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 Replace negative or outdated signage.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.

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.

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

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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

So your church has called a new pastor…or youth minister or other staff member.  Need an effective way to say “welcome?”

Try this idea! Prepare a notebook of”welcome forms” froma group who will be partners with her in coming days of ministry.

For example, deacon wives could prepare a welcome notebook for the new pastor’s wife. All the youth teachers and leaders could prepare a notebook for the new youth minister. 

Prepare a form similar to this one, but fit the questions to your church and her ministry.

Dear Pastor’s Wife… Welcome!

Deacon wives at ______ church are glad you’re here.

(One form to be completed by each deacon wife)

My Name_________________________________________

You can call me “_____________”

__You can count on me to be your prayer partner, friend, supporter and favorite sister!

 My husband: _____________ 

Children: __________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________(My address is marked on the attached map)

Phone: _________________

Email: _____________________________________________

Employment or interests: ________________________________________

One thing I’m involved in outside the church is ________________________

Something else I enjoy:__________________________________________

My favorite restaurant, bakery or coffee shop in our town:________________

One thing you’ll love about our town: ________________________________

 My favorite ministry involvement in church is  ________________________

My spiritual gift is _____________________________________ (Eph 4:7-12)

A favorite Scripture of mine is: ___________________________

One thing you’ll like about our church: _____________________

The best thing about our church is __________________________________

 Call me when… (just check a few)

___ You need a laugh

___ You need prayer

___ You get lost in town

___ You need a friend

___ You need a babysitter

___ You need a ride to church

___ You want to meet for coffee

___ You want help unpacking boxes

___ You need an encouraging word

___ You forget what time worship begins

___ You need someone to pick up the kids at school

___ You’d like company on a hospital or ministry visit

___ You need to find a ____________________(i.e. doctor, mall, dry cleaner)

___ I’d love to help you with: ____________________________________

(Example:  I work in the school district, like planting flowers, will introduce you to all our homebound members sometime, help you with computer, cooking, decorating, etc.)

 —–

You could distribute the forms by email, asking the participants to email a digital photo to accompany the form.

I was the pastor’s wife in a church with a large ministry staff.  As we added various staff members, we’d prepare a form similar to this to quickly make the staff wife feel welcome.  All our current staff wives would complete the form.

It’s difficult to make a move. Try this simple way to give her a warm welcome.

“I was a stranger and you took me in….” Matthew 25:35

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• Pray for Steve and I as we lead Kentucky Baptist Convention’s Pastor / Deacon / Wives Retreat this weekend in Bowling Green.
• Coming February 1 – Thirty Days to be a better deacon’s wife. Daily blog with simple tips to improve your serve.
• Coming March 1 – Thirty Days to improve your church’s women’s ministry.

Great news!  I received an invitation to write several devotional articles for Open Windows, a devotional magazine with 750,000 subscribers. Can’t wait!

Isn’t  our God is full of great surprises?  Reminds me of the  Scripture that says “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,and no mind has imaginedwhat God has prepared for those who love him.”2 Corinthians 2:9

And for those of you who are following, here is a list of my articles published this month FYI:

Baptist Press – Southern Baptist news

LifeWay.com – website – There’s an Angel on that Roof and Scriptural Beginning

Let’s Worship magazine – “Powerfully Purposeful Pageants”

Deacon Magazine – “He Said/She Said column”

State Baptist Papers:

The Indiana Baptist – Live Nativity Scene

Florida Baptist Witness  – Ultimate Christmas Party

The Illinois Baptist – Scriptural Beginning

Kentucky Baptist Western Recorder – Live Nativity Scene

South Carolina Baptist Courier – Live Nativity Scene

Penn-Jersey Baptist – Explosive Christmas Party

Colorado Rocky Mountain Baptist – Live Nativity Scene

The Hawaii Pacific Baptist – Nursing Home Ideas

Wyoming Southern Baptist Horizons – Live Nativity Scene

The Iowa Baptist – Explosive Christmas Party

The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist – Missionary Connections

For lots more ideas for your church’s Live Nativity Scene:

See my article printed in Baptist Press today!

(This article will also appear in the next issue of Indiana Baptist.)

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. 

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?

