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?

Here is what we’ve added in January by category:

Marketing/Promotion
Six Deadly Marketing Myths Busted – Using real data and science, learn to protect yourself from these superstitious bits of bad advice and become a better inbound marketer…

Site Selection
The RFP -  From Accommodations to Food and Venues to Transportation, Learn How to Write an Effective RFP…

Contracts
Defensive Contract Negotiations – Risk management tips and strategies help your organization avoid disputes and losses…

Retreats/Meetings
Concentrate on Content – The primary reason most people attend conferences is the educational content…

Meeting Planners
The Great Shift - Meetings and events enter the world of academia…

I hope you find these helpful and remember we have many more than might interest you  in the Meeting Planner Resources section of the blog.

Retreats and meetings matter.  Whether you are booking a staff retreat or your organization’s annual conference, remember these 8 quick tips to help you create a successful event:

1. Pick a destination where your attendees WANT to go. While you would hope they want to attend because you’ve planned a great agenda, it doesn’t hurt to hold the meeting in a location where people want to go.
2. Create a sense of anticipation. Help them see this is a retreat or conference they simply don’t want to miss.
3. Enhance your evening gathering by creating a theme to provide a unique experience. Try to give them something they will remember when they get home.
4. Build a little free time in the schedule. Hopefully you’ve chosen an interesting location so be sure to give them some time to enjoy the local area. It amazes me how some groups that come to Ridgecrest don’t allow time for their folks to enjoy all the areas of Asheville and Black Mountain have to offer.
5. Use technology to your advantage. Look for ways to provide information and allow registration via technology. Many of your attendees are packing smart phones and want to use them. Let ‘em!
6. Don’t plan every meal. Give your attendees some private time and opportunity to check out the local dining scene. It will save you money too!
7. Give attendees easy to read information. Be sure to tell them the who, what, where, when and how.
8. Offer a variety of activities to better meet the varied interests of your attendees. Not everyone enjoys a screaming run down the zip line!

What about you? What are some tips that have worked for you? Please feel free to share them with our readers. Thanks!

I know, hard to believe, but 2011 has come and gone and ready or not, 2012 is here!

As you prepare for what God has in store for your ministry in 2012, I thought the following 2 articles might be of some help as you plan your retreat, meetings or conferences.

Meeting Trends for 2012 – Here are a couple of the projected trends that really jumped out at me:

• Meetings are moving towards being more interactive, with less dependence on talking heads. This gives attendees more opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with an expert/facilitator.
• Moving away from standardized activities. Instead, more groups are looking to take advantage of unique, lcoation specific options. Even better if the activity incorporates in a learning component.
• A renewed interest in simple, fresh food with a creative local twist.

5 things meeting planners will have to do this year – These 3 things are all related:

• Bandwidth – It may not be enough just to make sure your event venue provides WiFi. If there’s not enough bandwidth, your attendees are not going to be happy with slow, slow speed. Even if it’s free!
• Mobile – With as many as 85% of smartphones able to access the Internet, does it make sense for your conference to be accessible via the Internet? Be it an app, or a mobile-friendly conference website, chances are your attendees want to be able to get it on their phone.
• Tech-free zones – I know, I know. After the first 2 this one may not make a lot of sense. However, people can get connection overload and providing time to disconnect allows people to connect the old fashioned way…face to face.

What about your thoughts? Where do you see retreats and conferences going in 2012? Are you planning to make any changes in how your church or ministry connects with people?

When considering options for function room setups, the most important factor is to understand the meeting’s objectives. The design is crucial to making sure goals are met.   With goals and objectives at the forefront, next look at audiovisual requirements, speaker needs and traffic flow, taking into consideration participant safety, comfort and accommodation for people with disabilities.

Here are the standard meeting room set-ups to consider for your next function:

Theater Style
This is the best setup for a large group where writing is not necessary and food is not served. Chairs are set in rows facing the speaker, stage or focal point of the room.

Classroom Style
This setup is best for meetings where attendees need to write or use a computer. It allows for minimal interaction between attendees and is best used for lectures and training meetings. Chairs are set at 6-foot or 8-foot tables facing the presenter.

