I wanted to share this video with you of my Pastor at one of our Communion Services. We don't do communion like most churches. This 10 minutes will bless your life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzKf23r1Lks
Remember,
Excellence Matters!
Robin Ware
www.thewareagency.com
www.ladyetiquettepresents.com
www.robinmware.com - coming soon!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Prepare for New Year's Eve Visitor's
New Year’s Eve is next Wednesday. This is one of the CME holidays so use it wisely to influence the unchurched!
1. Create a flyer INVITING them to church. Most flyers are designed for the churched and not the unchurched. Be careful of using too many titles. Use the KISS principle – keep it short and sweet. Why? You don’t have much time to attract their attention and you catch more with honey than you do with vinegar. Ask your Grandmother for help with this one if you didn’t get it.
2. Post the flyers in unchurched places. It always amazes me that I see flyers for the unchurched at Christian bookstores, or in Christian newspapers and saved magazines. To go after the unchurched, you have to meet them where they are. Consider buying ad space in the mall, in the local health club, on the sides of the local bus or other modes of public transportation, or even in the restrooms in the hottest club in town.
3. Use the internet. There are tons of free places online to attract “a new crowd” if you just utilize them. If you are clueless, ask your teenagers their favorite websites and begin there.
Co-sponsor a New Year’s event with your local radio station. The radio mentions and controversy it will stir up alone will far outweigh what you paid.
4. Offer door prizes. Ok, I know you can’t call it this, but you know what I mean. And of course, present them at the end of service. The unchurched understands what it means when you say “you have to be present to win”. It’s the churched that leaves before the benediction.
Host a concert and use secular artists along with gospel artists. Make arrangements with the secular artists to “keep it clean” and the gospel artists to “keep it holy” and you’ll be fine.
Now when “your new crowd” arrives, here’s how to make them feel welcome:
1. Update your voicemail with the New Year’s Eve information. Be sure to include directions, times of service, special details and dress attire. Chances are they will call the day of or even 1 hour before for information.
2. Reserve parking for First Time Attendees. Make sure your VIP and special seating is reserved well before the doors open. It’s embarrassing to ask a visitor to move because they are sitting in Deacon Joe’s seat.
3. Try to prevent First Time Visitors from having to sit in the overflow section. Overflow seating isn’t desirable to most church folks so imagine how a First Time Visitor feels. I know you’re saying they should get there on time but you remember when you went to clubs, it was fashionable to be late. If possible, reserve the last 2 rows until 11pm. Also, ask your Deacons, Elders and Ministers to give up their seats. I’m sure they’ll do it willinglyJ.
4. Print bulletins that are useful and not full of “churchy” stuff that First Time Visitors won’t understand. Give them “meat” that they can chew on well after the service is over.
5. Give out business cards. Consider printing business cards with your church information on one side and the entire 2009 calendar or a Tip chart on the back so they’ll be inclined to keep them.
6. Start on time.
7. End on time.
8. Prevent gaps in the service.
9. Keep the temperature comfortable.
10. Clean the restrooms throughout the service.
Bonus: Serve breakfast or comfort foods (fried chicken, French fries etc.) immediately following service and you may actually get a chance to touch (evangelize) and love on your guests.
If your parking lot has challenges – meaning it may take 30 – 45 minutes to depart – have a plan to increase the number of exit lanes. And, as a sign of your final hospitality, offer complimentary coffee and hot chocolate in the parking lot. It will make a great lasting impression on everyone!
Remember Excellence Matters...!
Robin
1. Create a flyer INVITING them to church. Most flyers are designed for the churched and not the unchurched. Be careful of using too many titles. Use the KISS principle – keep it short and sweet. Why? You don’t have much time to attract their attention and you catch more with honey than you do with vinegar. Ask your Grandmother for help with this one if you didn’t get it.
2. Post the flyers in unchurched places. It always amazes me that I see flyers for the unchurched at Christian bookstores, or in Christian newspapers and saved magazines. To go after the unchurched, you have to meet them where they are. Consider buying ad space in the mall, in the local health club, on the sides of the local bus or other modes of public transportation, or even in the restrooms in the hottest club in town.
