When most people think of food service at Ridgecrest, they only think of the dining hall. This is not real surprising since that’s where the great majority of folks have their meals while on campus. And while the food in the dining hall is quite good, sometimes needing to serve 2,000 in 90 minutes prevents our food service team from showing off their more creative side.

This is where our catering department comes in. Unfortunately they are one of the best kept secrets at Ridgecrest. These guys do an awesome job with banquets, breaks, receptions and just about any other catering request a group may have and we want folks to get a taste of what they do.

So…this is the first of a new series of posts called “Ridgecrest Recipes”, in which we will highlight some of our most popular catering offerings. Of course we realize that most of you are not cooking for 50 or more friends so we’re giving you the home version. Hopefully making it easier for all of you to try them out.

Rutland Chicken

• 8, 4-6 oz. boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1 pkg. Pioneer beef gravy mix (or make 2 cups of your own recipe)
• orange juice
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

 Marinate chicken in dressing for 4 hours.  Prepare beef gravy, substituting half the water with orange juice. Heat heavy cream with nutmeg, on low heat, until thickened, being careful not to scorch.   Char-grill chicken and top with orange-brown sauce.  Drizzle with white sauce and serve. Serves eight

Enjoy and then let us know what you think!

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?

A recent post from Seth Godin really hit home for me. The post was entitled “Where do ideas come from?” (read here) and in it, Godin simply listed 20 origination points for ideas.

Some of the idea starters were no-brainers. Others were what you would expect from Seth and some were thought-provoking for me. Here are four in particular I identified with:

• Ideas often come from reading a book - This is definitely true for me. Whether it’s a book, a blog or an article, reading has always helped to stimulate my creative side. I’ve started using the Kindle app on my iPad for reading most books and I will highlight passages, then go back to review all my highlights for ideas. With blogs and articles I will make notes so I can follow up on the ideas later.
• Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom – How many times have you found yourself in a brainstorming meeting with folks who love to criticize and tell you why a particular idea won’t work? That one drives my crazy and really tests my patience, especially if I’m leading the meeting. (May want to check out previous post on how to get the most out of your brainstorming meetings. Read here.)
• Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice – There have been times when I’ll be driving down the road, kind of zoned out, and an idea will come and go before I realize it. Does that ever happen to you?
• Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we’re not trying – As I said above, that tends to be in the car for me. When does this tend to happen for you?

In addition to these four, there were two more that just sort of hit me right between the eyes…

• Ideas don’t come from watching television - OUCH!
• Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute – Too often the temptation is jump on the popular bandwagon and try to tweak it to make it yours. I think there are times when it does make sense to do this, but just know it probably won’t be a breakout idea…just an average/mediocre one.

I’ll end with his final point: An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn’t join us here, it’s hidden. And hidden ideas don’t ship, have no influence, no intersection with the market. They die. Alone.

So, what about you? Where do your ideas come from?

Personally, I love participating in a good brainstorming session. There’s something about being in a meeting with a group of people who are focused on creating new ideas that just gets me fired up. On the flip side, I can get very frustrated when a brainstorming session just can’t seem to get off the ground.

Brainstorming with your planning team is a great way to ensure you provide an event your attendees will find engaging and worthwhile. However, if you’re the person leading the brainstorming session, what you say and do determines just how productive the session will be. Do the right things and you should have an exciting, productive meeting. Do the wrong things, shut people down, and you’ll be wishing for the clock to hurry up so you can end everyone’s misery.

So, what are the right things to do? How can you get the most out of your next brainstorming session? Here are 3 steps to take that will go a long way to making your next session more productive:

• Create rather than criticize –  One of the quickest ways to shut people down is to criticize their ideas. This is especially true if you’re the leader and the one criticizing. Instead, enhance creativity by affirming and protecting everyone’s participation.
• Stir curiosity and engage - Help stimulate discussion by asking probing, open-ended questions. Make a point of getting everyone involved in the discussion. Sometimes the best ideas come from the person who won’t say anything until engaged personally.
• Capitalize on differences - I find brainstorming sessions are more productive when you have team members that don’t all share the same perspective. Different points of view help to get more well-rounded solutions. Don’t be afraid of the differences. Instead, capitalize on them.

