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If you have been reading my blog the last few days, you have seen my notes from workshops and general sessions.  Today, I wanted to share my takeaways from the Orange Conference in Atlanta from April 25-27.  I hope this is helpful to you.  What does our facility say to visitors within the first 30 seconds they arrive? (i.e. smells, cleanliness, parking, signage, colors).  I hope to process some changes that are needed to help make Hesston MB a more welcoming facility. What game changers in ministry or culture do we need to address? (i.e. busyness on Sundays, social media, intergenerational ministry, focus on Sunday morning, leadership, etc.)  We have already made some changes in some of these areas.  We could have a more organized plan for social media. What gaps are present between our children, youth and adult ministries?   Usually this has focused on curriculum, but one workshop challenged me to think about the areas of service and worship. As...

On Friday afternoon, Doug Fields shared about his experiences in ministry.  He started by sharing a story of sitting in front of a sun lamp to get rid of some acne.  The result was that he burned his corneas.  He compared this temporary blindness to what we can experience in ministry. 3 Sun Lamps that cause blindness in ministry: Importance of Numbers The lie of bigger is better which requires us to feed the beast. Pace of Life Increases speed which makes ministry more like a sprint.  There is always more to do.  This pace of life causes us to skim on relationships. Constant Comparison There is danger to always be comparing yourself to others whether that is how you speak, lead, etc. These become a problem when you focus on them. How do you turn the lamp off?  He shared the story of Lazarus in John 11.  It says, "Unwrap him & live." 3 Learnings Bigger isn't better.  Better is better. Most people in church don't wan...

On Friday afternoon, Kara Powell shared some of her research of college students which became the book, Sticky Faith. I have the read the book and highly recommend it.  Here are my notes: She started by reading Luke 2:41-47.  After reading this passage, she asked this question, "What does God intend for our church?"  Should we continue to separate kids, youth, and adults every time they come to church?  Or should the kids be able to sit at the adult table?  (This image was based on a dinner table experience at a meal where adults sit at one table in one room and the kids sit at another table in another room.) She explained the difference between multi-generational vs. inter-generational. Multi-generational is in the same room, but the ages stay together. Inter-generational is in the same room but the different ages are interacting together. She said the change does not have to be complicated.  You can continue what you are currently doing, but mak...

On Friday, Reggie Joiner interviewed Jon Acuff on the main stage.  Jon Acuff has written a book, hosts a conference, and has a popular blog called "Stuff Christians Like." Acuff had a lot of great suggestions regarding the use of social media in ministry.  Here are my notes: "Either we get into social media or we miss an opportunity." The church needs to catch up.  Here are some suggestions: Don't be afraid of "I don't know." Don't be afraid to talk to someone half your age. Go where your community is. Be who you are. Ask what kinds of problems you can solve with this. "When you wound online, you don't get to speak in love later." Check back tomorrow for notes from Kara Powell & Doug Fields.

On Friday morning at Orange, Andy Stanley gave a great talk on staff culture.  Here are some notes from his message: "Healthy and productive staff cultures occur by mutual submission." The Message of Mutual Submission is "I'm here to facilitate your success regardless of where you show up on the organization chart. The Assumption of Mutual Submission is "While our responsibilities differ, we are both essential to the success of the enterprise. The Question of Mutual Submission is "How can I help?" "Only one with a special anointing is Jesus." He shared the following best practices: Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone. Systematize top-down service. Create and maintain a sustainable pace. Celebrate and reward mutual submission when you see it. Confront your ego. Drop the term loyalty from your vocabulary. Starting point for these best practices is the question, "How can I help?"

My last workshop at Orange was led by Daniel Scott.  He shared about the 5th/6th grade transition.  Here are my notes: The Kids-What is Generation Z? Born Between 1994 and 2010 Over 16 million in the US alone This Year's 5/6 Graders: 1999-2001 Most are growing up in a post 9/11 world They are more over-protected and over-parented than any previous generation. Tween-Agers-Do they even exist? Origins of the word: Late 90's when marketing companies studied brand awareness with 7-12 year olds (i.e. stores like Justice, Limited Too, etc.)  Buying power: Tweens spend $30 billion on clothes, music, toys, and entertainment each year. Youngest mother in 2011 was 11 years old. What do they face? Home: Untraditional 6 living generations Seniors 1900-1928 Builders 1929-1945 Boomers 1946-1964 Busters 1965-1980 Millenials 1981-1993 Generation Z 1994-2010 School: Unconventional Culture: Unprecedented "The problem: our culture is redefining the word, kid....

On Thursday afternoon at Orange, I attended a workshop led by Ted Lowe.  I had attended his seminar at the AMFM conference in Dallas last summer.  I enjoyed his passion for marriages.  You can visit his website here Here are the notes from his workshop: Our research has shown that most "marriage ministries" are a strategy by default. The church spends most of their time "reacting" to the needs of the minority rather than being responsive to the needs of the majority. Every church is doing something to help marriages.  But in order to make a real difference in the lives of married couples, churches need a marriage strategy. How do we move from "Something to Help Marriages" to a "Strategy to Help Marriages"? Begin with the end in mind. The purpose of your strategy and the purpose of marriage is one and the same: to be a great reflection of the relationship between Christ and your church. A great reflection: Married People loving God, M...

