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  • Friday, April 03, 2020 11:30 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Ben Jennings   Assimilation Pastor, Canton Baptist Temple, Canton, Ohio

    Being able to meet with your bible study groups has been a challenge over the last several weeks.  With many online options not providing an effective way for everyone to interact, Zoom and other conferencing platforms provide a unique opportunity.  Ben Jennings shares 6 steps that you can incorporate to make your Zoom meeting successful.


  • Friday, March 13, 2020 9:07 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Ken Braddy  Director of Sunday School, Lifeway Christian Resources

    If you are a leader of a Bible study group, especially if you lead an ongoing group (Sunday School), you have a special challenge.

    It has been a fact of life in Sunday School that approximately 50% of the people on your group’s roster (ministry list) will not be present on any given week. You may average, say, 12 people in your group – but it can feel like a different group every week based on who is in attendance. You’ll probably have a small core of committed people who are there each week. But the rest of the people seem to rotate through the group over the course of a month. That’s the way it is in the group I’m a part of.

    Click here to read the article.


  • Friday, February 21, 2020 8:30 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Ken Braddy  Director of Sunday School, Lifeway Christian Resources

    If you teach a Bible study group, the last thing you need is a substitute. That may sound strange because there are times when you must be absent because of vacation or illness. Since you will be absent from time to time, how can I say that your group doesn’t need a sub?

    Instead of a sub, your group needs an apprentice. Here are three ways that an apprentice is superior to a sub and why Sunday School groups are better off with an apprentice:



    Click Here To Read More


  • Monday, February 10, 2020 10:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Ted House  Pastor, Bible Baptist Church, Mount Orab, Ohio

    The senior adults in the local church add great value to the congregation while at the same time meeting the needs of the seniors themselves.

    I believe the sign of a healthy church is that it is multi-generational. The senior adults give the church family a great example of faithfulness and wisdom. Their influence is invaluable for the generations who are watching them as they serve the Lord. When we think of seniors we often are grateful for their financial support of the church, and we should be, but their spiritual support is far greater. They do bring great value to the congregation.

    As I have had conversations with our senior adults, they have shared with me what they see as the value of the adult ministry to them. The time that they spend together in God's word is paramount to them. As the Word is taught in their meetings they can apply it to their lives at this particular chapter in their journey. They discuss the application and share personal insights and testimonies. They also say that the personal relationships they build with each other gives them a great support group within the larger church family. They say this support is both give and get. They enjoy helping and praying for one another during difficult times. They take meals to one another and help each other with daily tasks. Whether it is family problems or the loss of a loved one, or spouse, they really can relate to each other. This support system meets needs that are otherwise overlooked. Many of the senior adults have spent their whole life serving the Lord and find serving each other a great joy.

    Senior ministry has become a great outreach tool in our congregation. seniors are often inviting other seniors to their luncheons and outings. Because they are having their own needs met, they share that with other seniors. We have had many first time visitors attend our senior meetings before they have ever visited a regular church service.

    Senior adults do add great value to the local church!

    Tedrhouse@gmail.com


  • Friday, February 07, 2020 9:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Ken Braddy Director of Sunday School at LifeWay

    In many churches, Sunday School (or as David Francis says, “It’s functional equivalent by another name”) is what we call a “Step 2″ strategy. For many congregations, having people attend the worship service is “Step 1,” and moving those persons into a smaller group for Bible study is Step 2.

    If Sunday School (insert whatever name youcall your church’s teaching ministry) is to be an effective step 2 strategy, here are some ways to lift up its importance during your church’s worship service. If you aren’t on your church’s leadership team, send them this post and encourage them to bring Sunday School to the forefront of people’s minds. Here are 10 ways to do that in the worship service:

    1. Pray for a class and its teacher each week

    2. Interview an individual or a family about the things they enjoy about their Bible study group (do this once a quarter)

    3. Have a commissioning service where you pray for all of the teachers at the start of a new Sunday School year (usually in August)

    4. Preach a sermon series on the importance of groups, Bible study, and connecting with one another

    5. Use the worship bulletin to feature a group and its teacher each week…a short bio on the group leader, where the class meets, the Bible study materials they use, etc.

    6. Create a special registration card (or include it in your guest information section of the worship bulletin) in which people can specifically request to be connected to a Bible study group

    7. If your adult groups use the same curriculum, preview the upcoming sessions and units of study occasionally to create interest

    8. Preach a sermon series that aligns with your adult groups’ curriculum (if the majority teach from the same series) – and encourage guests and unconnected members to give a Sunday School group a try

    9. Encourage guests to stay and connect with a Bible study group since they are on campus already

    10. Encourage time-compressed people to attend a Bible study group instead of the worship service. I have served with several pastors who have encouraged people to get involved in a smaller group if they only have one hour to give on Sunday mornings. Pastors know that people are more likely to be around for the long haul if they are in a group.

    There are more ways than these to lift up the importance of your “step 2” strategy. I’d be curious to hear from you about how your church calls attention to Sunday School and gets people moving in that direction.