These are 3 that have worked for me. What about you? How do you get the most out of your brainstorming meetings?

Chris Adams recently posted an article entitled “RETHINK Women’s Special Events” (read here) on her WomenReachingWomen blog. Chris works in the women’s ministry area here at LifeWay and you may remember her from a podcast we posted last year on how to create a standout women’s event (listen here).

In her most recent post, Chris challenged women ministry leaders to RETHINK their annual events and decide if they needed to continue doing them, or try something else. After reading the post, I contacted Chris and asked her if she’d be willing to take that process a little deeper for our MinistryServingMinistry readers.

Below are her responses to our follow up questions. While her answers are specific to women’s ministry (her area of expertise), I believe the principles can apply to any meeting, event or retreat.

MSM:  Almost every event has its own traditions and people who say, “We’ve always done it this way”. While tradition can have tremendous value/equity, what advice would you have for planners who are striving to break free of repetition and reinvent new traditions?

Chris: Evaluate the last event. Look at what worked, what was effective, what wasn’t. Also listen to what attendees say, if there is a pattern to their comments, it will help direct future events. Did you see changed lives? If so, what elements led to that? Take a look at dates that you have ALWAYS done an event, are women still able and willing to attend those dates/times of days.

Having “dreamers” serve on your women’s team and especially on event teams will help keep from becoming stagnant and doing the same ole, same ole just because it’s always been done that way. Evaluate who you are not reaching and analyze what it might take to tap into those pockets of women not involved.

Include women of different generations, and especially young women, to begin to develop new traditions while still using those former ones that are still effective. Sometimes you may need to move slowly, changing a little at a time, to be sensitive to women who have been a part of the planning of events a long time.  Add only a few new things and then re-evaluate again to keep it fresh and relevant.

MSM: Just because something is working ok doesn’t mean it might not benefit from a closer look and evaluation. Sometimes you may even need to break something that’s not broken in order to make it better. What do you see as the downside risks for a planner who operates by the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” motto?

Chris: The down side is that you might not even ask the questions to discover the real results of an event. Perhaps you still have women attending in good numbers and no one really complains about the program elements. Everyone is happy doing the same things over and over, and not move out of their spiritual and relational box to experience deeper spiritual truths. It may take an innovative leader with a vision for “more” to move women out of their comfort zones and into those deeper walks with Christ. The purpose of any ministry event should include, in addition to fellowship and building relationships (and of course great food!), reaching the lost and helping believers grow in their spiritual walks. Is that happening in any way through your event? If not, the motto will truly be a hamper to helping women move one step closer to Christ in their journey.

MSM: Sometimes planners will add a new element to an event and the response the first year might be less than overwhelming. If that were to happen with one of your LifeWay Women’s events, how would decide whether or not to give it a “second chance”?

Chris: New things sometimes take a while to catch on. But if even a few women are changed because of that element, and they go back and tell someone else, the fire is lit! I remember the first time my former church offered the very first Beth Moore video Bible study. Many didn’t know her and not ever done an in-depth study. But when those women finished the study (and even as they were in the midst of it), they talked about it with others. The next time the study was offered, numbers grew and more women studied God’s Word together.

It may be that you just need to tweak that new element to make it even more effective next time. If you offer a ministry or missions project as a part of an event, the first time maybe only a few are involved. But for those few, and for the ones who received the ministry, it was so worth it. If it becomes a part of each event, it will be seen as “normal” and more may become involved.

Again, ask the women as you evaluate each event.  See what they say, keeping in mind, you will always have some who never like anything you do!  But watch for those “patterns” in the responses so you can get a picture of the effectiveness and lives that have been changed.

Think your event might be getting stuck in a rut? What can you do to get it back on track?

At Ridgecrest and Glorieta, we host a significant number of senior adult groups each year. In addition, we also plan and host several of our own senior adult events. As a result, we have an opportunity to interact with a great number of senior adults and senior adult ministry leaders.

