Tuesday, March 29

Making Splashes or Wave Machine?

Our staff and elders were in a meeting the other night and the question was purposed: how do we get people into Church? A few ideas flew around and while none of them really stuck, a train of thought did. One of the elders mentioned that we have been splashing around a lot in our planning.

What is the difference between a splash and a wave?

1. A wave has momentum. Look up Andy Stanley and look for momentum. Essentially something builds on something. For example if you have the most first-time guests on Easter, this is a good place to start momentum or a wave. Leading up to easter weekend is a great time to look at your follow-up for first-time visitors, does it need overhauling or adjusting?

2. A wave has its own momentum and will carry people along when they get close to it. We all have enough to do between logistics or work, family time and trying to eat and sleep. If it is a wave it will continue without you there. In fact, you may hold it back if its fully hinges on you.

3. A splash does not move beyond itself. A splash is fine except once it is over there is nothing to show for it. For example, having an after-church luncheon just because it would be good to fellowship is a splash. There is nothing wrong with it. But once it is over... it's over.

4. A splash is usually inward focused. Splashes, even outreach splashes, can be inward focused. Let's go door-to-door in a neighborhood and invite people/strangers to church. It makes the people who do it feel good, but when was the last time you went to anything a stranger invited you too?

5. A wave takes planning and is a long-haul kind of thing. If you do invade a neighborhood with the Christian intention of getting people to church, find an "in" with someone already in the community and plan on making yourself a regular in this neighborhood.

6. A good question is: will what we are doing change someone's life forever? This is why weekend retreats can be so incredibly powerful if done correctly with proper follow through.

What are some other wave-makers and how do you build momentum?

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