    Kenbraddy.com


  • Monday, February 03, 2020 11:14 AM | Anonymous member
    Ben Jennings Visitation/Outreach Pastor Canton Baptist Temple, Canton Ohio

    One of the first struggles many of us have in ministry is trying to figure out how to get people to stick.  How do we get people to get connected and stay connected to the church?  This is a question of assimilation. 

    Assimilation is an important idea for any church.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of assimilation is “the process of becoming similar to something”, and “the absorption and integration of people, ideas, or culture into a wider society or culture.” 

    In the context of our churches, it refers to making people a part of the life of your church.  Assimilation refers to a process that happens with the people who attend your church.

    To achieve the goal of fully assimilating people into the church, you have to be able to identify when it happens.  So, how do you know if someone is assimilating into your church?  Here are some questions that we can ask about those we are trying to assimilate to see where they are in the process.

    1.       Worship Service- How often do they attend?  Is there a pattern?

    2.       Sunday School/Groups- How often do they attend?  Is there a pattern?

    3.       Relationships- Are they becoming friends with people in the church or group?  Do they spend time with people before, after, or outside of the services and programs?

    4.       Participation- Do they participate during class or group time?  Are they engaged when they come?

    5.       Service- Do they serve in a ministry of the church? 

    6.       Invitation- Do they invite others to your group or church?

    7.       Spiritual Growth- Do they exhibit life change resulting from the ministry they receive?  Have they made decisions regarding salvation, baptism, discipleship, serving and forsaking sin in their lives?

    What are some of the ways you measure assimilation at your church that I may not have named?  What are some ways that you help to encourage new people in each of these categories?

    Ben can be reached via email at ben@jenningsfamily.com



  • Wednesday, April 11, 2018 6:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dr. Chris Stephens, Broadway Baptist, Sweetwater, TX

    One of my favorite pastimes is hunting. Whether it’s deer, quail, feral hogs, or turkey, I love to hunt.

    When I was first starting out a dear friend said, “Chris, we have a lot of deer on our property, come on out and hunt them.” I could hardly wait to get out there and see all those deer just waiting to welcome me. When I arrived, my friend was busy so he told me to go back and get one. As I walked around, for what was nearly 3 hours, I didn’t see one deer.

    When I returned to the house and expressed my disappointment of not seeing any deer I asked, “Just where are all those deer?” to which he replied, “WHERE YOU SEE THEM IS WHERE THEY ARE!”

    I’ve never forgotten that statement and have used it dozens of times, especially when referring to soul winning and visitation.

    There are several basic truths I use when working with others regarding outreach and visitation.

    • 1.  Go where they are. You can’t reach them from your office; you’ve got to get out there with them. In a small community, it is easy. Go to the ball games and just sit and watch the kids play. Go to school functions and mingle with them. Go to the gym (you don’t have to work out). Just go where they are.
    • 2.  You can’t go to the wrong house or address. If you aren’t sure about the address, just get close and ask others. I was looking for a man who had visited and had the opportunity to talk to his neighbor who eventually trusted Christ and united with the church. You can’t go to the wrong house or talk to the wrong person – everyone needs the Lord.
    • 3.  Take someone with you. It is called discipleship: training others. 
    • 4.  Don’t wait for a special day or time: do it always. God’s word says “daily and in every house . . .”

    Everyone wants a “how to” seminar, but when it comes to outreach there really isn’t a “how to”—it is simply a “go do”. I have always been taught “them that goes gets” and “you win some, lose some, and have a lot of no shows,” but as is said of Gideon and the 300 in Judges 8:4, “faint, YET PURSUING THEM”. They are where you see them…so go get them.


  • Thursday, March 15, 2018 4:30 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Ted House, Bible Baptist Church, Mount Orab, OH

    The greatest asset to any church or pastor is people faithfully sitting in your sanctuary every church service. They have paved the way for many generations. They have given sacrificially of their talent and treasure and in many situations, they have built the buildings and paid the bills for everything the church enjoys today. I'm talking about our Super Senior Citizens.

    At Bible Baptist Church in Mount Orab Ohio, we strive to be a multi-generational church. From Great Grandma and Grandpa to the great-grandchildren, all are serving and worshiping the Lord together in their local church. The Seniors are great examples of faith and share years of wisdom with the younger generations of the church.

    As with most churches, we have a monthly Senior Luncheon for our older adults to come together for fellowship. Sometimes they eat at the church and other times they go on field trips, but in either situation, they love the fellowship. Beyond that, we have encouraged our Seniors to get involved throughout the different ministries at BBC. These include prayer warriors, door greeters, welcome team members, Sunday school teachers, choir members, and nursery workers.

    The most exciting thing our Seniors do is make the cedar walking sticks for our County Fair Ministry. From the raw cedar boards to the finished product they do it all!! When we go to the fair and hand out sticks, many people come to know Christ as Savior. We have given out as many as 3200 sticks in one year and had over 1800 people trust Christ as their Savior because of the walking sticks that were made that year. For every stick that is handed out, our seniors reap the eternal reward for their hard work. They are storing up rewards to their account.

    Don't overlook your Seniors, they are probably the greatest asset in your church!


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