If you read my previous post challenging churches to use a Facebook page for  and outreach,I have good news for you.

Yale Wall, the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana Media Specialist, gives very simple, specific instructions to help a church set up a Facebook page.

You can read it at

http://www.scbi.org/images/scbi/ibm/aprmay/techtalkfacebooksetup.pdf

He also has an article about it here. Click on “Social Networking for Churches.”

Great resources!

Here’s my Fresh Ideas article that’s in today’s Baptist Press. See it here”

Baptist Press or Article in Baptist Press or pasted below:

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INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Ahh, spring! Kids’ sports teams are practicing everywhere. It’s such fun to encourage and support your child’s extracurricular activities. I admit, however, that I occasionally begrudged the multitudinous hours spent in practice, meets, tournaments and games.

That attitude changed dramatically one day. I was looking around at coaches and players, and their parents, relatives and friends, when I suddenly realized that God had placed me there for a strategic purpose. Here were dozens of people who didn’t know Christ, and we would be together in those bleachers for weeks. God had called me to the “bleacher ministry.”

What if every Christian child and parent in your church saw their sports season as a mission too? Need a few fresh ideas?

1. Be intentional. Before the season begins, chat as a family about ways God may use you. Ask God to open doors and guide you.

2. Personalize. Work hard to learn names, beginning at the first practice. Study the roster and cheer for players by name. Make a point to introduce yourself to parents, and keep a notebook in your car to help recall. A simple “Hello, Heather” can mean a lot to a lonely mom.

3. Move it. Sit near different people at the games, and get to know them. Carefully avoid being part of a clique.

4. Listen well. There are needs all around you. When problems or crises occur, be ready to act. Send a card. Promise to pray for them.

5. Live it. People are watching to see if God makes a difference in your life. Smile. Have fun. Treasure your child. Let your words, actions and demeanor reflect Christ. Absolutely avoid criticism or bad sportsmanship. Never forget that you are God’s ambassador — his “letter” to those parents who don’t know Him. As others observe your relationships, your positive parenting and your Christ-like attitude, they’ll be drawn to Him.

6. Do something extra. Be available. If you’re asked to do help, do more than expected. Volunteer your yard for the end-of-season team cookout. Share game photos. Call to check on a sick teammate. Seize every opportunity to show God’s love.

7. Carry a few church brochures or invitation cards, and be ready to share them when the opportunity arises. Invite your child’s Sunday School teacher or church children’s minister to a game, then proudly introduce them to other parents.

Lastly, if your church provides a sports league, such as Upward, build a bleacher ministry into the strategy. Ask Christian parents and other church members to attend games with a ministry purpose.

An estimated 45 million kids play organized sports in the U.S. each year. That’s a mission field larger than the population of Canada. God can use you to impact entire families if you’ll let Him. A simple kind word. A life of integrity. Has God called you to the bleacher ministry this season?
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Diana Davis is author of “Fresh Ideas” (B&H Publishing) and wife of the North American Mission Board vice president for the Midwest region. Visit her website, www.keeponshining.com.

Almost every time I get to speak with ladies at a church event, I make a big deal of encouraging them to find an evangelistic tract to keep in their handbag. It’s surprising how often God will open a door to share about Him when we’re prepared and ready!

I was just thinking that maybe I should give you a good example of a usable tract. My new favorite witnessing tract is made by MemoryCross.com. It’s made with a simple folding technique, where the person changes the Scriptures as he or she reads it. People can hardly put it down! Take a look at the website to see a video demonstration and you’ll see why people love to read them. Bbelieve me—it’s so simple that any child can do it. One that I’m using is called “What does the cross really mean?”

Even more than that one, I love their folding tracts that are tied to holidays (Easter, Halloween tract, Christmas and Valentine tract) and the “thank you” tracts designed to give your favorite food server. Here’s a YouTube video of of a success story—WOW!  They are really fun to give because you can be certain they’ll read them several times.

One thing I like about these is that most of them have a blank space on the last page where you can write your name and email or church name. So if you leave one with your waitress, she can contact you or come to your church.

One more thing, for those of you who have children at home or who work with children in church or school. Check out the Scripture memory cards, wonderful evangelism tracts and other Bible teaching tools.

I just ordered some Easter tracts, and can hardly wait for them to arrive! Praying God will use you and me to share with those around us who are seeking Him.

Here’s my newest “Fresh Ideas” article.

