A friend of mine, Kim Hardy, just wrote a witnessing tract, so that was on my mind when I saw this photo. This is an Indiana pastor’s wife, Tami Hubler, skydiving! Take a close look at what’s written on her hands.
“Jesus saves.”
Now, wouldn’t that make a great photo on a witnessing tract???
How would you tie that in?
Actually, I just wanted you to see that photo!
You can also read this article on Baptist Press.
Pupils, Pencils and Prayers
Diana Davis Posted
INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–A new school year begins soon. What an opportune time for a church to encourage students and teachers. Need fresh ideas?
– Pray for students and teachers. An adult Bible class can adopt a youth class to pray for them by name. During worship, a pastor could invite students to kneel at the altar as he or the youth minister prays for them. Or he could invite teachers and school staff (elementary, secondary, college, home school) to stand, then pray and challenge the entire church to pray for them faithfully. After taking children to school the first day, moms can gather for coffee, fellowship and prayer for the kids and teachers.
– Make it easy for kids to invite friends to church. Print a bookmark-size schedule of weekly and special fall events for kids at your church. Order book covers, notebooks, T-shirts or pencils with Scripture, the youth motto, the church website and the church name. Our church teens redecorate their Sunday School classrooms annually, painting murals and Scripture art. Plan a back-to-school party or Christian concert. After school the first day, serve homemade pizza at the church. Work hard to provide relevant, top-quality Bible classes and activities for students.
– Adopt a school. Your church or adult Bible class could help a nearby school. Visit the principal to offer assistance, such as mentoring, office help, reading, crossing guards, scholarship application aid or providing shoes, haircut or school supplies for a child in need. Send encouraging prayer notes to the principal. Deliver a huge basket of snacks for the teacher’s break room with a note from your church. An Indiana church painted the playground and developed a great relationship with the school. Be flexible, and joyfully show God’s love as you respond to requests.
– Prepare for guests. In Sunday’s bulletin, print names of children’s and youth Bible teachers, choir leaders, missions teachers, and so on. Church members can pray for them, and guests will see your commitment to disciple kids. Since families often relocate during summer, purchase a newcomer list for your town, and mail or deliver church invitations before school begins. You could advertise in the local paper to invite all teachers and school faculty in town to worship on Sunday before school begins. Recognize them, pray for them, and give a gift (coffee cup, pen) with a Scripture and promise of prayer.
As our children, youth and teachers return to school as ambassadors for Christ, will you assure them of your church’s love and prayers?
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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.
As I look at some upcoming speaking engagements, I realize how much I depend on my God! I’m no gifted speaker, so I lean hard on Him, and trust Him to use this willing vessel to encourage Christian women. I spend lots of time writing, but God continues to open interesting and challenging speaking opportunities.
[Most of my travel is to accompany my husband, Steve, as he works with the 420 Southern Baptist Churches across Indiana. If you'd like to see what God's doing in Indiana, check out www.scbi.org]
Here are several speaking engagements on my schedule in coming months. Pray for me, and if one is in your area, I hope to see you there:
S. CAROLINA – South Carolina Baptist State Convention’s retreat for Ministers Wives, S.W.A.T., November 5-6 at White Oak Conference Center.
IOWA - Ladies’ Christmas luncheon at Grace Baptist, Waterloo Iowa December 7
TENNESSEE – Ladies retreat at New Heights Baptist, Chatanooga TN April 8-9 2011
OHIO – Southern Ohio’s Scioto Valley Baptist Association’s ladies’ conference May 5 2011, Athens OH.
ALABAMA – Speak for Alabama Baptist Convention’s statewide Pastors, Deacons and Wives Retreat, September 23-24 2011
UKRAINE – Teach seminary class at Kiev Theological Seminary, May 14-22 2011
INDIANA – several events, including
And thanks for your prayers, my friends!
Here’s this month’s article on Baptist Press:
INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–He cleans the church’s carpet regularly, but he’s never been invited to worship there. She delivers the church mail daily, but she doesn’t know Jesus. The family spent hours there during Aunt Tip’s funeral, but none of them go to church.