3. Use the internet. There are tons of free places online to attract “a new crowd” if you just utilize them. If you are clueless, ask your teenagers their favorite websites and begin there.
Co-sponsor a New Year’s event with your local radio station. The radio mentions and controversy it will stir up alone will far outweigh what you paid.
4. Offer door prizes. Ok, I know you can’t call it this, but you know what I mean. And of course, present them at the end of service. The unchurched understands what it means when you say “you have to be present to win”. It’s the churched that leaves before the benediction.
Host a concert and use secular artists along with gospel artists. Make arrangements with the secular artists to “keep it clean” and the gospel artists to “keep it holy” and you’ll be fine.
Now when “your new crowd” arrives, here’s how to make them feel welcome:
1. Update your voicemail with the New Year’s Eve information. Be sure to include directions, times of service, special details and dress attire. Chances are they will call the day of or even 1 hour before for information.
2. Reserve parking for First Time Attendees. Make sure your VIP and special seating is reserved well before the doors open. It’s embarrassing to ask a visitor to move because they are sitting in Deacon Joe’s seat.
3. Try to prevent First Time Visitors from having to sit in the overflow section. Overflow seating isn’t desirable to most church folks so imagine how a First Time Visitor feels. I know you’re saying they should get there on time but you remember when you went to clubs, it was fashionable to be late. If possible, reserve the last 2 rows until 11pm. Also, ask your Deacons, Elders and Ministers to give up their seats. I’m sure they’ll do it willinglyJ.
4. Print bulletins that are useful and not full of “churchy” stuff that First Time Visitors won’t understand. Give them “meat” that they can chew on well after the service is over.
5. Give out business cards. Consider printing business cards with your church information on one side and the entire 2009 calendar or a Tip chart on the back so they’ll be inclined to keep them.
6. Start on time.
7. End on time.
8. Prevent gaps in the service.
9. Keep the temperature comfortable.
10. Clean the restrooms throughout the service.
Bonus: Serve breakfast or comfort foods (fried chicken, French fries etc.) immediately following service and you may actually get a chance to touch (evangelize) and love on your guests.
If your parking lot has challenges – meaning it may take 30 – 45 minutes to depart – have a plan to increase the number of exit lanes. And, as a sign of your final hospitality, offer complimentary coffee and hot chocolate in the parking lot. It will make a great lasting impression on everyone!
Remember Excellence Matters...!
Robin
Monday, December 22, 2008
Crisis can happen within YOUR Ministry
Last week, I was shocked when the 6 o'clock news ran a story about a well respected pastor admitting to a "personal indiscretion" that was leading him to leave his mega church for 2 years to go through restoration and healing. A few months ago, I watched another church share thier disblief in having their air conditioning units vandalized ($38,000 to replace) to steal about $900 worth of copper. Years ago, I remember a prominent pastor being rediculed in the media for giving the policemen in his precint $1000 Christmas bonus which was illegal for them to accept and they had to return the checks or lose their jobs. In all of these cases, my mind shifts to crisis management mode. When I teach my workshops, I always ask the host pastor and leaders if they have a crisis management plan. Most do not. They never think it could happen to them. I break it down and explain that having a crisis management plan is as important as having an annual budget. If you don't handle a crisis correctly, it could cost you your membership.
From the time we enter elementary school, we are taught the importance of having a crisis management plan - remember those fire drills where we were told to remain calm and stay low. Being from the midwest, we practiced tornado drills where everyone was directed to the hallways or to a storm shelter. These plans were also posted PROMINENTLY on the walls of our classrooms. Churches ae not exempt. Any public gathering place should have such a plan. Now, it doesn't matter what the crisis is, YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN. Here's a quick outline of the tips I share during my workshops:
1. Prepare
It's amazing how quickly a situation can grow from a managable opportunity to a major crisis because of the lack of preparation. In layman's terms, if you ignore your change oil light and continue to drive your car for months, you could burn out your entire engine. Once your engine is burnt out, you are looking at a repair bill that could have been $40 to change the oil to thousands of dollars to replace an engine or to even purchase a new vehicle. Sit down with your leaders and identify fire hazards in your church, potential safety issues (are all of the locks working properly, do you use your alarm system, has the code been changed on a regular basis so not too many people have it, have you practiced fire drills during a Sunday service, are your air conditioners in a fenced and locked area so vandals won't target them for their copper?) and risk management opportunities (is there a Security person present any time the building is unlocked, do you have a safe to lock up valuables or offerings that can't be deposited until a later date, do you have a plan to dispose of weapons or drugs that may be left at the altar following a deliverance service, are you performing back ground checks on EVERY leader EVERY year).
