The Ten C's of Asking Quality Questions

• Complete. Make sure participants have all the information they need to answer a question.
• Concise: Good questions cover only one idea at a time.
  
• Clear. Keep it understandable. Be sure questions are not over the heads of group members.
• Connected. Don’t ask a question that will lead your group on a tangent.
• Conversational. The aim is not just to ask questions and have the group answer them; it is to facilitate conversation among everyone.
• Contestable. The best discussion questions do not have one right answer. They are open-ended, which forces people to think.
• Challenging. Ask questions that make people stretch their minds. Silence after a question may mean people are really thinking about their answers.
• Creative. Get group members to look at an issue from a side they may not have thought of before. For example, tell a story containing an unresolved issue and ask participants to solve it. The only bad question is the one you use all the time.
• Controversial. Make a controversial statement and see how the group responds. Just remember to use this method sparingly and with discernment.
• Considerate. Do not embarrass or get too personal too soon. Particularly in new groups, questions that dig too deep may keep people from coming back next week.

^{· copied from Discipleship Journal’s 101 Best Small Group Ideas}

Things You May Want to Know About ....

for Special Days: Mother's Day & Graduate Recognition Resources http://www.lifeway.com/article/159819/

for Children's Ministry: How to Teach Children with ADHD -http://www.lifeway.com/article/166767/

for Young Adults: New Threads study, Abide - developing a spiritual rhythm in life, see the promotion video - http://threadsmedia.com/store/studies/abide/

for Women's Ministry: sign up for Beth Moore's September 18th's Living Proof Live simulcast: - http://www.lifeway.com/event/?id=194&CID=women=eupdate-simulcast-041310-feature

for Women's Ministry: Faithful, Abundant, True: Three Lives Going Deeper, a study by Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, & Priscilla Shirer - http://www.lifeway.com/e19/shop/?id=005189430

for Family Ministry: Using Magazines in Family Ministry - http://www.lifeway.com/article/170220/?CID=PastorsToday-emailCRD20100419-Magazines

for Family Ministry: Helping Children to Know How to Pray - http://www.lifeway.com/article/165448/

for Church Health: Transformational Church book and assessment tool - http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/transformationalchurch/steps.asp

Tips on Becoming a Better Speaker

A book by John L. Dutton offers these suggestions to help a person become a speaker that people want to listen to:

· Prepare your talk around what your class or audience wants to hear, rather than what you want to say. Choose topics and discussions they want to study.

· Remember that people “think” in stories and illustrations as much as they do by analyzing data. Make your major points with stories or illustrations, followed by shorter statements of opinion or fact. In other words, use Bible stories to make Bible points.

· When you practice your presentation, create many of the conditions you will experience when you speak. Visualize the setting and your audience. Stand up, talk aloud, and use gestures. Spend half of your preparation time on this kind of practice. Limit the research and writing to the other half.

· Be natural when you make your presentation, not perfect. Never read a presentation – there’s nothing more boring. Learn your stories and illustrations well enough that you can tell them from memory. Make notes to remind you of when to tell the stories and what points to make from them.

· End with a bang, not a whimper. Save your best, most powerful story until last. Then deliver it with punch! Leave your class or audience wishing you had continued to speak. It makes them want to come back the next you have a presentation to make or a class to teach.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN .....

Marriage Ministry: The Secret to the Marriage You Want - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005189420

Adult Ministry: BOOMSTOCK: A Three Day Event for Babyboomers - http://www.lifeway.com/event/?id=373&intcmp=LAD2010Boomer-eupdate042010

Discipleship Ministry: Free webinar on the Growing Disciples series by Claude King (development process for disciples, from new Christian to maturity) -

https://admin.na5.acrobat.com/_a41466003/growingdisciples/growingdisciples

Discipleship Ministry: Georgia DisciplEquip Conference, Pine Forest Baptist Church, Macon, September 24 - 25 - www.gabaptist.org

Small Group Ministry: Crave: An Exploration of the Human Spirit by Erwin McManus (a study of cravings humans seek and the one that truly satisfies) - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005271665