• Establish a connection with a missionary who came from your church or your state.  Contact the missions department of your State Convention office for names of missionaries from your state. For North American Missionary, apply online or call 800-634-2462.  For international missionaries call 800-999-3113 ext 7826.
• Connect with an IMB missionary in a country where members of your church travel for business or pleasure. Call 800-866-7826 or www.imb.org. One of the best ways to connect with an IMB missionary is to attend a Summit.
• Connect with a NAMB missionary near your church, such as a church planter, collegiate minister, denominational leader, chaplain, etc. To make a connection, contact your state convention office or apply online or email missionaryencourager@namb.net or call 800-634-2462.
• Consider buying and furnishing a house for furloughing IMB missionaries. Our church’s mission house was booked years ahead and each occupant became a “face of missions” for our church.  Register your church’s mission house with WMU and minister to a missionary.
• Plan short-term mission trips to assist an IMB or NAMB missionary.
  • For international trips, contact your regional missional church strategist or 800-999-3113 ext 7826.
  • For mission trips in North America, see NAMB missions opportunities site or call your state convention office.   Check out Family Mission Trips, Baptist Builders projects, Campers on Mission, Disaster Relief, New Orleans Operation Noah Rebuild,  Appalachian or Mississippi River Ministries, or browse The Bridge for hundreds of mission trip opportunities across America. 
  • Your state convention or association may also plan mission trips, both national and international. 
• Help students or adults in your church go as a short-term, summer or career missionary. What greater connection could your church have?!
  • For info: North American Missions, click on Sojourners, summer missionary, semester missionary, innovator missionary,  US/C2 missionary,  Mission on Short Term missionary,   Missions Service Corps missionary,  apprentice, associate or a career NAMB  missionary.
  • For international missions opportunities— for 2-3 year missions such as ISC, Journeyman (young singles), or Masters (age 50+), many different missions projects and plans for youth, college and seminary students , volunteer missions assignments, or career  missionary. Email your IMB mobilization specialist or call 800) 999-3113 ext. 7826.
• If your church adopts an unreached people group, a regional missionary will assist you. Encourage that missionary. This is an amazing opportunity for any size church!! Please contact your IMB regional missional church strategist  for info, and order the free DVD titled “Touch YourWorld, Reach the Nations” at 800-999-3113 extension 7819 or email imb@imb.org . 
• Invite furloughing missionaries to speak at your church and get to know them.
  • Contact your regional mobilization church strategist for IMB missionaries or call 800- 999-3113 X7826.
  • For NAMB missionaries, call (770) 410-6000 or make an online request.
• Study SBC websites for great connection resources. www.sbc.net, www.imb.org, www.namb.net, www.wmu.com.
  • Order free monthly missions fliers for church bulletins.
  • Display SBC missions magazines – examples:
    • IMB’s “To the Ends of the Earth” (free) and “Kids On Mission” (free)
    •  NAMB’s OnMission Magazine
    • WMU’s Missions Mosaic
• Use missions videos and video clips often. You’ll be in awe of the quality video resources available to you:
• SBC’s free downloadable videos
•  NAMB’s  missions videos and video clips and podcasts (all downloadable free)
• IMB videos and videoclips (inexpensive; many free)
• Plan a Missions FilmFest and invite viewers to write a featured missionary
• There are dozens of other free or  inexpensive booklets , posters, maps , prayer calendars, missionary spotlights and more.
• Show church members how to subscribe to free e-newsletters about our missionaries: 
• IMB has over a dozen excellent topical e-newsletters and many of our missionaries have websites or regular email newsletters for updates.
• NAMB’s OnMission e-magazine is informative and inspirational and there are a dozen topical e-newsletters, too.
• Study the websites for lots more ways to connect with our missionaries. 
  • There’s a Last Frontier Clock, email subscriptions, and lots more. You can receive a daily list by email of all those IMB or NAMB missionaries with a birthday that day, and pray for them by name. Education and personal participation in SBC’s missions will excite and enliven your local church!

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:

• Relate your goal number to the number of IMB missionaries – 5,239. For example, challenge the church to give a total of $1 for each missionary – goal of $5,239; or $10 per missionary—goal of $52,390.   
• See more ideas for setting goals here.  

©Diana Davis is Indiana Baptist executive director’s wife and author of several books. www.keeponshining.com

Baptist Press published an article of mine about ministering to widows. Click here to take a look .

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