For the past 10 years my family and I have attended Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN. During this time we’ve watched God do amazing things through the church and in particular, the youth ministry. Our daughter grew up in this ministry (check out the LHSM FB page), so we’ve seen first hand how God used this ministry to positively impact her life.

Brian Mills is Long Hollow’s student pastor and he is passionate about reaching young people for Christ. In a previous post, I covered Brian’s 5 keys to selecting a location for your church youth camp (read here). In today’s post I’m going to share his thoughts on how to program your youth camp for maximum spiritual impact.

1. Build around evangelism – It all starts with the speaker. They should be good communicators and passionate about sharing the Gospel. It’s also important to remember the kids (and adults) need a fresh face, a fresh voice. Not one they’ve heard on Wednesday night for the past year.
2. Worship – Select a worship band that’s humble and willing to do what is asked of them. Their focus should be solely on leading kids in worship.
3. Keep the program fresh – Don’t fall into a rut each day. Interject games, videos, laughter and other ideas to get the kids relaxed and more open to the Gospel when your speaker takes the stage.
4. Be intentional creating groups – Camp is a great opportunity for students to play together and get to know each other. This can make a huge difference when they get back to school in the fall.
5. Keep them busy – Students don’t like to get bored. Keep the schedule moving and engaging. The more free time you give them, the more opportunity for them to get into trouble.

Remember, camp is day one in the youth ministry year. It sets the stage for all that will happen the next school year. As a result, don’t procrastinate when it comes to planning camp. The longer you wait, the more you run the risk of camp being haphazard and not as powerful as it could be.

For camp to be successful, students need to have fun, enjoy fellowship and be impacted by the Gospel. What are you going to do today to help make it happen?

In just a couple of weeks, churches all over the country will begin taking their students to camp. Whether that camp is run by Centrifuge, Student Life, etc., or the church does its own camp, this time at camp is critically important to the spiritual growth of the students who attend. Many will make first time decisions to follow Christ or rededicate their life to Him, while others will surrender to the call of ministry.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk camp with Brian Mills, youth pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church. Brian is a pro when it comes to taking students to camp. This summer he and his Long Hollow Student Ministry team are hoping to take 1,500 students and adults to camp!

Sure, that’s a lot of folks. But, whether you’re taking 15 or 1,500 to camp, the success of your time at camp really boils down to just 2 things…location and program. Choose a great location, but have a weak program, or the other way around, and the spiritual impact of camp will be negatively impacted.

So, in this first of a two part post, I asked Brian to talk about what he believed to be the key factors when selecting a location/facility to take his students to camp each summer. Here are the 5 keys he listed:

1. Remoteness – Doesn’t really matter if the camp is actually out in the middle of nowhere, just so long as it feels that way. The more remote it feels, the easier it is for students to let go and engage.
2. Spiritual atmosphere – This one’s a little tougher to quantify. Really comes to down to why the facility exists. You’re much more likely to create a spiritual atmosphere at a Christian camp or conference center than you are at hotel or condos on the beach.
3. Ability to control the environment – You can have a great program, but if you don’t have any control over what else may be happening at the same location you could be in trouble. This can be a very significant issue if the facility you’re using is public and not private, such as Christian camp or conference center.
4. Easy to keep the boys and girls apart – Do I really need to explain this one?
5. Varied recreation options – Don’t forget, most kids go to camp because they want to have fun. Make sure the location you choose has enough options to keep ‘em busy having fun!

Definitely some good helps from Brian. Any other keys you’d like to add to the list?

Last month I posted links to a couple of articles dealing with meeting trend predictions for 2011 (read post here). Over the recent holidays, I had a chance to do a little Internet surfing and check out what more folks were saying about new meeting trends in 2011.

