deliver or distribute them at church. For a bigger event, advertise in the local paper or on your church sign. The invitation should state date, place, and beginning and ending time. Our egg hunts were the Saturday morning before Easter from 10-11 a.m. Invite the entire families, and ask them to bring a dozen eggs per child for hiding.

Purchase lots of wrapped eggs, and spray-paint gold prize eggs. Number the prize eggs with a permanent marker and hide those ahead of time. Gather several prizes, such as candies or stuffed lambs or rabbits. Prepare Easter basket cupcakes and lemonade for refreshments to encourage fellowship. Before the crowds arrive, establish clear boundary lines, with separate areas for younger children. 

If it’s a church event, carefully train members to greet and spend time with every guest who attends. They can introduce them to your Pastor and other church members, personally invite them to their Sunday Bible class, and help them to feel welcome.

            As families arrive, moms and kids go to a separate area to blow bubbles and draw sidewalk art while dads hide the eggs. When eggs are ready, gather everyone for a creative presentation about the real Easter story. The presentation should be animated, sincere and brief. It could involve drama, puppets or an object lesson. Check your local Christian bookstore for ideas.

      Now it’s time for the hunt! Children stand in a long line, then separate whistles blow for preschoolers, younger elementary, then older elementary kids to begin. After about fifteen minutes, gather children for prizes and snacks. As guests depart, give them a verbal and printed invitation to join you for Bible study and worship at your church on Easter Sunday.  

      Autumn used the same tablecloth each Easter, asking children to use paint pens to write their name and year on it. Parents traced toddlers’ handprints on it. Over the years, children graduated from handprints to block letters to cursive. Autumn is in college at Baylor University now, and she just called to ask me to mail her tablecloth. She’s planning an Easter hunt for her Sunday School class. Yes, that’s as good as it gets!

—–

©Fresh Ideas are shared by Diana Davis, wife of Indiana Baptist Convention’s Executive Director, & author of Fresh Ideas, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry and Deacon Wives (B&H Publishing). www.keeponshining.com

Hi friends. I’m off to visit my sons in Ohio, but thought you might enjoy a sneak-peak at this month’s Fresh Ideas article.  You can see these online at our state convention website – www.scbi.org, too.  I know that all of your churches don’t have an administrative assistant. Some have a volunteer secretary. Others have many administrative professionals!  Either way, April 21st is a great day to creatively, sincerely bless her with words of thanks for her ministry and some type of gift expression.  Here are a few fresh ideas:

Fresh Ideas

“Hello, This is First Baptist…”

By Diana Davis

She’s often the first to represent your church, and her special day is coming. A good administrative assistant significantly impacts the ministry of your church and church staff. Will you—a church member or staff member—bless her (or him) in some way on Administrative Professionals’ Day, Wednesday, April 21^st? Need fresh ideas?

Wouldn’t she be surprised to arrive at work to find brewed coffee and a tray of pastries and fruit in her honor? Or helium balloons tied to her chair? Or dozens of “Thank God for Phoebe!” signs hung around the office?

The church website, newsletter, bulletin or pre-service PowerPoint could acknowledge her service with a photo, comment about her work, her favorite Scripture and a request for members to pray for her this week. 

Need thoughtful gift ideas? Order a personalized study Bible or note cards. Make a certificate or t-shirt to proclaim her “Best Administrative Assistant in [your town.]” A desk set, electronic desk gadget, plant for her desk. A gift in her name for missions. A good book, bouquet of her favorite flowers, a gift card to a great restaurant or scrapbooking shop. Tickets to her favorite sports event, Christian concert, garden show or theatre. For a church with several assistants, consider hosting a lovely luncheon in your home for them. With your gift, be sure to include a hand-written note of sincere appreciation for her work.

If the whole church (or a group in the church) wants to collaborate:

-          Put a beautiful, large vase on her desk with a single flower.  All day, staff and church members stop by with a couple more flowers and words of thanks, ultimately creating a gorgeous bouquet.

-          Each person contributes an item for a themed basket—teas, crosses, books, fishing. Or spray paint a branch and attach items and notes to create a themed gift tree, such as a Chocolate Tree.

-          Each day this week a different group brings lunch or takes her out.

-          Everyone contributes one of some item she likes (i.e. golf balls, Snickers.) Beautifully wrap one; put the rest all around the office for her to discover that day.   

How about a surprise lunch in her honor? Invite church staff, her husband or friend, and people she sees regularly at work, such as the postal carrier, custodian or church leaders. She arrives to unexpected applause and “thank you” signs. Each guest presents her a balloon as they share a story or word about her uplifting ministry. (Be sure to invite the waiter and postal carrier to church on Sunday.)

Most importantly, say the words. Pick up the phone, send an email or text, or stop by to express appreciation. As you show honor to God’s servants, you honor God, too.

“Consider others as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3b

—-

NOTE: If you are a Christian businessperson celebrating your administrative assistant’s day, consider giving her a second gift as a Christian witness or encouragement. A book, such as The Purpose Driven Life, a personalized Bible, or a Scripture bookmark.

©2010 Diana Davis is author of Fresh Ideas (B&H Publishing) and Deacon Wives (B&H) Her husband is Indiana Baptist Convention’s executive director. www.keeponshining.com

 

 

 

 

Keywords: Secretary’s secretaries administrative assistant executive assistant ministry assistant

 

I just returned from Texas, where we enjoyed a wonderful visit at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, time with family there, and then I got to help lead a conference for deacons’ wives at Inglewood Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. What a lovely group of women!

Here’s an idea that Inglewood is using to invite unchurched friends to attend worship on Easter Sunday.  They had a mountain of Peeps marshmallow candies in the church foyer with an invitation to church attached to each.  Everyone at church was encouraged to take as many as they would give to neighbors, friends and coworkers.  What a simple, creative way to invite guests to hear about Jesus! 

I’m not sure what their invitation note said, but it could have a variety of quotes along with the details of when and where the church meets, such as…

“I wanted to invite all the Peeps I love to church with me this Easter. Hope to see you there.”

“There’s more to Easter than just chicks and bunnies! Meet me at church on Sunday?”

“Hi Neighbor! Here’s my sweet invitation for you to join me for church Easter Sunday.”

Or you could be less corny and just give them a Peep and an invitation…