2. Identify a Spokesperson
Teach your members how to respond to the media. They are to say "no comment". Identify who the authorized voice of the ministry is and share with your members that only this person is authorized to give comments to the media as well as to invite the media to your church. This person should be well spoken, well educated/trained, works well under pressure and media savvy. Hint, it should not be the Senior Pastor.
3. Train the Executive Office
If a situation arises, train your Executive Office to not discuss the particulars of the case with anyone. Employees and volunteers in this area can harmlessly sink ships. Updates should only be communicated by the authorized spokesperson to not only the media but to the congregation.
4. Don't Delay in Responding
Failure to address a situation is bascially admitting guilt. It may be difficult to phathom that trusted Deacon Smith mishandled the church finances, but it's a possiblity so take the time and investigate. Be careful to handle it professionally so if the investigation doesn't uncover any wrongdoings, no one's reputation has been tarnished.
5. Seek Legal Representation
Laws change and are updated all the time. Invest in legal counsel to represent your ministry so that you are compliant with all local, county, state and federal laws. Don't assume because you are a church, you are exempt from following certain guidelines. And, don't make the mistake of believing members that THINK they know the law, pay the price for an attorney to ensure you have someone assisting you that DOES know the law.
These 5 items will assist you in getting your crisis management plan started. Look out for more ministry tips in this blog!!!
Remember,
Excellence Matters...!
Robin
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Learn the value of Twitter
Twitter is the latest web 2.0 product that is catching on like wildfire. I have been working on convincing my church community world to get on board. Right now, its not in the top 2 (MySpace and Facebook) social networks but it's coming. Unlike MySpace, you do not have to create and decorate a page. Unlike Facebook, you do not have to type a lot of text -in fact, Twitter will only allow you to type 120 characters, so the shorter the better.
To help you get started, I wanted to share with you that I listened to a great blogcast hosted by my friend Pam Perry of the Chocolate Pages network featuring Warren Whitlock and Sherese Duncan. They shared tips that will enable you to understand Twitter and why you should be "tweeting" right now! Check it out at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chocolatepages
Thanks!
Robin
To help you get started, I wanted to share with you that I listened to a great blogcast hosted by my friend Pam Perry of the Chocolate Pages network featuring Warren Whitlock and Sherese Duncan. They shared tips that will enable you to understand Twitter and why you should be "tweeting" right now! Check it out at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chocolatepages
Thanks!
Robin
Monday, December 8, 2008
How to Prepare Your Church for CME (Christmas, Mothers Day and Easter)
Excellence Matters
By
Robin M. Ware, CMP
How to Prepare Your Church for Christmas, New Years and Easter (CME)
Most true church folk can define what the initials CME means. For those that aren’t familiar with it, it means Christmas, Mothers Day and Easter. These are the three traditional holidays that the unchurched are likely to visit and attend a church service. These “special visitors” may already be filled with apprehension so we must do all we can to make sure they have a wonderful visit during all of their experiences at church. It is during these holidays that the parking lot overflows, the sanctuary seats overflow and the restrooms look like they were hit by a tornado.
It’s awesome that more and more ministries are focusing more on SERVICE. Please allow me to share 15 tips that I believe will propel ministries to receive guests in an excellent manner so much so that perhaps they will not only attend during CME, but will actually join!
Is this really necessary? Yes! You only get one time to make a first impression. With that shared, we are going to begin with what I call the First Impression ministries. I came up with this phrase earlier this year and it defines the four areas in ministry that I believe define or communicate to members and visitors the service commitment of the church. They are the Parking Lot team, the Greeters, Hospitality and Security. We will begin with the Parking Lot team.
