These are my notes from session three of the pre-conference at the 2011 Orange Conference. The presenters were Chad and Autumn Ward.
Why Create a Large Group Environment?
Give yourself permission to not look like someone else’s church
Have a plan and be on a journey. Everything doesn’t have to happen at once
To make an engaging, comfortable, and safe place for children.
Try to have the “wow” factor
Dream Big
Not matter your size, you can dream big
Ask God to help make your dream happen
Get ideas from other churches, but also from theme parks, restaurants, schools, etc.
Look for creative volunteers
They are in your church, you just have to find them (Jared’s note: This is not always true in small churches, but talent still often goes overlooked)
Many things will need to be done by professionals, electric, sheet rock, etc.
But lots of stuff can be done by skilled volunteers. Example, painting.
Set up several creative meetings
Find your creative volunteers and meet with them
Pull together a core group to lead the project
You need to be able to trust these leaders to make decisions, keep people focused, motivate, and do things with excellence
Once you have your end in mind, develop your plan.
This is better than creating as you go along.
Decide what your budget is going to be to fund your plan.
The value you place on any environment will greatly affect the time and money you choose to invest in it.
Clear vision and knowing your end in mind will help you choose wisely
Divide your plan into stages that fit your budget over time
Put your money where it will make the greatest WOW.
Keep asking yourself throughout the process if a purchase is really worth it
Can that something wait?
What do others have that you don’t have to buy.
- Old junk cars
- Furniture
- Do you know someone who owns a paint store or carpet store
- Larger churches with supplies they don’t use anymore
Don’t use donations just because it was given to you, but only if it fits with your plan.
Sometimes you have to plan your dream out in stages.
An unwise purchase today may be wise down the road
You should honor God with your purchases
Schedule workdays to get people involved
Value their time. Start and end on time
Provide food, drinks, and clear expectations
Focus on accomplishing today’s task
Celebrate the volunteers and express gratitude
You can do a lot during the summertime, especially with high school students
Have a grand opening before the grand opening
Allow people who have worked on the project to walk through and be excited
These are some great points. I like the idea of asking for items from people or another large church who may be finished with them.
I’m interested in your ‘Jared’s note’ that creativity isn’t always found in a small church. It’s exceedingly difficult to minister on a particular scale of passion and vision when there are very few to partner with or carry that passion/vision. It’s a burden, frustration and a trial. There are many ways to work with what we’ve been given, but it’s easy to sometimes see the limit of our ‘resources’. I’m not complaining or attempting to spur a debate, just stating a reality.
When I see ‘Small Town Kidmin’ I still envision a larger centre then the majority of my readers are living in. Curious to what kind of numbers you are working with in your church congregation?
Great thoughts Crystal.
First off, yes it is extremely difficult to carry out vision when few people want to jump on board. They made the comment in this workshop that everyone has someone in their church who can help with construction/design, but that isn’t necessarily the case in the smallest churches.
We have about 50-60 people on a Sunday morning, though we’ve grown considerably since I started here. It used to be much more difficult to find help and still continues to be a struggle.
That is outstanding! I can imagine the challenges and I’m glad that your church and community have someone championing the cause for them and with them.
Most bloggers are out there with large churches comprised of several campuses. So I envisioned someone within that network calling a ‘small town’ ministry one of still significant size.
I’m working within a church that has 150-250 Sunday morning attenders, and it’s still frustrating to find volunteers. I guess the more attenders, the more children, the more help needed.
I’m glad I’ve found your blog, thanks for the insight to Orange11. Maybe in a few years I’ll get to attend as well.
These are some great points. I like the idea of asking for items from people or another large church who may be finished with them.
I’m interested in your ‘Jared’s note’ that creativity isn’t always found in a small church. It’s exceedingly difficult to minister on a particular scale of passion and vision when there are very few to partner with or carry that passion/vision. It’s a burden, frustration and a trial. There are many ways to work with what we’ve been given, but it’s easy to sometimes see the limit of our ‘resources’. I’m not complaining or attempting to spur a debate, just stating a reality.
When I see ‘Small Town Kidmin’ I still envision a larger centre then the majority of my readers are living in. Curious to what kind of numbers you are working with in your church congregation?
Great thoughts Crystal.
First off, yes it is extremely difficult to carry out vision when few people want to jump on board. They made the comment in this workshop that everyone has someone in their church who can help with construction/design, but that isn’t necessarily the case in the smallest churches.
We have about 50-60 people on a Sunday morning, though we’ve grown considerably since I started here. It used to be much more difficult to find help and still continues to be a struggle.
That is outstanding! I can imagine the challenges and I’m glad that your church and community have someone championing the cause for them and with them.
Most bloggers are out there with large churches comprised of several campuses. So I envisioned someone within that network calling a ‘small town’ ministry one of still significant size.
I’m working within a church that has 150-250 Sunday morning attenders, and it’s still frustrating to find volunteers. I guess the more attenders, the more children, the more help needed.
I’m glad I’ve found your blog, thanks for the insight to Orange11. Maybe in a few years I’ll get to attend as well.