Most everyone seems to be agreement that technology will have the greatest impact on meetings and events in 2011. With that in mind, here are 5 “what’s hot, what’s not in 2011″ items for you to consider:

1. Conference phone apps vs Conference program books – The options for creating a conference phone app to replace printed program books are almost endless, limited only by your budget. However, with a little research, you can find free and low-cost options that could meet your needs.
2. Collecting meeting date via wufoo.com vs Collecting data in Word documents – Wufoo is a site offering easy to use online HTML form builders, giving meeting planners the opportunity to collect and share data online, in real time.
3. Creating a Prezi vs Creating PowerPoint presentations – Again, new technology that can help take presentations to the next level.
4. Smart phone audience response vs Counting raised hands – Our pastor actually used this in church yesterday. He asked a series of 3 questions, people would text their responses and then we watched as totals on the screens were updated in real time.
5. Water stations vs Water bottles – While not technology related, it is related to the 2nd most popular trend in meetings…going green. Not only is this one environmentally friendly, it could also save you money!

Curious. How are you planning to utilize new technology in your meetings or event in 2011?

As 2010 comes to a close, it’s only appropriate that we take a little time to look at what the experts are predicting will be the hot meeting trends in 2011. Below are links to 2 excellent articles produced by meeting management organizations. While they are primarily targeting large meetings, I believe all those involved in planning Christian meetings (or retreats) of any size can find a nugget or two that will help in the coming year.

11 Meetings technology trends to watch for in 2011

PMUSA previews 2011 meeting trends

What about in your part of the meeting and retreat world, any new trends you see on the horizon?

I recently had the opportunity to attend  Christian Camp and Conference Association’s national conference. It was held at Ridgecrest Conference Center and the theme this year was, “Mosaic…accomplishing more together”.

We are long-time members of CCCA and were excited to have the honor of hosting this year’s conference. We were also quite nervous as this was the first time in almost 30 years that CCCA had chosen a member facility to host this very important conference. Last year’s conference was held at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs and the year before at Disney’s Coronado Springs in Orlando.

To say the bar was set pretty high would definitely be an understatement. However we had an ace up our sleeve that we felt would allow us to more than hold our own against those other very nice properties. The advantage we had is the same advantage you will find at any Christian conference facility, and that is the ability to help create community.

Hotels and convention centers are created to host meetings and conferences. They do a good job of providing sleeping rooms and meeting space. What they don’t do a good job of is providing a place where a group/organization can come together and build community. By this I mean they don’t really provide a place, or way, for attendees to come together and easily network in an informal manner, outside the scheduled meeting times. On the other hand, most Christian conference/retreat centers are created in such a way as to help make this happen naturally.

At Ridgecrest, this informal networking happened primarily over meals. The ability for everyone to come together for breakfast, lunch and dinner was huge. Last year at The Broadmoor, most folks skipped breakfast (cost too much), grabbed a box lunch in the exhibit hall and then scattered to have dinner somewhere in Colorado Springs. As a result, any community building that took place was on a small scale and had to be very intentional.

This year, in contrast, people would come into the dining hall at Ridgecrest and interact with different folks at every meal. By the second day you could see the results of this fellowship as people would wait until the last possible minute to leave and head to the next scheduled part of the conference. Old friendships were being renewed, new ones were beginning and a strong sense of community was being built.

I learned a long time ago that most meeting attendees will tell you they get as much, or more, out of networking as they do attending the actual conference sessions. If you are a Christian meeting planner, I would challenge you to give this a lot of thought as you plan your next event. Not only in designing the flow of the meeting, but also the location you choose to host the event.

So, what are you doing to help your group build community?

A couple of months ago, Westin Hotels  released the results of study called “Wellness in Travel” (click here to read article). Bottom line was that most Americans want a vacation, but are too busy to take off work. 

Crazy, right? Or is it? Have you taken all of your vacation time this year, or have you thought “I’m just too busy right now”? Given the current state of the economy, it might also be that folks are concerned about their jobs and afraid to take off. Would that be you?

Here are the highlights of the study that show just how desperate we Americans are for time off:

• 58% felt more in need of a vacation this year than last year.
• 48% said they are happier and more positive in their workplaces and personal lives after taking a vacation, yet 64% said they had cancelled or postponed a vacation this year.
• 41% said they usually require 3-4 days to unwind before they can really start to enjoy their vacation.
• 67% said they feel healthier on vacation.
• 64% said they sleep better while taking some time off.
• 30% said they check in with their work every other day while on vacation, but 25% said they check in every hour. (I’m afraid I’m guilty of that “crackberry” addiction. What about you?)