Yes, guests attend your church for worship services, but additional dozens — even hundreds — walk in on weekdays each year. They come in for directions, weddings, benevolence or after-game fellowships. They attend scouts, daycare, support groups. There’s the exterminator, repairman, roofer, delivery person … and God brings them inside your building. Will they meet Jesus there?
Intentionally impact each person who walks in your church doors.
– Let your walls talk. Stroll through your church entryways and offices, carefully observing as if it’s your first time there. What can a stranger learn about your church and God? Attractively display current newsletters, brochures, witnessing tracts and invitations for visitors to take. Replace negative or outdated signage. Carefully read each poster to assure outsiders can understand it. Play Christian music. Use art to point to the One you worship.
– Salute! Warmly welcome each person who walks in the door. Learn their names. If they need directions, mark a map. When offering benevolence, give it joyfully. Give the postal carrier an icy soda on a hot day. Invite every individual to come for Sunday worship. Promise to pray for them. Use small gift bags to prepare welcome packets with a church brochure, newsletter, CD, upcoming events and a few candies. Then watch for opportunities to share them.
– Assign timely ambassadors. Friendly church members can assist with expected guests, such as weddings or community meetings. They can set a positive atmosphere, help with directions or needs, and show God’s love. Serve lunch to construction workers. If the town festival is outside the church doors, serve cold lemonade and welcome people to use restroom facilities.
The church’s purpose is to share God with the lost world. Seize the opportunity to impact those who come into your building. If a toilet overflows in your church next Monday, will the plumber receive more than just a check for his services?
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5).
–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.
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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…
Sharing Jesus with Spiderman
by Diana Davis
A three-foot-tall Spiderman and his parents are driving past your church, looking for a safe, fun Halloween alternative. Need fresh ideas for a community outreach event?
Free Family Foto. Create a beautiful lighted outdoor photo site on your church lawn with pumpkins, mums, hay bales and autumn leaves. Advertise well. Enlist amateur photographers to quickly pose and photograph families who stop by. On Sunday, display photos in the church foyer for pick-up, or mail them to families as a postcard with a personal note on the back.
A Community-Wide Costume Parade can be staged in your church parking lot, with an emcee, spotlights, Christian music and free hot chocolate. Prepare a gift and church invitation for onlookers. Chalk the parade route, designate a staging area for the children, and decorate a golf cart for your parade marshal, the Pastor!
A “Trunk or Treat” Event can attract hundreds to your church parking lot. Joyful, costumed church members circle their cars in the parking lot, open their decorated trunks, and pass out candies, tracts and invitations to church. Oakhills Baptist themes its event each year.
Fall Festival. Some churches plan a free festival, with carnival games, tractor rides, box mazes, pumpkin carving or cupcake walks. Others rent bouncy games, feature a Christian band or do a Noah’s Ark party.
Hallway Parade. Ask children from your church to meet at a local nursing home for a pre-arranged costume parade down the halls. Distribute large-print tracts and pre-approved treats for residents.
Reverse Trick-or-Treating. Teens or families deliver homemade cookies to neighbors, along with a packet of information about your church.
Make a goal that each guest for any event will receive two verbal invitations to church along with a tract (such as atsTracts.org) and a printed invitation to worship.
Leave the Light On. If church members stay at home that evening, challenge them to give out big candy bars or treats along with a tract and church invitation.
Paul challenged Christians to “make the most of every opportunity.” There’s a little guy in a Spiderman costume in your town who needs Jesus.
©Diana Davis’ newest Fresh Ideas book is Deacon Wives (B&H Publishing 2009).
Her husband is Indiana Baptist Convention’s executive director. www.keeponshining.com
Fresh Ideas
I Know a Missionary
by Diana Davis
[Note: This article is written to encourage Southern Baptist churchesto make personal connections with missionaries; other churches will find usable suggestions, too.]
You are part of the world’s largest missions-sending agency. Your Southern Baptist Church voluntarily contributes through the Cooperative Program and special mission offerings (Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon) to support your Southern Baptist missionaries—5,629 international (IMB) missionaries and over 5,500 North American (NAMB) missionaries. What a privilege!
But…do you know some Southern Baptist missionaries? Oh, you can’t know all eleven thousand, (and many serve in areas where security is an issue) but your church can personally encourage a few. Need ideas to make personal connections with missionaries?