Sunday School Ministry: Great Expectations: Planting Seeds for Sunday School Growth (training for Sunday School leadership, free downloads available) - http://www.lifeway.com/article/170118/


Women's Ministry: Developing a Girls' Ministry webcourse - http://www.lifeway.com/e1/shop/?id=005120945

Elevator Evangelism

^{By Mark Littleton}

Elevator evangelism involves chance opportunities to meet people and share your faith. At the gym. At the supermarket. At the gas station. These are times when you evaluate quickly whether or not a person is receptive to the gospel and then you initiate a conversation that’s designed to share Christ quickly (as in an elevator, hence the name). Here are a few pointers:

1. Think in terms of sharing what God has done in your life and for you, not telling your listener how to be saved. This: “God has been good to me. Why just the other day …” Not this: “Do you want to know how to become a Christian?” You’re telling them a story about what God has done for you. Be sure to make your conversation natural and bring in God as a friend, not a judge.

2. Think in terms of God’s power to turn the conversation into an opportunity, rather than you forcing it into your own little grid. This requires creativity and a sense of risk and adventure.

3. Look for ways of folding Scripture verses into your conversations. That’s what makes memorizing scripture so helpful. You can say something like, “I remember a promise in the Bible that helped me handle this. It says …”

4. Know your two minute testimony that explains how God changed your life. Then be prepared to continue the conversation as the person may ask follow-up questions.

5. “Feel, felt, found” are effective words to remember in developing an effective sharing technique. “Oh, I know how you feel. I felt that exact same way once when …. What I found out was …”

6. Learn to ask open-ended questions. “So what happened next?” or “What were the results?” Then you can respond with, “I’ve seen that. This is how I handled it. I couldn’t have done it without Christ.”

7. Think “divine appointment” with people you meet. When you encounter a person say a quick prayer for the person and for God to create an opportunity for starting a conversation.

Things You Might Be Interested In .....

FOR BUILDING PROJECTS: 2010 Mid-South Building Conference, Nashville, TN, April 15th - get your building project on the right footing. - http://www.lifeway.com/event/?id=370

FOR CHURCH SPIRITUAL AWAKENING: Fresh Encounter: A Study for Church and Personal Revival - http://www.lifeway.com/e5/shop/?id=005226601

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: FUEL: a video driven curriculum for students - http://www.lifeway.com/fuel/

FOR STUDENT MINISTRY: Free webcast, Girls Ministry: Mentoring girls, Friday, March 23rd, 1:00 (EDT) - http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=168761&CID=WomenNews-emailCRD20100301-webcast

FOR SMALL GROUPS: Small Group Life, episode 2 (spring quarter): Mission (Invitation to the Adventure of Life), edited by Steve Gladen, Saddleback Church - http://www.lifeway.com/e3/shop/?id=005180090.2010-SPR

FOR MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT: The Secret to the Marriage You Want; reduce conflict, improve communication, increase intimacy - http://www.lifeway.com/e3/shop/?id=005189420

FOR DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING: Georgia DisciplEquip Conference, Pine Forest Baptist Church, Macon, September 24 - 25 - www.gabaptist.org

Reclaiming Inactive Church Members

In the summer of 2006, LifeWay Research conducted a survey of 469 formerly churched adults to better understand why people stop attending church and what it would take to bring them back. The “formerly churched” are defined as those who regularly attended a Protestant church as an adult in the past but who no longer do so.

One of the questions asked was if they would consider returning to active church involvement. The results are encouraging:

62% - are open to returning, but are not actively looking

28% - unlikely to consider returning

6% - would consider returning to their former church

4% - would consider returning to another church other than their former church

It is encouraging to see that nearly 75% would consider returning to active church involvement despite the fact that the average length of inactivity is fourteen years!

Why Would They Return

The inactive members were also asked what it would be some reasons that would fuel their return to church. They said:

46% - to get back closer to God

34% - to fill a gap felt since stopping church attendance

32% - to be around others with similar values

31% - to make friends

30% - to help others

It’s interesting to note that all of these reasons for returning indicate that they realize something is missing in their lives, either in their relationship with God or in their relationships with others.