And if that’s not enough to convince you to take some time off, a recent heart study revealed men who take regular vacations are 32% less likely to die of a heart attack and women who do not take vacations are up to 8x’s more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who take 2 vacation breaks a year.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and enjoy a little vacation before the end of the year!

If you are a Christian meeting planner, denominational leader, church retreat planner, or anyone else responsible for planning events and retreats, then this event is definitely for you. Rejuvenate Marketplace is a great event specifically for faith-based meeting planners and this year it will be in Louisville, KY, Oct 18-21. (click here for more info)

A couple of months ago, Christine Born of Collinson Media wrote a guest post for us (read here) and talked about the benefits to meeting planners who attend. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, then maybe hearing some testimonies from other meeting planners will do the trick. Check out this video and hear what some of your peers have to say!

So, what do you think? Will we see you in Louisville this October? Sure hope so!

Now that summer’s almost over, it’s time to begin planning for upcoming fall trade shows. You know, those shows where you have to go and stand around in a 10′x10′ box and pray that someone will actually stop and talk to you! Yeah, those shows…

If that’s your mindset, then you’re setting your organization up for failure. Instead, think of these shows as opportunities to get face to face with potential customers. People today can learn almost everything they need to know about a facility from the Internet (provided it’s a good website), but the reason they attend a camp show or trade show is to SEE and MEET who they’ll be doing business with.

With that in mind, here are 5 tips for making the most of your next trade show:

1. When someone walks by your booth and pauses, ENGAGE! The pause is your invitation to engage them in conversation.
2. Small talk wastes both their time and yours. Once you engage, get right to the point of why you’re there.  Sample – “Good morning! What interests you about Glorieta?”
3. Never sit down! When you sit down in your booth, you’re sending the message you don’t want to be bothered. Working a booth at a show can be exhausting. Wearing comfortable shoes is a must.
4. Don’t leave your table at the front of the booth. A table left out front creates a potential barrier between you and your visitors. Instead, move it off to the side and create an open space where visitors feel invited in.
5. FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP! This is absolutely critical. The whole reason you go to these shows is to connect with people who are in interested in your camp or conference center. Once you’ve connected to those who’ve shown interest, they become a qualified lead and should be followed up with promptly.

One last thing to remember. At a show, you have 6-8 seconds to capture someone’s attention and gain their interest as they walk by. Be very aware of this as you design your display. If you can’t draw them in, you might as well go spend your money somewhere else.

Now it’s your turn. What have you done that worked well for you at a trade show? When you attend a trade show, what makes you want to stop and talk to a vendor? Please share your thoughts with us.

Since our blog is now 6 months old (read post here), I thought it appropriate to list the 10 most read posts. So, just in case you might have missed one, here’s our Mid-Year Top 10 List for MinistryServingMinistry:

•  #10 “What Should My RFP Include?”
•  #9 “Why Should I Use An RFP?”
•  #8 “Event Attendance And The Under 40 Crowd”
•  #7 “Rejuvenate Marketplace”
•  #6 “5 Tips For Planning A Golf Retreat”
•  #5 “6 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Leadership Retreat”
•  #4 “3 Tips For Negotiating With Hotels”
•  #3 “8 Ideas For Promoting Your Church Retreat”
•  #2 “5 Common Meeting Planner Mistakes”
•  #1 “Creating A Standout Women’s Retreat”

As many of us know well, it’s way too easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of today’s wired-in lifestyle. We get so focused on the next meeting, the next phone call, the next tweet or status update, that we forget the things that are really important.

Many times what gets forgotten, or pushed to the side, are our families. The following post was written by John Ashman. John is currently the Executive Director of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions and prior to that was a VP with Christian Camps and Conference Association.

As you read it I would encourage you to think about your own family. Do you need to take some time out and renew your relationships. As you’ll see from this mom’s perspective, family camp is a great place to do just that.