Fresh Ideas

Ten Tips for a Church Facebook Page

By Diana Davis

Take this quiz:

-       If your church could make free public announcements to thousands of your own members’ friends, would you do it?

-       If there was a simple way to help members and guests feel more connected to your church, would you use it?

Small and large churches across our nation are effectively using a Facebook organization page to enhance in-reach and outreach. Should your church have one?

Do the math. Ask for a show of hands to find out how many church members use Facebook. The average Facebook user has 130 registered “friends,” so if just twenty church members use Facebook, that’s 2,600 people who could read posts about your church. One hundred members with Facebook could touch 130,000. This is multiplication at its best. Convinced?  I interviewed several churches to compile these tips to help you get started.

Tip #1:  Begin well. Study other churches’ pages for ideas. Use tips from Facebook’s help section to create your church organization page. Then ask church members and guests to “like” (join) so posts will display on their newsfeed.

Tip #2:  Keep it short. Want posts to be read? Keep them very brief. Give basic info to ignite interest and provide a link to the church website for more details.

Tip #3:  Add a graphic. Attract more readers by attaching your church logo, event logo, a photo or graphic to posts.

Tip #4:  Post regularly. Consider allowing several leaders or members to post. Two or three posts per week would be desirable.

Tip #5:  Keep it positive. Never forget that thousands of people may read posts. This is no place for whining. Positive posts convey the emotion and reality of true fellowship and confidence in God.

Tip #6:  Connect. Announcements help readers feel connected with the church. Tell about the upcoming men’s breakfast, kids’ camp or Easter celebration. Announce a new Bible class, staff member or benevolence project. Communicate weather cancellations or disaster relief.

Tip #7:  Develop a relationship with the reader. Be authentic and encouraging. Tell the story of God at work in your church and in individual lives. Encourage readers to comment or add photos. Their personal enthusiasm and involvement will add excitement and draw readers to your church and your God.

Tip #8:  Use video clips. Professional video isn’t necessary; a flip camera will do. Video 1- or 2-minute clips of members sharing life stories about God’s power. An Indiana church posted a hilarious video of a tithing rap. Introduce the upcoming sermon series, peek into a youth Bible class or show senior adults exercising.

Tip #9:  Different groups, such as a Bible class, worship team or youth group, could have another Facebook page for communication. My neighbor noticed an announcement from our women’s ministry on my Facebook and asked about attending a Bible study!

Tip #10: Wait just a minute. It takes seconds to write a post, and it’s online immediately. Before submitting, re-read carefully to check tone, grammar and spelling. It represents your God and His church, so do it very well. Pray for God to use it to touch lives, then hit “post.”

Oh, this doesn’t take the place of face-to-face outreach and fellowship, of course, but it may enhance your church’s impact. Half of active Facebook users log in on any given day. If your church members’ Facebook friends log in tomorrow, will they learn something about what God is doing at your church?

©Diana Davis 2011 www.keeponshining.com

Here’s a great way your church can shine for Jesus this Valentine’s Day!

Fresh Ideas
Valentine Cookie Extravaganza
By Diana Davis

Invite your community to stop by your church this Valentine’s Day to receive two dozen free homemade heart cookies. This fresh ministry project, a true labor of love, is a sweet and personal way to say “God loves you” and “we care.”

Step 1: Set a big goal. A few weeks ahead, challenge individual church members to sign up to bake several dozen homemade heart-shaped cookies. They can vary in size, and may be plain, simply frosted or elegantly decorated. Remind volunteers to pray as they bake. If twenty members of a small church bake five dozen cookies, those 100 dozen cookies can touch fifty new families for Christ! A larger church’s goal could be several hundred dozen.

Step 2: Invite the town. Post an exterior sign: “Free homemade Valentine cookies! Please stop by February 14 between Noon and 2PM to receive our gift of love: two dozen heart cookies.” Print business-card-size invitations for members to distribute. Deliver door hangar invitations to the neighborhood around the church. Submit a newspaper story about the project, with a quality photo of a member baking cookies.

Step 3: Prepare well. Set beautiful tables of cookies in a convenient foyer and plan a simple pick-up process. The gift will include a church brochure, newsletter, note from the pastor, and Valentine-themed evangelism tract (i.e. Valentine Memory Cross or Happy Valentine’s Day).

Step 4: Joyfully give. On the day of the event, folks come in and choose two dozen cookies, which are packaged for them by friendly church members. Each person is treated as an important guest, and hot cider and cocoa are served to those who want to relax and visit. A “decoration station” allows kids to frost and sprinkle a large heart cookie, and every person is verbally invited to Sunday worship. Absolutely no donations are accepted. This is a gift.

