The NEXT Conference

There's a lot of great conferences happening this week, and we'll be at one of them. For the first half of this week, I'll have the pleasure of being at the NEXT Conference with Pastors Ron Sylvia, Hal Myer, Randy Smith, Jim Cowart, David Melendez, Steve Wood, Paul Wirth and Bryan Gerstel.

This is our third year with the conference, originally launched under the "Purpose Driven" umbrella, now coordinated in conjunction with Passion for Planting. These are smaller, regional conferences held a few times a year. I always leave this conference so amazed and excited about all of the new churches starting!

This current conference takes place tomorrow in Ocala, FL and will be hosted by Sylvia's church the Springs. If you live in the area, pop on by for this FREE Conference. If you miss this one, Ron & Co are leading a pre-conference intensive at the National New Church Conference and will be in Lynchburg, VA in June. I promise you - you will leave invigorated and excited about your new church plant or re-launching your existing plant.

Inreach: Volunteer Appreciation

Every once in awhile, we have the pleasure of bringing you guest columnists; pastors who share their learnings and practices "from the field". Below is one such article.


Journeying Towards Encouraged Volunteers
by Brian Stevens


Every church, every ministry, every team within a ministry context shares a common challenge: getting great volunteers on board. Whether you are leading youth, running a kids ministry program, delivering meals to seniors or planting a church from scratch, you need volunteers. And once you have them, you have to retain them!! If you take 5 minutes to browse your latest catalog from CBD or head off into your local Christian bookstore, you will find a boatload of advice for treating your volunteers well.

Three years into a church plant in the suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, I’ve managed to learn a few tricks that just might help you in your ministry context. So, at the risk of duplicating what that whole boatload of books might tell you, here’s what we’ve done that we find to be helpful with attracting and retaining volunteers:

Ask Early
We are committed to asking people to take some form of responsibility after the 3d time they are our guests. If the music, preaching and people haven’t driven them away screaming within 3 visits, they are statistically very likely to stay for the long haul. So, we ask people very early to get involved. People love responsibility and the feel of being connected. Who are we to argue with that? We plug them in to set up teams, coffee teams, red carpet (welcoming) teams—anything and everything that is entry level. We make sure to clearly and repeatedly give people permission to say “no.” And then we ask. In fact, we tell people to expect calls from ministry team leaders who are recruiting volunteers.

Train Faithfully
All new volunteers are given instructions. Some jobs are very simple (setting up chairs, arranging goodies on trays, etc) and need very little training. Others require more management. Whatever the need, we supply it. We have people shadow for a week or two on their new job. We can’t toss volunteers to the sharks.

Remove Roadblocks Aggressively
Folks who miss worship to minister to kids receive a CD of the service that is instantly burning after the closing prayer. Our Set up/tear down teams (“Hero Teams”) get an email through ConstantContact to remind them of their upcoming set-up gig. In that email, they can link to a list of substitutes in case they can’t make it or they can simply hit ‘reply’ to let their team lead know that they will be there. Those are both high touch ways to remove a couple big roadblocks to serving. Every roadblock we face can be removed with a bit of creativity, technology or ingenuity.

Thank Frequently
Our volunteers are all thanked each Sunday before they leave. Their team leaders see to it that they are thanked. I personally thank every volunteer I run across on Sundays. It seems like a small thing to do, but it pays massive dividends. Later that day, all volunteers receive an emailed “Worship Update” via ConstantContact. In that email, they are thanked for their work, given a link to the week’s teaching in MP3 format (in case they didn’t get the CD), and all “wins” are celebrated in that email. If someone comes to faith that morning, it is celebrated by all volunteers almost instantaneously.

Communicate Often
We have no bulletin at The Journey. Instead, we have a weekly ‘e-Blast’ sent through ConstantContact. We use the e-Blast to announce upcoming events, classes and such. More importantly, we use it to cast and re-cast vision, to share what’s going on and to honor a different volunteer each week in a ‘volunteer spotlight.’ The e-Blast has become a significant vehicle for thanking volunteers, recruiting volunteers and sharing our vision with all the whole body.

Now you’ve got our recipe for treating volunteers well. Of course, no matter what you do, there may be some folks who feel underappreciated or unappreciated. To combat that, you may consider using a great variety of approaches (not just ours!) that will help you value your volunteers effectively.