I also attended a workshop by this title led by Terry Scalzitti.  Here are my notes: Know Your Audience 80% of parents say that the church as done little or nothing to help them become better at parenting Churches today have lots of good studies, messages, and programs that make them feel good about connecting with parents, but nothing really changes at home.  What happens at home is more important than what happens at church Four Levels of Partnership with Parents Aware-Parents who are outside the church but are open to it and are interested in becoming better parents Involved-Parents who have a basic entry-level relationship with the church. They are taking steps to influence their kids spiritually. Engaged-Parents who are committed to partnering with the church and take responsibility for spiritual leadership in their home. Invested-Engaged parents who understand the strategy and partner with you to influence parent groups in the community. The classic mistake ...

Here is the first of many more posts from the Orange Conference.  This is from a workshop I attended led by Yancy.  My notes are below: Musi c is a powerful way to connect with kids. Yancy shared the following stat: By age 18, we have 10,000 songs in our brains. She started by sharing ways we can use music in ministry.  They are: Create environment Before and After Class Use as countdowns Use as opening/ice breaker songs Use songs to reinforce the message Have praise & worship-She then focused on this for the rest of the workshop.  She said we need to give kids the opportunity to worship.  This involves us teaching them how to respond and participate.  She read Psalm 8:1-2 from The Message. Here are thoughts she shared regarding praise & worship: Worship is communication (God & group) Leading worship is more about your leadership ability than your musical ability Define what you want to teach about worship for every age group...

I am sitting in airport ready to get home. I will be posting notes from Orange Conference over the next week. Check back for thoughts from Andy Stanley, Doug Fields, Kara Powell, Jon Acuff, Ted Lowe, Dan Scott,  Yancey, & Terry Scalzitti.

This morning, Craig Groeschel had a great message at Orange.  He started by asking this question, "What is success for the next generation?"  He said culture would say, "well-rounded, well-educated and happy kids."  He then shared Psalm 71:18 which talks about the next generation knowing the power of God.  Here is his answer to the question above: We are called to unleash single-minded, Christ-centered, biblically-anchored, world changers. What does this phrase mean? Single-minded means our kids understand their gifts and calling and are not average at a little bit of everything going against being well-rounded. Christ-centered is focused on Jesus not being moral or religion centered. Biblically-anchored means they hide God's Word in their hearts and know the Bible World changers focus on making a difference and focus on others. He then read from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and shared his thoughts on who to impart this passage to the next generation.  He expla...

The Orange Conference kicked off on Wednesday night in Atlanta.  After some humor and powerful worship, Reggie Joiner shared a few thoughts as we began our time together.  If I had to title his message, it would be, "The Gospel is Messy." Here are a few quotes from Joiner:  "You can't do what you do without getting messy." "Jesus couldn't do what He did without getting messy." "We can't make disciples without getting messy." "There's no way to make disciples without them getting messy." Referencing the greatest commandments, Joiner said, "We need to be careful to not minimize what Jesus maximized." "We need to engage in a gospel that puts us all in the same family. Trust a God who is bigger than your church." "We need to engage in a gospel that compels us to a bigger story. Trust a God who is bigger than their situation." We ended our evening in worship focusing on Jesus lif...

Today, I was able to participate in a "bonus" workshop before the Orange Conference officially began.  I attended a workshop entitled, "Redefining the Family Experience in the First 30 Seconds."  Here are a few notes from the workshop: First Impressions--Pay attention to your space focusing on smell, clutter, & cleanliness.  What does your children's space communicate to mom or dad? Lose the Boring Colors.  Avoid beige, white, egg shell.  Bright colors can improve a space for little money. Theming-If you can develop a theme, let it tell a story, think about design destinations, and provide ownership (does it connect to culture of the church?) Check-In Areas--Make it big, Make it obvious, Make it fun Signage (exterior & interior).  It should be visually engaging, completely intuitive, and up high for parents. Check back after lunch for notes from Wednesday night's session.

As you read this, I am arriving in Atlanta for the Orange Conference.  I have never attended before and I am looking forward to the learning, refreshment, & new ideas.  Here are the workshops that I will be attending over the next few days: Worship with preschoolers  5th/6th Grade Transition How to Have a Marriage Ministry When You Already Have Too Much To Do Sharing Orange Vision with Parents Check back over the next few days for notes from main sessions and workshops.

I will be attending The Orange Conference in Atlanta Wednesday, April 25th through Friday, April 27th.  I plan to share notes from workshops and the main sessions.  Check back starting Thursday, April 26th for ideas and things I am learning. To learn more about Orange, visit their website here

So, as the those New Year's resolutions are coming and going.  I thought I would write about my plans for ministry growth in 2012.  Every year I have the opportunity for continuing education through seminars and conferences.  I also make sure I am reading a lot to help me grow in between conferences.  Here are the conferences I plan to attend in 2012: Orange Conference-- The first on my schedule is the Orange Conference.  It is a gathering of ministry leaders for children, youth, and adults with a focus on church and home working together.  I have never attended this conference before but have enjoyed Reggie Joiner's book, Think Orange .  I am excited about this conference as it has several great breakout sessions and gives a slightly different take on what it means to equip parents to pass on faith to their kids.  For more information, go to their website  here . Conection 2012- This is a conference for the Mennonite Brethren Church....