As your church connects with missionaries, spotlight them. Pray faithfully for them. Stay in contact. If appropriate where they serve, send personalized care packages and birthday cards. Read their e-updates and respond with a note. Do a Skype video-interview. Email an occasional Scripture, encouraging word or prayer. Discover specific tangible ways you can help. Display their photo and a small flag with a plaque stating “These are some of the 11,126 missionaries supported by our church.”
Your tithes and offerings already support them monetarily. Will you “put a face on missions” and personally encourage an SBC missionary?
Bonus: SET A RECORD GOAL FOR YOUR CHURCH’S LOTTIE MOON OFFERING this year. A few ideas:
©Diana Davis is Indiana Baptist executive director’s wife and author of several books. www.keeponshining.com
What do a dog collar, rickrack and a license plate have in common?
They’re all materials that can be used to enhance a wheelchair!
If you’re involved in ministry with the elderly, you’re going to love this book I found. It’s called Walk and Roll (by Lynn Lancaster Gorges 2009).
You’ll find all kinds of creative sewing projects design to enhance life for those with special mobility needs. As Gorges states, “none of these items will ever cure cancer or prevent a stroke, but the items can make a cold and sterile piece of equipment more personal and functional–and certainly more attractive.”
The projects are perfect for a nursing home ministry group, homebound ministry, senior adult ministry, or for anyone you love who uses a:
There’s instructions for making simple bags and pockets for wheelchairs–and each one is designed to reflect the person’s personality and interests. Attractive coverups make a wheelchair, walker or scooter look like furniture. She has an entire chapter of different ways to hang bags, and another on embellishments.
If you love ministering to those with mobility challenges, you’re going to find usable, delightful ideas here. You can look at it on Amazon.com (click here).
Keep on shining!
Here’s a recent “Fresh Ideas” article:
Fresh Ideas
Ten Thousand Steps. Ten Thousand Prayers.
by Diana Davis
“Pray constantly.” I Thessalonians 5:17
My friend wears a pedometer to count the number of steps he takes. His healthy goal is to take ten thousand steps daily.
Let’s suppose that each of us wears a pedometer and makes a goal to pray for people in our life’s path. We pray silently for neighbors as we pass their house, for associates as we go by their work station and for players at the ball game. God’s Word instructs us to “pray constantly,” so we pray as we go wherever our ten thousand steps take us.
A church-wide prayer walk is a simple, effective way to inspire members to pray. It can be an hour, day-long or ongoing event. The prayer walk could launch a church plant, revival, or new church ministry. It could target a subdivision or campus. Your city streets will be filled with church members—some strolling, some jogging, some with a walker or wheelchair or baby stroller—praying as they go, talking to God about people who need to know Him. Need a few starter ideas for planning a church-wide prayer walk?
“Circle the City” Prayer Walk. On a large city map, make a circle of 1” stick-on paper dots spaced around the parameter of the town (or a one-mile radius of your church.) Members sign a dot to commit to prayer walk from that dot clockwise to the next dot on the circle, surrounding your city in prayer.
“My Zone” Prayer Walk. Each member selects a specific area to prayer walk, such as their street, neighborhood, apartment complex or office building. My son’s church charts prayer walk assignments online or you can simply use a highlighter and a map.
“To the Heart of Our Town” Prayer Walk. On a large master map, members put a stick-on dot where they plan to begin their prayer walk toward the church. Directionally-challenged walkers can use a GPS. Some walk a block; others walk miles, but all paths lead to the church building where prayer walkers will rally for snacks and celebration.
Permanent Prayer Walk Path. A North Dakota church built a lovely prayer walkway around their church’s acres. Members walk and pray for church ministry and outreach.
A church-wide prayer walk can open members’ eyes to ministry and witnessing opportunities around them. Read Sprinkle’s Follow Me, ibsaprayer.blogspot.com and nppn.org for prayer-walking instructions, and make a plan to fit your church.
Ten thousand steps. Ten thousand prayers. It’s hard to fathom the potential impact! Maybe it’s time to go get your pedometer.
©Diana Davis 2009. Diana, author of Fresh Ideas (B&H ’07) and Deacon Wives (B&H ’09), is the wife of Indiana Baptist’s executive director. www.keeponshining.com