Conference Style
This format is ideal for smaller groups where attendee interaction is a main objective. Seated around tables, participants have a direct view of their colleagues to facilitate discussions. Specify what type of table arrangements you need based on the objectives of your meeting:

Boardroom: One solid, rectangular table that can be an existing table in a hotel meeting room or created by putting together 30-inch-wide tables. This setup is best for a board of directors meeting with heavy discussions as participants are in closest reach to each other.

U-Shape: Tables are arranged in a horseshoe, which is ideal for meetings that need to facilitate discussion between attendees but also include an audiovisual presentation set at the opening of the “U.”

T-Shape: Best for a panel, presenters or lead management that needs to sit at the top of the “T” and direct the discussion down the length of the tables.

Hollow Square: Best for meetings that do not require an audiovisual presentation. If the hotel has serpentine tables, request a rounded hollow square setup to maximize seating on the ends. If these are not available, straight tables can be placed at an angle creating an angled hollow square setup.

Multi-Sided Shapes: Multi-sided shapes such as a diamond or octagonal are best for larger groups of 20 or more. They comfortably seat nearly every attendee at the end of a table and provide direct sight and voice communication to
participants.

Banquet Style
This setup works best for meetings that require food and beverage service and where participants are asked to break out into small groups. Setup includes 60-, 66- or 72-inch round tables with chairs around the entire table or only on one side.

Have you used another type of set-up, how did it work for you?  Please share your ideas in the comments.

When you take a stand on Biblical truth, it’s not a matter of what will you do IF you’re attacked. You will be attacked. People will say terrible things about you, your organization and/or your church. Things that are untrue, mean-spirited and many times, personally hurtful. How do you respond?

In the following video clip, Bill Hybels (Willow Creek Community Church) does a great job of responding to one such attack. The background here revolves around a last minute decision by Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks,  to back out of speaking at the recent Global Leadership Summit hosted by Hybels and the Willow Creek Association. Schultz’ decision was a reaction to an online petition to boycot Starbucks if he were to speak. The driving forces behind the petition believed the Willow Creek Association to be ”anti-gay” and thus did not want Schultz to speak at the event.

After watching the video, I’d love to hear what you think. Do you agree with how Hybels responded? If so, why? If not, how would you have responded?

Because ten just wasn’t enough, check out these eleven ideas to enhance your catered event without adding a lot of cost to your catering budget.

1. Ask the venue what they can “throw in” for no cost. From greenery to chargers, to give your event a boost. Like they say, you never know unless you ask.

2. Candlelight makes any event special, votives in decorative glassware. It’s a special effect that doesn’t cost much.

3. Stock lighting gobos are an inexpensive way to give the room a custom feel. From projections of cityscapes to create a penthouse surrounding, to projections of snowflakes to give the room a “winter wonderland” feel, they create a big impact for little extra money.

4. Napkin rings are often overlooked, but are an inexpensive way to customize the table and add a special touch. There are so many great options and varieties that you can tie into the evening’s theme together.

5. Rather than spending big dollars on specialty table linen, consider alternating every other table with the house linen to cut costs.

6. Ask the venue if you can use the house sound system and bring your own iPod or CDs to add background music. Gear the music selection to the type of group and occasion.

7. As an inexpensive alternative to floral centerpieces, fill bowls with seasonal fruit for a fun, fresh twist.

8. Reconfigure guest seating. Try combining hotel banquet tables for family-style or communal experience instead of traditional banquet rounds. It provides a unique layout and dinner setting while using the existing hotel inventory.

9. Think about a family-style menu for dinner service, instead of individually plated dishes, to minimize the cost of service staff.

10. Potted plants as centerpieces can also double as party favors or takeaways for guests at the end of the event.

11. Use greenery around the perimeter of a room to create a more intimate environment and soften the look of a standard ballroom. Or use the plants to create a smaller environment within a large space.

What have you done to keep the cost of your catering down?

I just read an article about one of the workshops offered during LifeWay Worship Week at Ridgecrest Conference Center and although the speaker is referencing Worship Ministry I thought the principles could be applied to all ministry.   I hope you find this helpful to you and your ministry.

A lack of cohesiveness and focus is one of the greatest challenges for worship leaders. But following seven steps can help get the ministry on track, according to Lavon Gray, minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church, Jackson, Miss.

1. Have a clear and biblical understanding of your calling. Your calling and how you view it will impact everything about your ministry.

“There’s nothing we can do that qualifies us to be ministers of the gospel,” Gray said. “You have to be called to do this ministry or go do something else.”