Camp is a refreshing stream along life’s journey…

Laura eased open the screen door and stretched out in the rocking chair, favorite book in hand. Out on the lake, silhouetted by Monday’s sunrise, the canoe carrying her husband and two daughters glided silently through the water. A smile spread across her face as she imagined their conversation.

An earlier rain had refreshed the forest and the fragrance brought back some wonderful childhood memories. Overhead, two squirrels debated the ownership of a cache of acorns. The family from the cabin next door waved good morning and wandered off along the path to the point.

This placid camp setting was a welcome contrast to her familiar suburban scene. She glanced at her watch. Still 40 minutes ’til breakfast. She took another sip of coffee and closed her eyes. This was going to be a wonderful week.

At the urging of some friends from church, Laura’s family had decided to spend these six days at a Christian family camp. The place offered cabin or lodge accommodations, three family-style meals a day, horseback riding, biking, hiking trails, a challenge course, dirtboarding, fishing, canoeing, swimming, beach volleyball, a well-known Christian band, an impressive list of speakers, and more.

But the part of the brochure that caught Laura’s attention was “time out from the rush of life for spiritual renewal.” She needed that, and so did her family, much more than anyone knew.

Finding Time
These days, few of us wash dishes in the sink and ponder the world through the kitchen window. Instead, we stack the plates and utensils in the Maytag and rush to the next task. Come end of day, rather than sit on the front porch and contemplate, we click the mouse or remote and “process.” We live in a hurried, harried world. Freeways, cell phones, business appointments, micro-waves, school functions, online transactions, late-night news, and alarm systems form the borders of our behavior.

Our children aren’t strangers to stress, either. Pushed by parents or peers to perform beyond their years, they’re rushed into maturity by Madison Avenue and the media. It’s no wonder many kids emerge from their teen years frustrated, fearful, and fatigued.

Just over the hill, across the meadow, or through the woods, Christian camps are offering experiences that can arrest our runaway routines. Spending a week at a Christian camp, or conference center, will not immediately unbundle the anxiety of the twenty-first century lifestyle, but it will provide a refreshing break with a chance to relax, reflect, recreate, and re-evaluate priorities.

Time, which seems to be a rare commodity in the “real world,” is abundant at camp. There’s time to eat together, play together, and talk together. Parents can use time to assess family progress and form new goals. Kids can spend time enjoying the miscellaneous pastimes of childhood. So much can get done when there’s nothing pressing to do.

Finding God
At camp, God does not hide in the chapel, waiting for the evening service so He can reveal Himself. His presence permeates the program and property. God speaks on the ropes course, helping people discover the truth about trust. He’s present on the trail, teaching people through the intricacies of nature. He’s there in the person of a child’s counselor, bringing peace through the demonstration of patience. The messages spoken and songs sung from the platform are just added benefits.

Chuck Swindoll, author, radio pastor, and chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, has long been a supporter of Christian camping for the entire family. Some time ago, he spoke about the value of total family involvement.

“All the Swindolls have enjoyed and benefited from Christian camping for many, many years,” he said. “In fact, I can’t recall an unhappy or unrewarding experience that we’ve ever had.”

When families get together in a camping situation, they relate eye-to-eye, maybe for the first time in months, without the distraction of television, radio, or phone in the background, he observed. They have time to think through their values and their priorities. And they have the opportunity to establish or strengthen their relationships with Jesus Christ.

The testimonies around Friday night’s flickering campfire stirred the hearts of the households gathered in its glow. Tears welled up in Laura’s eyes as her own husband of 16 years stood to his feet and uttered soft-spoken words of recommitment to Christ and family.

Following the service, the girls ran ahead to the cabin to pack for departure. Taking the long way back, Laura and her husband walked hand-in-hand, then arm-in-arm, speaking without talking. It was a wonderful week. Spiritual renewal did indeed take place. God’s voice was heard.

It wasn’t that He spoke any louder in the serene camp setting. For some reason, it was just easier to hear Him.

What about you? Has family camp played a part in your family’s heritage? If so, would you mind leaving a comment and sharing it? If not, I encourage you to consider attending a Christian family camp this summer. You won’t regret it!