Here’s what we can learn from this research:

1. Always remember we are in the people business. We must show compassion and love in all that we do. The Scripture admonishes us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). A strong sense of love and concern will help overcome any disenchantment with church.

2. Make sure members are quickly assimilated into the church, in particular into a caring small group of some type. The Sunday School class has the best potential for the development of relationships and the ministry.

3. Follow up on your drop-outs. Considering that three out of four church drop-outs are willing to give it another try, we must not neglect the outreach to this group. Who has not attended in the last six months? While they may not go back to the same Sunday School class, perhaps they can be reached through another class or ministry. Thirty-one percent said they would consider returning to “make friends.” Making friends could be the first step to reclaiming these formerly churched.

4. Develop a strategy to reclaim the formerly churched. The research shows there is an openness to return. Forty-six percent said they would consider returning “to bring me closer to God.” How does that happen? Through the study of God’s Word and experiencing an atmosphere of acceptance and unconditional love. Create your own plan to reclaim those dissatisfied, disengaged, and discouraged in your own church.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ....

For Education Ministers: The Summit: A FREE Online Convergence of Small Group Experts, Thurs. Feb. 18th: Bill Donahue, Steve Gladen, Eddie Mosley, Rick Howerton, Carl George, Lyman Coleman and more! http://www.lifeway.com/sgsummit
For Education Ministers: 4G Conference, Building Great Groups - Sunday School Groups, Discipleship Groups, Small Groups, Missional Groups: Ridgecrest, July 23-26 http://www.lifeway.com/event/?id=361
For Leaders: SS in HD Conference: FBC/Woodstock, March 11-12 http://sundayschoolinhd.org/
For Women: Bible Studies and Resources for Women: choose a Bible study by your favorite women's ministry author http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=160745
For Men: Dare to be Uncommon: by Tony Dungy http://www.lifeway.com/e7/shop/?id=005223822
For Student Ministry: Register Now for Fuge Camps: http://www2.lifeway.com/fuge/
For Pondering: What's Changing, What's Not: trends that will be affecting your ministry this year http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/culturewatch/whatschangingwhatsnot.html

Class Outreach Ideas for 2010

^{(adapted from Discipleship Journal #117)}

Here are some ideas gleaned from a Bible study group that desired to touch the hearts of others. They discovered that acts of charity brought them closer to each other and, even more important, humbled them before God’s throne of grace. Below is a year’s worth of ideas that you can suggest to your Sunday School classes/Bible Study groups/Small Groups.

JANUARY - Look for a family in need because of a crisis and bring them a dinner and plateful of encouragement one night.

FEBRUARY - Bake or buy valentine cookies (with and without sugar), and take them to a convalescent home.

MARCH - Throw a baby shower for the local crisis pregnancy center.

APRIL - Give the gift of spring-cleaning or house repairs to an elderly person.

MAY - Plant a vegetable garden and plan to deliver the harvest to a local nonprofit food organization during the summer.

JUNE - Volunteer to handle one area (food, recreation, crafts, etc.) for the Vacation Bible School.

JULY - Hold a backyard barbeque and invite the neighbors.

AUGUST - Adopt a missionary. Send the care packages and prayer cards.

SEPTEMBER - Deliver a snack tray and encouragement cards to the teacher’s lounge at a local school.

OCTOBER - Purchase high quality treats, label them with a personal note like “Jesus loves you and so do I” or a scripture verse, and deliver them to the neighborhood kids.

NOVEMBER - Volunteer to serve dinner at a local rescue mission at Thanksgiving.

DECEMBER - Don Santa hats, and deliver to needy families boxes of nonperishable food and gifts collected by the church.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ....