Blessings!!

Brian Stevens
Lead Pastor of The Journey

PCI Workshop: Harvest School of Ministry

Over the years, we have had the great pleasure of working with Harvest Bible Fellowship / "Harvest Bible Chapels" (HBC). HBC has such passion and drive to plant churches all over the world, and we have had the opportunity to work with many of them. We have worked with in the different facets of system design, transportation, equipment supply and system infrastructure.

On Wednesday, we will host the Harvest School of Ministry here on site and will have the privelege of meeting six of their pastors / students that will be planting churches in the next year. We are having a Workshop Forum for their pastors, and will be covering everything from facility selection to different case studies to technology considerations. The workshop is a half-day and will hopefully allow them to engage with our consulting, sales and tech staff in an open forum where they can ask questions and we can share best practices. Additionally, I think the experience will allow them to see first-hand our fire and excitement to be a part of the planting process.

If you are planting a new church, leaving your building, going multi-site, re-launching or moving facilities and would like more information on our Portable Church Workshops, let us know! Our goal is to create experiences for you that will allow you to learn and engage, not only with us but with other experts and pastors who have traveled the road before you.

Happy Monday!

1.800.939.7722

kendra@portablechurch.com

Spotlight On: The Meeting House

The Meeting House, part of the Brethren in Christ, is a multi-campus church currently meeting in the Famous Players Silver City Theatres in the metropolitan Toronto area.

Toronto, the fifth largest city in North America, is the cultural and business hub of Eastern Canada and home to over 7 million people. The Meeting House, located about 60 miles from downtown Toronto, was established to reach not only the suburbs of Toronto, but Toronto itself.
Portable since their origins in 1986, The Meeting House has seen many evolutions, including two name changes, two pastors, and more than five venues. In 1998, under the leadership of Bruxy Cavey, their attendance skyrocketed to over 1000 members.

“Our growth is an anomaly according to Canadian standards. It’s unheard of,” says Site Development Pastor Rich Birch. “The average church in Canada is 70 people and rapidly dropping,” he said.

The church growth was so rapid, in fact, that a video overflow room was created. “We got to the point where our video overflow room was actually holding more people than our main meeting area” laughs Birch.

In 2002, two groups of visitors changed the geographic scope of The Meeting House. A group from Hamilton, ONT and denominational leaders visited the growing church and respectively ended up in the maxed-out video overflow room. Each group found themselves discussing the possibilities of video overflow. The group from Hamilton considered the possibilities of tapping into The Meeting House teachings from their own home-town and the denominational leaders began wondering about the possibilities of using video to expand The Meeting House’s congregational network.

On Easter of 2002, The Meeting House launched their first regional site in Hamilton. “At first, I’m not sure we had an incredible amount of vision” said Birch, “but the seekers started coming and Hamilton’s growth started taking off. We moved out of the high schools and into our current venue (Famous Player’s Silver City Theatres).”

Today, there are five video campuses meeting in local Silver City Theatres all over Metropolitan Toronto. There is live local programming for worship, music and announcements; the teaching is broadcast on the venue’s large video screens. For now, The Meeting House regional locations remain on a teaching week-delay but have recently put a bit more focus into going live. Cavey conducts an open forum Q & A session at the end of each service and wants to be able to take questions from each regional site “live”.

The Meeting House has six locations in Ontario – Oakville, Brampton, Hamilton, Uptown Toronto and Tri Cities Area. You can visit their website for more information.

The Meeting House whose motto is “A Church For People Who Aren’t Into Church” is constantly pushing the bounds in creativity and technology. Below is just such an example from their current video series entitled "What the Worst That Could Happen?".

