The Vision

[excel]

Next few posts is feedback from non-ihub members. Maybe you can expand on some of their ideas. Or maybe you have a comment to make about one of them that will help the end result!


Let me start on
commenting on your five purposes and your plans for the facilities:

1. I haven't seen this done anywhere else, but it certainly sounds worth a
try. One question you'll probably be asked by the churches is how you'll
handle referrals (i.e., if someone says they want to start going to church
or asks about a Sunday service). There are several good ways you could
handle that, but I'm just saying you should be ready for the question.

2. This is a good idea. You may have better luck if you bill the events
as something more than a concert. Maybe in the fall it's a hoedown or a
barn dance, in the winter it's a Christmas sing-along, in February a
Valentine's event, etc. I guess it will depend on the interests of the
community around you.

3. I agree that camp is a great way to bring in unchurched kids. For this
you'll need to plan significant manpower (remember all the people who were
involved in camp at Carnation) and perhaps some different facilities (more
cabins, etc.) than you were planning for the retreat.

4. This is another good goal. Be sure you're talking to these groups when
you plan your camp facilities (for goal #3) to make sure you take into
account any special requirements. Maybe someone at one of those groups can
give you examples of camp facilities, layouts, and programs that have
worked (or not worked) for this group.

5. Will you set restrictions on this? Time length? Denominations? Can
couples come together? Do you want to take steps to prevent this from just
becoming a regular vacation spot for those in the ministry, or is that part
of what it's about?

Facilities: These are great plans. If you are not able financially to
implement all at once, I would suggest you take one of your five purposes
and then complete all the facilities necessary to do that very well, then
start on the next one. It's better to be really successful at the
Wednesday night services for the lost, then expand into summer camps, etc.,
than to do a mediocre job of doing fulfilling all your purposes because you
don't have the staffing or facilities to do them all well.

Now, onto your questions...

1. I think the main reason most people stop attending church has nothing to
do with theology or programs or any of that. Other than for something like
moving out of town, I think it's almost always due to some sort of
detachment from the people in the church. Usually they get offended at
something someone said or did, whether that's actually representative of
the view of the church or not. The other reason I see is people falling
into (or back into) a sin. We lose people when a marriage breaks up. We
lose people who are recovering from some sort of addiction and fall back
into it. Is this the group you're aiming at, people who have left the
church, or are you interested in anyone who's unchurched?

2. I reaching out to those who have left the church, I think the most
important thing is to emphasize that you want to help them build a
relationship primarily with Jesus Christ, and only secondarily to others.
Because that's the relationship that will last when they get offended by
the words or actions of someone in the church. People will always fail
them, but Jesus Christ won't. If you're interested in attracting the
completely unchurched (those who have never been in a church), then I would
emphasize the social aspect (almost the opposite of above), and then make
sure they understand that whatever relationships they forge in this group
will never be as good as the relationship they can have with Jesus.

3. That probably depends on the community you're near. And the truth is,
you probably want a mix of things. A fishing derby will likely draw a
different crowd than a music festival. Of course, the word "free" draws a
lot of people. You've described a lot of neat activities you want to plan
for on your facilities. I'd say a free contest of almost any of those (go
carts, bmx, fishing, etc.) would draw people. People like free classes.
"How to" is big, so everything from classes on finances to flycasting could
be a big draw.

4. Unfortunately, I've never been on the organizing side of anything like
that.

5. Depending on my schedule and the final location, I could be. Although I
think you'd want, as much as possible, to find folks from local churches to
help get people plugged into a regular church as soon as they're willing.

6. I can crack a joke now and then.

7. Oh, I'll always get up and flap my jaws, if the schedule permits, but
I'm not sure I'd be a real draw.

8. The biggest need I see right now is hurting marriages, both inside the
church and out.

10. As I said above, I think the most important thing will be targeting
certain groups and activities first and getting a reputation as a quality
venue for those activities. Then, when you expand into other activities,
your reputation will be an asset to you.

That's all I can think of now. If I think of anything else later I'll be
sure to send it along!

Check this out!
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=793