SUMMER: Neighborhood Fun Night!

You may have noticed that my last few summer posts have not been about planning and organizing huge events but about pulling back and relaxing. I'm quite convinced that, as a church, in some ways, we try too hard and trust too little. Since summer is a time for slowing down and forcing things never really works anyway, why not relax a little bit and stop trying so hard to push Christ into people's lives and just invite them to join in a neighborhood fun night. No in-depth study, no sermons, no pushy questions, just hanging out, playing some yard games, and having some face-to-face conversations. Don't push... plant... and trust that the Spirit will move in their hearts in God's time.

Among the many you already know about, here are a few great yard games:

• Big Birdie Golf - This looks SO fun!!
• Yard Twister - A fun twist to the indoor game.
• Mini Disc Golf - Inexpensive but challenging.
• Hide some "treasure" in the yard for a treasure hunt.
• Frisbee Tic-Tac-Toe - Section a shower curtain and pin it to the ground.
• Basket Frisbee Golf - Cute idea but needs a bunch of laundry baskets.
• Croquet, Horse Shoes & Bean Bags - Oldies but goodies.
• Water Balloon Toss - Sometimes it's fun with partners, tossing and catching them with towels.

Don't forget to make some really crazy medals just for fun!

(you can make them out of small paper plates and markers or jewel them up a bit)

LEADERSHIP: Purpose = Practice

As I was taking my daily walk today (and a beautiful breezy day it is!), I walked past at least 3 churches with VBS signs out and it made me want to ask them... why do you do Vacation Bible School? Some are a few days in the morning, some a few evenings, and a few have VBS on a weekend or Saturday and Sunday morning. I kept walking and thinking of all the different reasons, wondering when the last time was that anybody asked that question in each of those churches. People should know why they're doing something... and then determine if their practice is actually following their purpose. When was the last time you asked...

• Why do we do VBS? Does what we do support that reason?
• Why do we have a youth group? Does what we do with the youth support that reason?
• Why do we have contemporary/traditional worship? 
• Why do we have a board of directors? Do they do what supports that reason?
• Why do we do it that way?
• Why...?

And if there aren't many things to ask why about, take a moment to ask... why don't we? What is the purpose of each ministry in your church and does your practice equal your purpose? If you're doing something without a reason, maybe you should think twice about it. If you're not doing something, maybe you should think about that too.

SUMMER: Don't make plans... make disciples.

One of my favorite family memories is dinner. My mom drove us crazy because she made us turn off the TV  and when we did that, oddly enough, we started talking... to each other. The topics have changed but to this day we have great conversations during meals when we get together. We are a religious, philosophical, and funny family and nobody would believe our crazy conversations but through them my parents were doing their part in making us disciples. Another memory, and one of our family jokes, is that whenever we put up our tent it rained. You know when great conversations happen? When everybody's trying to sleep in a tent while it rains. "Don't touch the sides of the tent!"

So, here's my absolute favorite and best resource for your congregation this summer. Set aside the structure, the constant event planning, organized game playing and programming, and encourage the families in your congregation to spend time at the cabin, camping, hanging out in the yard, eating dinner on the porch, taking a walk after dinner, inviting the neighbors over to sit in the yard, and hanging out with their church friends at the lake. Talk about anything and everything, about life, the mysteries of the world, animals, God, the stars. Find out what people are thinking and don't lecture or correct. Listen. Respond. Talk. You won't see it but they will grow. You will grow. Faith will grow. Making disciples isn't about forcing conversations or formal programs. It's about looking, listening, laughing, loving, and living... with God.

LEADERSHIP: Want the opinion of the people?

There are many times when we think we might want to offer a class or event to members of our congregations but we just don't know if they're interested.  One way to find out is to add a poll to a church electronic newsletter, website, or even your Facebook wall.  There are a few different ways it can be done but using Poll Code is the easiest thing I've ever done.  You just type in your question and add the code (or the link to it) to the newsletter or website.  If you want to add it to your Facebook wall then click on the Facebook button and voila!  You can even send it in an email. Just think of the interesting information you might get from your church website or your Facebook wall once people start liking and/or sharing it!