Parking Lot
1. Organize a Parking Lot Ministry if you don’t already have one. If you don’t have the manpower or experience to do it right, think out of the box and hire a Valet service. They will provide a team of experienced workers that have proper insurance to handle your parking lot AND park cars. It goes without saying, but do not allow your volunteers to park cars if you aren’t properly insured or trained in this area. It is not worth the liability. Provide Communication training to this team and make sure they understand they must be available 2 hours prior to service and until the last vehicle departs.
2. Purchase “Spot Lights”! These are the incredible bright lights that you often see at car dealerships. They are a great way to draw a crowd to your building. This lets the community know that something major is happening here. Rental is about $150.
3. Say Yes to Neon. It’s a good start for your Parking Lot team to wear matching polo shirts but you want to make sure they are easily visible. Purchase neon colored coats or vests depending on the season and flags for your workers to wear and use so it is obvious they are working the Parking Lot. During CME season, place additional workers in the parking lot. Be sure to place at least 2 at each entrance to easily direct the flow of traffic and place one additional worker at the entrance of the current available parking section so they can direct drivers to the next available parking space. Also, provide your workers with walkie-talkies so that they can easily communicate with one another.
4. Color code sections of the parking lot if necessary. Purchase 4’ (yes, 4 foot not inches) round inflatable balloons in multiple colors and place in the parking lot. This will help your guests identify the area they parked in. Budget $20 per balloon.
5. Create Car Pool Spaces. For anyone that arrives with 4 or more in their car direct them to a special lane close to the door so that they are basically rewarded for sharing the ride!
6. Create a Children’s Parking Section. Direct anyone with small kids to a special section to park. Try to make it as close to the front as possible. Place a volunteer in a character costume and a “kid friendly” Greeter in this section to welcome the families and direct the parents to the Nursery and Children’s area of your church. People with small children will greatly appreciate the convenience!
7. Reserve spaces for Senior Citizens. This goes without explanation. They’ll appreciate this every Sunday!
8. Red Carpet adds pizzaz! Rent a Red Carpet and roll it out on the walkway that leads from the parking lot to the main entrance. Nothing says VIP like a red carpet! Rental is about $100 for a 50’ roll.
9. Be sensitive to timing. If you have a large influx of traffic 1 hour to 2 hours prior to your start time, convert one of your EXIT lanes to an ENTRANCE lane so that you increase the number of lanes coming into your facility. Of course, use the same logic at the end of your event. Also consider creating IN only entrances and OUT only exits. Lastly, direct your guests upon parking to park backwards if that will help them exit easier and help increase the flow of traffic exiting at the end of your event.
10. Be prepared for overflow parking. If possible, secure parking in a neighbor’s lot, or secure parking farther away for your leaders and shuttle them to your church so that your guests will have parking at your building.
11. Additional Parking. If necessary, secure additional parking further away and provide complimentary shuttle service for everyone. Use this opportunity to really show your hospitality! Think like a theme park. Make sure your vans are pristine! They should be clean and have a soft non offensive air freshener smell. Also, place a Step On Guide on each van. A Step On Guide is the official welcoming person from your Greeters Ministry. They engage the riders in warm conversation (provide a script to ensure each Step On Guide is saying the same thing) being sure to answer any questions while on the ride to your facility. They should also have a small basket of candy to offer each rider and a welcome brochure highlighting your ministry. Lastly, play a looped commercial recorded by your Pastor welcoming the riders, explaining the shuttle drop off and pick up system, where the nursery is, and other important details about your church. It should end with music samples from your choir – I don’t recommend trying to sell any product on this recording.
12. Prepare for Parking. It goes without saying, but for VIP’s and invited special guests (guest artists, choirs, dignitaries or speakers), reserve special parking and provide written printed direction prior to their arrival detailing which entrance they are to use and where in your parking lot their spaces are reserved. If necessary, provide a layout of your parking lot and highlight their spaces and email it to them. Have your marketing team create signs that identify these spaces as well. I recommend you place their names on the signs. Be sure to provide your Parking Lot team with their names so that they are prepared to direct them to these special spaces with no drama.