For Education Ministers: GBREA Meeting, Decatur, January 21 & 22, "Reaching the Younger Unchurched" - http://www.gbrea.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=39977&PID=736979
For Women: Ruth: Loss, Love, & Legacy by Kelly Minter - http://www.lifeway.com/e9/shop/?N=4294906166+4294867906&nru=2
For Men: "I'm the Man" Men's Ministry emphasis: lead, protect, mentor, serve - http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169138&cid=IMTHEMAN_home
For Leaders: Simple Life Action Plan by Thom Rainer - http://www.lifeway.com/e9/shop/?id=005254025
For Student Ministry: Girls Ministry Forum, Nashville, TN, February 26 & 27 - http://www.lifeway.com/event/?id=330&cid=StudentZip-emailCRD20091224
For Small Group Ministry: Free starter kit - http://threadsmedia.com/starterkit
For Pondering: "Religion and Race: Can Megachurches Bridge the Racial Divide?" - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1950943,00.html

Earth Walk

_{By Martin R. DeHaan II}

After the Apollo XV mission, Colonel James Irwin related some of the high points of his experience. He told of weightless bodies floating free in the space capsule, the rising crescent of the earth as seen from the moon, and the triumphal splashdown before a watching world.

Irwin also spoke of the impact the experience had on his spiritual life. He said that from the lunar surface he sensed both the glory of God and the plight of earthbound man. As he came back to earth, he realized he couldn't content himself with being merely a celebrity. He would have to be a servant, telling his fellowman of a better way to live. Irwin concluded by saying that if we think it a great event to go to the moon, how much greater is the wonder that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ!

Because man walked on the moon, science and technology have made tremendous advances. But because God walked on earth, we know both our origin and our destiny. We can know our Creator personally, and we can live in His light. Through Jesus' sinless life and sacrificial death we have the joy of sins forgiven and an abundant life--all because God walked on earth.

Personal Note: Isn’t it amazing that because God came to earth and walked among men, we have the opportunity to go heaven and we can walk with God. Add to that the promise that He walks with us every day of our earthly lives. May those thoughts bring added dimensions to your Christmas!

YOU MIGHT INTERESTED IN ....

LifeWalk: a year long plan to read through the Bible - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005107653.2010-01

Women's Study, "Ruth: Loss, Love, & Legacy" by Kelly Minter - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005189427&CID=WomenNews-emailCRD20091201-Ruth

Simple Life, developing a simple game plan for life, by Thom & Art Rainer - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=1415868123

Breaking Free: The Journey by Beth Moore (updated version) - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005125846

Transformational Discipleship by Roy Edgemon & Barry Sneed, a guide for developing an intentional plan of discipleship - http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?id=005289771

Finding Ways to Encourage Your Wife (Pastors Today) http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169827&rss=20091123

Great Prayers in the Bible, 19-Page Complimentary Download - http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D169795%252526M%25253D200825%2C00.html

The ABC's of Being on Mission with God

By Tobin Perry

Attitude: You'll face all kinds of obstacles as you work to fulfill the Great Commission. Keeping a good attitude can be the difference between having a good missions experience and a bad one.

Bible: The Bible is your essential handbook for missions. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible not only explains why we should be on mission, but you'll also find in the New Testament examples of time-tested techniques for telling the world about Jesus.

Commitment: There's nothing easy about obeying the Great Commission. It carries considerable cost, perhaps even your very life. When you're on mission, your commitment to Christ will be tested.

Dependence: From the day God tells you to follow Him on mission, you'll need to depend on Him every step of the way. Ask any missionary!

Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is contagious, even on mission. As an ambassador for Christ, your enthusiasm for your Savior will go a long way toward showing people that they need a relationship with Him.

Flashlight: A good missionary follows the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. When you're on mission telling people about the Light of the World, bring a portable light source to help you navigate in dark places.

Good health: While on mission, you might find yourself in a very strenuous physical environment. Make sure you understand all of the physical requirements for a trip before you go, and then talk with your doctor about what you need to do in order to be physically prepared for the trip.

Humor: When you're on mission with God, expect anything and everything. As a good missionary, remember to take God seriously while not taking yourself too seriously.

Intentional: Mission trips aren't vacations. As a kingdom messenger, focus on your purpose! Be intentional about sharing the gospel.