Would you (and/or a friend) be interested in attending a parenting teenagers class at Lutheran Church?
	Yes
	No
	Maybe
pollcode.com free polls

VBS: Easy Online Registration!

Looking for a simple way to create online registration for your VBS? It's really easy to use a Google Form. Just create a Google Drive for yourself or your church and click on CREATE Form. I admit I didn't choose the coolest background or colors but here's a sample I created for you:  Lutheran Church VBS Registration Form. I added the picture of my fake VBS curriculum and just used the simple text question type and a multiple choice for the grade level because for that one they can only choose one answer. You can then send links through email, embed them in your church's webpage like I did below, or create a link for your website or electronic newsletter.

All the information will be automatically saved in a spreadsheet and you'll have all your registration information at your fingertips. Give it a try!!

CONFIRMATION: Electronic Flashcards Sites

Did you know there are easy-to-use websites that provide the ability to create online flashcards with quizzing?

This one called Flashcard Exchange already has some for the Small Catechism thanks to many who found it before me. You can sign up for free and create your own for Scripture memory work. It also has a quizzing utility. The cool thing on this site is that there are cards already created for many Catechism categories including the questions and answers. It would be cool to use those questions with the Bible reference answers. This is a cool site but there are so many ads that it feels really complicated to use. Mobile apps are also available.

There's also one that I consider a step up (and I'm not sure why) called StudyBlue. The quizzes are pretty good and it keeps track of scores. There isn't anything for the Catechism or confirmation already created but when I looked at religion there were a few created about Martin Luther and/or Lutheran History. It also has apps for Apple and Android phones so kids can take their memory work with them wherever they go.

And then there is Quizlet. For some reason I liked this one best and it seems like it's well used. It also not only has flashcards but keeps track of what is learned, creates quizzes with short answer, matching, and multiple choice questions and also has some already created. As with the others the user can determine what types of quiz questions they want and whether or not they want to be prompted with the word/phrase or the definition. It is also available for Apple and Android phones.

CHECK THESE OUT!

YOUNG ADULTS: Congrats on Graduating - Now what?

Yesterday I posted on a great video for young adults/college graduates so today I want to say something about grads in general. It's another year of graduations and graduation open houses and it's all very exciting but it's kind of like a wedding. Party today because tomorrow life changes. Some will be moving into a college dorm next year and they may or may not attend a Christian college or university and even if they do it doesn't mean they'll be spiritually fed. Others will hit the pavement and start looking for a job. Some may even include a move to another city or state. What can you do to make sure your young graduates remain connected to a church?

If they're moving on to college:

• Know where they're going.
• Keep in touch as they transition.
• Contact a few congregations near the school and ask them to reach out.
• Get the names of a few people so they don't feel so awkward when visiting.
• Use social media to keep in touch throughout their college experience.

If they're graduating college: 

• If they're moving find out where.
• Keep in touch as they transition.
• Contact a few congregations in the area, let them know somebody new is moving to the neighborhood and ask them to reach out. 
• If they're not moving then reach out and help make them a part of the regular congregation by getting them involved in something right away.
• Give them a role in the congregation by putting them on a committee or board. (I don't recommend they be youth counselors for a few more years or they may have difficulty transitioning into an adult role.) 

If you are in a congregation in a city/town where there is a college:

• Make connections at the school.
• Get permission to put up fliers to post church information.
• If possible, find out about any Christian clubs or organizations on campus and connect with them.
• Have a specifically chosen contact person for them for when they visit. 
• Let them know you can provide transportation if necessary.

Every congregation is a part of the bigger church and we to need work together and communicate with each other to make sure this age group is not left behind.