13. Use trash cans! Place “attractive” trash cans in key areas in your parking lot and directly outside the entrance to your church. This will encourage everyone not to litter. Direct your Parking Lot team to assign a trash rotation to change out the liner every 30 minutes or per hour based on use. Note: resist the urge to place marketing materials on the windshields of cars. Allow your Greeters to provide this material to guests upon entrance to the building.
14. Timing is everything! On New Years Eve, if it is going to take your guests more than 30 minutes to vacate your parking lot, consider having fireworks as a sure fire way to keep them entertained and distracted from the fact that it is taking 30 minutes to vacate the parking lot. Also consider setting up a beverage station outside and providing complimentary cups of coffee, hot chocolate, coloring books and crayons for kids, or apple cider so that your guests will be comfortable in their cars while waiting to depart.
15. Use Signage! Upon departure, have your marketing team create signs that are placed in the parking lot thanking your guests for visiting and encouraging them to return. Have a volunteer dressed as a favorite character at the exit and wave goodbye and pass out candy suckers to all the cars. This will be one last final touch that I guarantee will make a lasting FIRST IMPRESSION!
Robin Ware is the President of the Ware Agency ATLANTA. Here agency works with churches and small business owners to operate in excellence. Learn more about her at www.thewareagency.com.
By
Robin M. Ware, CMP
How to Prepare Your Church for Christmas, New Years and Easter (CME)
Most true church folk can define what the initials CME means. For those that aren’t familiar with it, it means Christmas, Mothers Day and Easter. These are the three traditional holidays that the unchurched are likely to visit and attend a church service. These “special visitors” may already be filled with apprehension so we must do all we can to make sure they have a wonderful visit during all of their experiences at church. It is during these holidays that the parking lot overflows, the sanctuary seats overflow and the restrooms look like they were hit by a tornado.
It’s awesome that more and more ministries are focusing more on SERVICE. Please allow me to share 15 tips that I believe will propel ministries to receive guests in an excellent manner so much so that perhaps they will not only attend during CME, but will actually join!
Is this really necessary? Yes! You only get one time to make a first impression. With that shared, we are going to begin with what I call the First Impression ministries. I came up with this phrase earlier this year and it defines the four areas in ministry that I believe define or communicate to members and visitors the service commitment of the church. They are the Parking Lot team, the Greeters, Hospitality and Security. We will begin with the Parking Lot team.
Parking Lot
1. Organize a Parking Lot Ministry if you don’t already have one. If you don’t have the manpower or experience to do it right, think out of the box and hire a Valet service. They will provide a team of experienced workers that have proper insurance to handle your parking lot AND park cars. It goes without saying, but do not allow your volunteers to park cars if you aren’t properly insured or trained in this area. It is not worth the liability. Provide Communication training to this team and make sure they understand they must be available 2 hours prior to service and until the last vehicle departs.
2. Purchase “Spot Lights”! These are the incredible bright lights that you often see at car dealerships. They are a great way to draw a crowd to your building. This lets the community know that something major is happening here. Rental is about $150.
3. Say Yes to Neon. It’s a good start for your Parking Lot team to wear matching polo shirts but you want to make sure they are easily visible. Purchase neon colored coats or vests depending on the season and flags for your workers to wear and use so it is obvious they are working the Parking Lot. During CME season, place additional workers in the parking lot. Be sure to place at least 2 at each entrance to easily direct the flow of traffic and place one additional worker at the entrance of the current available parking section so they can direct drivers to the next available parking space. Also, provide your workers with walkie-talkies so that they can easily communicate with one another.
4. Color code sections of the parking lot if necessary. Purchase 4’ (yes, 4 foot not inches) round inflatable balloons in multiple colors and place in the parking lot. This will help your guests identify the area they parked in. Budget $20 per balloon.
5. Create Car Pool Spaces. For anyone that arrives with 4 or more in their car direct them to a special lane close to the door so that they are basically rewarded for sharing the ride!
6. Create a Children’s Parking Section. Direct anyone with small kids to a special section to park. Try to make it as close to the front as possible. Place a volunteer in a character costume and a “kid friendly” Greeter in this section to welcome the families and direct the parents to the Nursery and Children’s area of your church. People with small children will greatly appreciate the convenience!