Jesus: What Would Jesus Do has become a cliche, yet that's exactly what you need to be thinking as you share God's love with hurting people in your community or around the world. You may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.

Kum-by-yah: You will find that some of the most memorable moments in your life will be with the community or should we say kommunity that you develop while on mission, particularly among those on mission with you. But a word of warning if you suggest singing Kum-by-yah 50 times in a row, you might find yourself walking back home.

Languages: When you talk about Jesus, it always helps if you can speak in the native or heart language of the people you want to reach. However, when that's not possible, keep in mind that LOVE is a universal language.

Map: Whether you're traveling across an ocean or just across town, it helps to know where you're going. Take the time to find a good map and use it.

Nations: Gods concern for the nations goes all the way back to Genesis 12. If God cares about the nations, so should you. Don't limit your missions involvement to people who look like you and talk like you. Step out of your comfort zone and into a whole new culture which might be just down the street!

On your knees: Nothing is more essential to being on mission than prayer. Spend a significant amount of time praying for the person or people you'll be trying to reach. You'll be amazed at how God answers those prayers!

Passport: Being on mission means you should be prepared to go anywhere. If God sends you overseas, you'll definitely need a passport.

Quality time with the Lord: Spend quality time with God before you join Him on mission. Let Him tell you how you can be a part of His work and then join Him where He is working.

Real: As you share your faith in Christ, be real and authentic. Nonbelievers can tell when you're insincere or phony, and you'll just end up losing credibility in their eyes.

Servants heart: As you go on mission, be willing to do anything God asks. Whether you're leading someone to Christ, making breakfast for the homeless or cleaning toilets, you can be confident that you're making a kingdom difference! The prophet Jeremiah even says its among the mundane matters of life that you will often encounter God (Jeremiah 29).

Toilet paper: We know from firsthand experience that every bathroom in the world does not necessarily come complete with well necessities. Be sure you have a roll of toilet paper stashed someplace you can easily access.

Unity: If you plan to go on mission with a group, creating a sense of unity is very important. You can't expect people to want to enter the Kingdom if there is dissension among the brethren.

Vision: In order to be an on mission Christian, you'll need to embrace Gods vision for the world. Once you see missions through Gods eyes, you'll never sit on the sidelines again. You'll want to get in the game! Ask God to help you see the world through His eyes.

Willingness: For some awesome reason God chooses to use us to complete His worldwide mission. Your willingness to surrender to Him is an essential part of being on mission.

X-treme: Going on mission with God means living life to the X-treme. And guess what, you were made for this X-treme. From the moment you were conceived, God planned for you to share His message throughout the globe. What a purpose!

Yes!: Being on mission starts by saying yes to God's global plan. Saying yes to God means saying no to a selfish status quo.

Zealousness: Your passion for Christ will make a monumental difference in how effective you are in sharing your faith. Ask God to make you zealous for Jesus and zealous for telling others about Him.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ....

Family Ministry Planning Tool: a tool a family ministry council can use for evaluating, planning, and promoting your ministry to families - http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169745

Affordable Background Checks: http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/bgc.asp?intcmp=LCS_onesource_backgroundchecks&CID=em_CD091029

Beth Moore's Updated Breaking Free: see the video http://www.lifeway.com/e3/shop/?id=005125846&CID=WomenNews-emailCRD20091101-BreakingFree

Free threads Starter Kit: contains Context (a handbook for reaching young adults), Videos, other resources - http://threadsmedia.com/starterkit

New Small Group Life curriculum for small groups/cell groups/home groups - http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D168800%252526M%25253D200804%2C00.html?CID=RDR-SGL

2010 GBREA Meeting online registration - http://www.gbrea.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=39977

Valentine's Weekend Retreat at Ridgecrest: February 12-13, 2010 - http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0%2C2232%2CE%25253D196%252526M%25253D200975%2C00.html

Eight Year Study Plan for Explore the Bible: http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_CG_StudyPlan_ETB2007_2015.pdf