Inventory Sale - February 2007

Call Our Offices for Pricing, as they are too low to publish. 800.939.7722

A STOCK

• 1 Allen & Heath AH-WZ-20S Allen & Heath Mix Wizard 16 Channel Mixer
  
  
• 1 Articulate Signs AS-BNRT-10x4 10' x 3' Text Banner "Main Service Entrance" - Black Text on White Banner
  
  
• 1 Articulate Signs AS-INSMS Interior Stand Mount Sign (18' x 32'), 1-Sided "Nursery & Toddlers" - Black Text on White
  
  
• 1 Articulate Signs AS-INSMS Interior Stand Mount Sign (18' x 32'), 1-Sided "Restrooms" - Black Text on White
  
  
• 10 Artistic Churchware AC-RW-50 Offering Bag Color: MAROON
  
  
• 2 Artistic Churchware AC-RW-50 Offering Bag Color: NAVY
  
  
• 1 Artistic Churchware AC-RW-506A Miniature Bread Tray - To Convert Communion Tray to Whole Body Tray (Silvertone)
  
  
• 1 Ashly ASH-4.24C Ashly Protea System II 4 In 8 Out Digital Crossover
  
  
• 1 Audio Technica AT-ES943c Audio Technica ES943c Miniature Cardioid Condenser Lavalier Microphone
  
  
• 3 Aviom AVI-AN-16/i-M Input Module w/16 XLR 1/4" Connectors
  
  
• 1 Aviom AVI-AN-16SBR A-Net Pro16 System Bridge - 1 sp
  
  
• 1 CNG Technologies CNG-PP-BUNDLE Parent Pager Software Bundle (incl. Check-In System, Pager Agent, & Pager Agent Database) - Site License incl. all computers of the church
  
  
• 1 Comprehensive Video COM-CVG-81AS 8 x 1 S-Video Switcher

Read More....

Super Bowl Theology

by Brian Koehn

As I watched the SuperBowl this weekend, I was reminded of an article that I read many years ago that used a sports analogy to describe what it was like to lead the staff of a growing church.

In the early days, it's like playing tennis: You're out there on your own. If you drop the ball, you have to pick it up yourself.

Later on it's like a golf foursome: This is perhaps the most enjoyable phase, when the leadership team enjoys close relationships and communication comes naturally.

Leading a larger church is more like basketball: Now you have starting players vs. second string. You have to work at teamwork and maintaining relationships.

Then a really big church is like football: Now it feels like you have completely separate teams. Some players aren't even watching the game as they talk to their own coach in preparation for their turn on the field. Communication and coordination are huge challenges that require all kinds of technology.

It was a great article! Still relevant. Wish I knew how to find it again....

Easter Season FAQ's

I've been talking to quite a few pastors today who are launching / relaunching for Easter 2006. I've been answering a few of the same questions, and thought I would address them here.

I am launching Easter 2007, when should I book my consultation?
Right now! We still have some dates available for onsite assessments and designs. The typical consultation is done M-F over a 1.5 day period.

After the consultation, how soon do I need to place my order for an Easter Launch?
For a full system, our preference is 5-8 weeks.

How soon do I need to place an "equipment only" order for an Easter Launch? For cases & a trailer, our preferencs is 2-3 weeks. For just cases or just trailers or just equipment - turn around is identified on a case by casebasis (no pun intended)

How Can I Be Sure That You Can Deliver the Equipment by the Launch Date?
We can deliver up to 5 churches on any given weekend. If there is still a team available on the date you are requesting, we will schedule the delivery date and teams as soon as your order is placed. If there isn't another slot available on your requested weekend, we will look into other possible dates and work to come up with creative and resourceful solutions for you.

Yikes! It's less than 5 weeks to launch, and I'm Just Now Calling You...
No worries. We can still help you. Call our office directly at 800.939.7722 for a personalized recommendation for your situation. We'd love to be a part of the work you are doing!

Fostering a Good Relationship with Your Rental Facility

As we enter into the portable church Easter Launch/ReLaunch Season, many of you are finalizing deals with your future and potential landlords. As you put the final touches on your agreement, here are some things to keep in mind.

Negotiating the Economics
Contrary to our instilled desires to “find the best deal”, that is not necessarily the case when negotiating the rent for your building. In the case for most portable churches, where you are moving in and moving out every week; the best deals are not the ones with the smallest price tag.

You want the final financials (how is that for alliteration) to equal an amount that makes the landlord of your establishment want to care about whether or not you are there for the ensuing years. By establishing an amount that not only helps the profitability (and therefore stability) of your rental facility, you are allowing yourself an opportunity to have a more flexible relationship.

For instance, as you grow and change, you may want to use different aspects of the facility to enhance your ministry. Because you are a constituent that has placed value on paying a fair price, you are likely to find more flexibility and service from your proprietor. A fairly compensated landlord wants to make you a happy renter!