7. Reserve spaces for Senior Citizens. This goes without explanation. They’ll appreciate this every Sunday!
8. Red Carpet adds pizzaz! Rent a Red Carpet and roll it out on the walkway that leads from the parking lot to the main entrance. Nothing says VIP like a red carpet! Rental is about $100 for a 50’ roll.
9. Be sensitive to timing. If you have a large influx of traffic 1 hour to 2 hours prior to your start time, convert one of your EXIT lanes to an ENTRANCE lane so that you increase the number of lanes coming into your facility. Of course, use the same logic at the end of your event. Also consider creating IN only entrances and OUT only exits. Lastly, direct your guests upon parking to park backwards if that will help them exit easier and help increase the flow of traffic exiting at the end of your event.
10. Be prepared for overflow parking. If possible, secure parking in a neighbor’s lot, or secure parking farther away for your leaders and shuttle them to your church so that your guests will have parking at your building.
11. Additional Parking. If necessary, secure additional parking further away and provide complimentary shuttle service for everyone. Use this opportunity to really show your hospitality! Think like a theme park. Make sure your vans are pristine! They should be clean and have a soft non offensive air freshener smell. Also, place a Step On Guide on each van. A Step On Guide is the official welcoming person from your Greeters Ministry. They engage the riders in warm conversation (provide a script to ensure each Step On Guide is saying the same thing) being sure to answer any questions while on the ride to your facility. They should also have a small basket of candy to offer each rider and a welcome brochure highlighting your ministry. Lastly, play a looped commercial recorded by your Pastor welcoming the riders, explaining the shuttle drop off and pick up system, where the nursery is, and other important details about your church. It should end with music samples from your choir – I don’t recommend trying to sell any product on this recording.
12. Prepare for Parking. It goes without saying, but for VIP’s and invited special guests (guest artists, choirs, dignitaries or speakers), reserve special parking and provide written printed direction prior to their arrival detailing which entrance they are to use and where in your parking lot their spaces are reserved. If necessary, provide a layout of your parking lot and highlight their spaces and email it to them. Have your marketing team create signs that identify these spaces as well. I recommend you place their names on the signs. Be sure to provide your Parking Lot team with their names so that they are prepared to direct them to these special spaces with no drama.
13. Use trash cans! Place “attractive” trash cans in key areas in your parking lot and directly outside the entrance to your church. This will encourage everyone not to litter. Direct your Parking Lot team to assign a trash rotation to change out the liner every 30 minutes or per hour based on use. Note: resist the urge to place marketing materials on the windshields of cars. Allow your Greeters to provide this material to guests upon entrance to the building.
14. Timing is everything! On New Years Eve, if it is going to take your guests more than 30 minutes to vacate your parking lot, consider having fireworks as a sure fire way to keep them entertained and distracted from the fact that it is taking 30 minutes to vacate the parking lot. Also consider setting up a beverage station outside and providing complimentary cups of coffee, hot chocolate, coloring books and crayons for kids, or apple cider so that your guests will be comfortable in their cars while waiting to depart.
15. Use Signage! Upon departure, have your marketing team create signs that are placed in the parking lot thanking your guests for visiting and encouraging them to return. Have a volunteer dressed as a favorite character at the exit and wave goodbye and pass out candy suckers to all the cars. This will be one last final touch that I guarantee will make a lasting FIRST IMPRESSION!
Robin Ware is the President of the Ware Agency ATLANTA. Here agency works with churches and small business owners to operate in excellence. Learn more about her at www.thewareagency.com.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Partner Appreciation at the dReam Center church
left: Joanne Thomas
left: Joanne "running" and Pastor Murphy running behind her.
left: Shouting John nominees
left: Our Executive Team
below - Dr. Kristie Roberts with her Partner of the Year award.
left: Joanne "running" and Pastor Murphy running behind her.
left: Shouting John nominees
left: Our Executive Teambelow - Dr. Kristie Roberts with her Partner of the Year award.
We had a fabulous time last month at my church. We took the time out of a service and honored some of our partners (we don't call our partners members. Partners take ownership and share in the risk and reward of belonging. Members just belong and don't
take ownership. They come and go at will...ok - I know but it's real)...
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