The following post was written by Ron Pratt. Ron is our national event planner and has more experience working with churches and helping them with their ministry they he sometimes cares to admit. I recently asked Ron to write an article on the changing face of senior adult ministry. The following is the first part of what he sent me.

If your ministry is working with senior adults, then I want to thank you for what you do. The most exciting days of senior adult ministry are yet ahead and I’m looking forward to them. I am one! And, so is my 84 year old mother who is very involved with a great group of senior adults in her church. Their Senior Adult ministry has made a world of difference in her life, especially since the passing away of my father just over two years ago.

Where to begin? As you are probably aware, today’s senior adults bring incredible blessings and challenges to ministry. In a humorous way, I have always talked about senior adults in three different categories. There are the “go-go’s”, the “slow-go’s” and the “no-go’s”.

There are those senior adults who are incredibly active, yet they have no desire to sit in a rocking chair or get on a bus for a long trip. They are physically active and want to do ministry that they can get involved in physically, spiritually and even financially. They are the “go-go’s”.

Next are the “slow-go’s”. These are the senior adults who can’t wait to get on the bus, anywhere, anytime as long as they can play their card games, eat their home-made goodies and stop at some interesting points along the way. They love “going”, just as long as someone else is driving or coordinating the trip and they have rest stops along the way.

Finally, the “no-go’s” are those senior adults who are mostly (or totally) home-bound, yet want and need to stay connected to their friends and their church.

In future posts, Ron will share some strategies churches can use to reach each of these 3 groups. Please feel free to share your thoughts or comments with us here on the blog, or you can email Ron directly at ron.pratt@lifeway.com.

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”

Recently I had the opportunity to record our first podcast for Ministry Serving Ministry with Chris Adams and Betsy Langmade. Chris and Betsy both work in Women’s ministry here at LifeWay Christian Resources and are experts when it comes to planning events for women. Hopefully you will enjoy what they have to share.

I recently read a good post for planning a golf retreat from a friend, Scott Lehman. Scott is the founder and president of In His Grip Golf and we have partnered with Scott on several Pastors Masters golf events at Ridgecrest and Glorieta. In fact, if you’re going to be attending the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando this June, be sure to stop by our booth as Scott will be there giving a series of putting lessons.

Anyway, if you’re considering planning a golf retreat, here are some great tips from a golf pro!

I have been playing this great game of golf for over 40 years and have been on my share of golf retreats.  In fact, I am just returning from our In His Grip Golf Retreat that I hosted at Limestone Springs in Oneonta, AL.  A great course with a golf cottage on site.   Experience has revealed a few “best practices” and I would love to share them with you.

1.  Define your Purpose: You may want to talk to your guys first to see what would be their ultimate golf retreat experience.  I am starting to learn that guys want to play A LOT of golf, BUT, they also want some DOWN TIME.   We always try to use our In His Grip retreats to have a message in the evening or make it available for certain prayer requests.  This past weekend we spent time praying over our Senior Pastor who is battling cancer.

2.  Date and Location: Most of the golf retreats I have been on are either in the spring or in the fall.  When booking your date and location remember to stay away from course maintenance weeks and you may want to consider daylight savings time.

3.  Determine Your Budget: Hey, we are in challenging economic times and that means that our personal budgets are more sensitive than ever.  Searching the Internet for deals is still a great resource and most golf facilities need the business so don’t be afraid to ASK.

4.  Define your Formats Upfront: I like to send out the formats and teams ahead of time.  I also like to switch it up.  For example, we started out with a two-man scramble, then we had a two-man best ball and finished with a four-man scramble.  It’s a great way to build new relationships and allows for all playing ability levels to have a good time.

5.  Caravan to Build Camaraderie: We always try to have a central meeting point, like our church, and then load up the vehicles so we don’t have anyone driving solo.  It is amazing how many memories are also on the ride to or from the course.

I hope one or two of these keys will help make your next golf retreat experience more memorable.  You may even want to consider a survey from the guys to get their input.  Let me know what some of  your golf retreat experiences have been and what is your favorite golf retreat location and why?

I hope to see you on the course.  Scott