Negotiating Equipment Use
As a company, we have worked with close to 1,000 churches. We have seen churches buy their own equipment and move in/out every week as well as the churches who negotiate to use the facilities equipment.

As we said in our “How to Choose the Right Facility” article, “we do not recommend utilizing the venue’s ‘offered’ equipment. When the movie theatre manager tells you to “feel free to use our speakers”, we encourage you to seriously consider other options before committing to use a “free” piece of equipment. Remember – the movie theatre’s livelihood depends on the use of that speaker system. It takes only one false move by a well-meaning volunteer to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue for the movie theatre, and thousands of dollars from your budget for compensation. It is often a good decision to invest in your own equipment up-front, rather than run the risk of mitigating your landlord’s ability to safeguard his investment, and spend thousands of more dollars in the long run!”

If economics preclude you from purchasing a system that meets your needs, call a vendor (like PCI) to see if any clients are selling used equipment. Many times, churches we’ve worked with in the past are moving into a building, and are interested in selling their equipment.

Some churches opt to permanently install needed equipment into the venues they are renting. While this may suit your short-term needs, it may not lend itself to your future ones. A permanent install may very well limit your ministry mobility and flexibility. You want to have the equivalent of a “rolling permanent install”. You want the ability to move from room to room, from theatre to theatre without having to move permanently installed fixtures.

Negotiating Storage
Obviously, as suppliers and inventors of storage infrastructure, we prefer our method of Customized Equipment Cases and Customized Tow Trailer. This method requires little to no negotiation with your venue proprietor and gives you the utmost flexibility from the get-go. Box Truck solutions may represent more commitment or assumed liability on your landlord as they may require loading docks and / or lift gates at the facility.

In some cases, you may be able to negotiate storage at your rented venue. In a school, we have seen churches store equipment in a locked room not currently in use by the school. Alternatively, the rooms located under the bleachers are often a good location for storage. In a movie theatre, you may be able to negotiate use of the area behind the screen. Be careful, however, as the movie theatre’s clean-up method may leave popcorn and other such debris all over your equipment (and/or cases).

Respecting Your Rented Space
Immediately after signing your rental agreement, establish the Route of Communication with your landlord. Ensure that cell phone numbers, email addresses and point of contact are updated regularly. Make sure that you and your team is reachable should your venue contacts need to reach you. This will go a long way in creating a great relationship between you and your property director.

Establish a rule right away: You Break It, You Fix It. Make sure that you and your team claim ownership and fault for your missteps. Years ago, one of our staff members was serving as a volunteer for a tear down crew at their portable church. She accidentally crashed into a drinking fountain with a piece of equipment. The collision ended up taking the fountain right off the wall! The team called the janitor immediately and paid to have the drinking fountain fixed before the doors of the school even opened on Monday morning.

Whenever possible, find ways to show appreciation not only to your landlords, but to other key players as well. Stage managers, teachers and janitors can be key players in renting a school atmosphere. When purchasing gifts or cards for those key players, think in units of measure that your landlord understands – learn their core vocabulary. Knowing what they find relevant and enjoyable will help you come up with creative ways to honor them for their time, their patience and their graciousness.

One church in Osseo, Minnesota picks one day a year to show appreciation to their teachers by organizing and working at a Service Day twice a year. This includes everything from cleaning to landscaping to painting. The church wants to be key players in contributing to a better environment at their rental facility.

Leaving the Right Impression
Make sure you are consistently keeping the portions of your rental area clean and organized. Have someone do a run-through at the end of each service to ensure that no equipment or debris has been left behind.

Likewise, you can create a great first impression by making sure your equipment is organized in a professional manner. Bringing things in piece-meal or in a disorganized fashion does not propagate good will from teachers and movie-theatre managers. Bring your equipment into the building in a way that suggests you are careful, organized and conscientious.

Finally, always monitor the relationship you have with your contacts frequently. Check in often and regularly to ensure that expectations are managed and met on both sides.

Final Thoughts

This article is designed to represent the best practices we've seen and employed during our years in this ministry based business. If you have other ideas to share (even if you are not a PCI Client) we'd love to hear them! Hearing from you helps us refine our processes, our advice and our continuous improvement plans. If you are looking for personalized information or advice, call our offices at 800.939.7722. We'd love to hear what you're doing out in the field!