2. Develop a lifestyle of worship. Authenticity comes from the worship that spills over from your own personal worship.

“You’ll never be satisfied in your ministry if you don’t ground yourself in the Word,” Gray said. “Devotional readings are all fine, but you need that time of Bible study.”

Gray offered a tip from his own life: He chooses the songs and hymns for the church service well in advance and then each day of the week prior to Sunday, he prays the lyrics of the songs. By Sunday, he has saturated his spirit with the words the people will be singing.

3. Focus on relationships. The key to a successful ministry is developing great relationships.

“If you are struggling with people not liking you, get to know them,” he said. “Visit them in their homes.

“We aren’t in the music business; we’re in the people business,” he said, adding that it’s important to laugh and have fun.

4. Have the courage to empower your team. Be confident enough in your own abilities to empower others to do their own ministries.

“The people’s capacity to achieve is determined by the leader’s ability to empower,” he said.
“Worship ministers are … how do I say this … getting younger,” he said with a laugh. “I have to ask myself how I can stay relevant. The key, I believe, is to be faithful to what God has called me to do. You have to realize you can’t have every skill set that is needed to do the job. Bring in people around you that God has gifted.”

5. Know how to take advantage of momentum. Momentum can be a leader’s best friend. Leaders create momentum and followers catch it.

“It’s important to follow the natural ebb and flow of your ministry,” Gray said. He said that at his church, the annual Christmas pageant is huge. They work on it for more than six months. Knowing this, he chooses to alternate having another large production between Easter and the Fourth of July so this people aren’t worn out. In addition, the entire choir takes off the whole month of July. This gives people a needed break and helps them be ready to come back in August refreshed and ready to go again.

He makes it a point to write personal, handwritten notes and phone calls to his choir members and musicians, thanking them for their commitment, saying he looks forward to seeing them again, or whatever else is timely and appropriate.

6. Have a clearly defined vision for your ministry. No matter how much you learn from the past, it will never tell you all you need to know about the present. See the vision God has given you and go toward it.

Gray quoted Leroy Elms who said, “A leader is one who sees more than others see, who see farther than others see, and who sees before others see.”

He listed some of the major barriers to successful planning toward a vision include fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty about the future and lack of imagination.

7. Lead your ministry to become an Acts 1:8 ministry. This Scripture says: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (HCSB).

“Avoid leading your ministry to be exclusively internally focused,” he said. “Do local service projects as a choir. Go on mission trips together. Find out what God is doing and then, all together, join Him in His work.”

Here is what we’ve added in June by category:

Budgeting/Cost Saving Ideas
8 Tips for Getting the Perfect Speaker – How to find a professional speaker who will fit your meeting needs and budget…

Teambuilding and ROI – When I mention I’m passionate about teambuilding, the eyes roll or look…

Retreats/Meetings
Cheap & Chic Food and Beverage – 10 tips from top caterers on how to make the menu elegant while bringing the budget down…

Managing Group Transportation – Attendees usually remember an event’s guest speakers, receptions and food and beverage, but planners are likelier to recall the meeting’s transportation…

Meeting Planners
The Power of Religious Meetings – Tough Economic times have put a damper on faith-based meetings, but…

Common Mistakes Made by New Planners (part 1) - Whether you are new to meeting planning or you have worked in this dynamic industry for many years…

Mastering Checklists – I learned a very important lesson several years ago while planning…

I hope you find these helpful and remember we have many more than might interest you  in the Meeting Planner Resources section of the blog.

This past month, I came across several articles that I felt might be of interest to our readers. Hopefully you’ll find at least one of them helpful to you in your ministry.

• Watch out for hotel fees- From parking, to Internet access, to housekeeping services, more and more hotels are beginning to add fees to their published rates. Here are some tips on what to look out for.
• 7 reasons to rethink using free online tools – While there are some great free online tools out there for small churches and ministries to tap into, there are some potential drawbacks.
• Top 5 meeting planner movies – Having recently had a daughter get married, I’m obviously partial to Father of the Bride.
• How to set up a Facebook fan page – If your ministry or organization does not have a FB fan page, you need to seriously consider creating one. Here’s a step by step process to help you create one.
• Deadlines call people to action – Multiple registration deadlines can help you to better predict your event’s turnout.

As we head into summer, any topics you would like to see us address? Please feel to comment, or email with any suggestions. Thanks!