When cookies are gone, post an exterior sign, “Oops! Our 7,000 homemade cookies are gone. Please take a brochure, and know that you’re loved by God and Hope Baptist Church.” After the event, package leftover cookies to deliver to nearby businesses and shut-ins. This project can also be done as a Christmas Cookie Extravaganza.

It’s a major effort but a Cookie Extravaganza will “get-’em-in-the-doors” and provide an effective way to touch lives and love them to Jesus!

©Diana Davis is author of Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry (B&H Publishing) and wife of Indiana Baptist Convention’s executive director. www.keeponshining.com

We visited worship with our son and daughter-in-law in Ohio this weekend, and saw a great idea there. 

We all know that small children can’t usually listen all through the sermon. I love this idea that keeps their hands busy and their focus on Jesus. A note in the bulletin explains it:

 Worship Bags Available.

We welcome children of all ages to worship. Realizing that our younger ones sometimes become restless, the Christian Education Team has arranged for children’s worship bags. These bags are available at the rear of the worship center or from ushers on Sunday mornings. Enclosed in the bag should be some crayons, a children’s worship bulletin, paper and a couple of extra activity sheets. Chidlren will also find a Magna-Doodle and some other quiet toys as well as some Bible stories.  Please return all permanent items to the bags and return the bag to the table after worship. The bags will be refreshed each week.

Is your church planning a Christmas pageant or drama or concert? God could use that event to reach people for Him. You can read this article at Baptist Press.com or below:

Fresh Ideas

Powerfully Purposeful Pageants

By Diana Davis

Isn’t it awesome that Christmas music appeals to people who don’t even know Jesus? With minor adjustments, your church Christmas pageant, concert or drama can be a major evangelistic opportunity. Need fresh ideas?  

The Prayer Principal

• Begin every pageant planning team meeting or rehearsal with prayer for unsaved people who will attend.

Personalized Promotion

• Ask every participant and church member to give pageant tickets to five unchurched friends.
• Send a top-quality e-invitation to the entire church database so they can forward it to their address book, post on Facebook or twitter about it.
• Stage a Christmas backdrop and take digital family photos before and after Sunday worship. Members can download it into printed or e-invitations for their friends.   
• Everyone invites! Kids’ choir gives invitations while caroling at the mall. Youth fill an entire section with friends. Bible classes invite recent church guests. Singles gather friends for an after-pageant coffee. Staff members hand-deliver invitations to city leaders. Senior saints bring friends and nursing home residents to an afternoon dress rehearsal.  

Perform without Pretention

• Present the pageant with a positive attitude and a servant heart. That means no complaining, bickering, fretting or bowing. Point all the glory to God.
• Share God’s plan of salvation. The Pastor might conclude the presentation, asking guests to check a box on their registration card indicating their interest in accepting Christ as Savior, or request information about the church. Promise they’ll be contacted within a week.   
• Printed program includes invitation to worship and church Christmas events.

Post-Production Project Pursues Prospects

• An after-pageant Blitz event takes place a week after the event.
• From day one, print Blitz date on rehearsal schedules. Every pageant participant or helper is involved. Invite Sunday School leaders, church staff, and willing church members.
• Blitz the town. Assign teams of two or three to visit each guest who made a decision. Return for a big party, with testimonies, report-back whiteboard, pageant videos and fellowship.   

Potential Problem 

Oh, yes. There could be one possible dilemma to this pageant plan. You may have to add one or two additional–but purposeful–performances.

 This Christmas, will you limit your pageant’s reach to God’s family, or will you purposefully share it with those in your community who don’t yet know Him?

It’s a tongue twister worth rehearsing:  Peter Piper packed the pew for a powerfully purposeful pageant.

 © Diana Davis is an author, tongue-twister expert  and wife of Indiana Baptists Executive Director. Her latest book is Deacon Wives (B&H ’09). See www.keeponshining.com

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

• Ladies’ Day Nov 13 for Northeast Baptist Association churches.
• Pastors, Deacons and Wives Training (with Steve) for East Central Baptist Association churches, Oct.2, Halteman Village Baptist Church, Muncie IN
• Deacon and Wives retreat (with  Steve) for Southwest Baptist Association churches, October 15-16
• Ladies’ Retreat September 18, Fellowship Baptist in Richmond IN

And thanks for your prayers, my friends!