Getting Students To Show Up

I just finished reading Jonathan McKee's book "Getting Students to Show Up: Practical Ideas for Any Outreach Event - from 10 to 10,000"

This is a great book that I recommend to all pastors who deal with youth or college students, or pastors looking to do an outreach. This book starts you at the beginning and walks you through the planning process of outreaches and then releases you to do them. This book will help you plan and execute your weekly events as well as those one time only events.


What I learned from this book:

An outreach is an event, or activity, or program used as a means to attract those who don't know Jesus and them tell them who Jesus is.

There are 10 steps we need take to do an outreach.
1. Pray
2. Find the Purpose for the event. (Sharing the Gospel)
3. Figure out what the Draw or Attraction is. Remember the Speaker is not the draw or attraction. No student wants to hear a speaker, they want to have fun. There are a few draw/attractions in the book, and the book refers us to www.theyouthsource.com for other ideas.
4. Find out who your audience is.
5. Start with a blank piece of paper and plan the outreach from start to finish.
6. Budget and figure out what resources you need and what your resources are.
7. Plan your program agenda. What are you going to do when people show up, what will the event look like, how long is each element, who will emcee, ect?
8. Have multiple people review your program and agenda to add, take away, and critique.
9. Get a committee or work team to put it all together
10. DO THE EVENT!!!

If your a Pastor who does outreaches, YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!

For free Youth Ministry resources by Jonathan McKee go to The Source for Youth Ministry

Now its time for me to employ what I have learned from this book into action!

Summer Slim Down!!!

Hi, I'm Pastor Adam. I have a weight problems. Will you help encourage me to lose weight?

All my life I have been over weight. I remember weighing in at close to 200 lbs when I was 11 years old. Right now, I weigh 254 lbs, a BMI of 35.56 (which is obese), have a 50 something inch belly, and a 44 inch waist. This is starting to cause health problems in my life. Not only is it causing health problems, but I am also fighting against a family history of Diabetes, Heart disease, cancer, and other deadly health issues.

Now its time to take a stand. Last week I talked with a Doctor about how to lose weight. He said that I need to lose 10% of my body weight at a rate of 2-3 lbs per week. That's 25lbs in 12.5 weeks. The Doctor told me that I need to cut out Bread, rice, pasta, and sweets. This is going to be extremely difficult for me! I eat those almost every day! OUCH!

The good news is that I can eat as much vegetables that I want to! WOOT! Instead of using salad dressing I get to use my newest loved food… Humus. My diet from now on will consist of eating tons of vegetables, a little bit of fruit, and good lean meat. The Doc. told me I can have a small wheat bagel or wheat toast for breakfast, and oatmeal or bagel before I work out.

The other part of this is that I have to start working out. I need to work out between 40 and 60 minutes per day. I'm going to alternate workout days. On the even days Ill take a good brisk walk, and on the odd days ill go to the gym or do exercises that I can do at home.

This is more than just a diet for me, Its a life style change. And I will need help and encouragement. My goal is to loose 25 lbs this summer. Each week I will weigh and measure to see where I'm at, and will post it on the blog.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

We must take care of what God has given us. God gave us our bodies, and our bodies serve as a temple. Therefore we must manage and keep our bodies to the highest standard so we can fully accompany what God wants to do with our lives.

If your like me, your over weight, I challenge you to loose weight. It will change you life and your health risks.

Will you join me in the fight against Obesity?

Prayer and Fasting

Read Matthew 6:5-18 & 9:14-15

Prayer is when we have a conversation with God.

Jesus Gave us an example of how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. We know this as that Lords Prayer. Basically what Jesus said is: 1. Our prayers should honor God; 2. Our prayers should be centered around Gods kingdom, power, authority, purposes, and way of life. Not with our problems and situations; 3. Our prayers should ask god for our daily needs, provision, protection, and His leading; and 4. Our prayers should include confession of the bad things that we have done.

Matthew 6:5-7 Jesus is saying not to be fake. Have you ever know someone with the Holier than Thou attitude. These are the people who pray in front of others to show that they are religious or spiritual. When you take a close look at these people they are far from it. These are the people who come to church on Sundays and Wednesdays saying God is Good, but every other day of the week they don't even acknowledge God, they cuss and do the same bad things they have always done. They are Hypocrites.

That is why Jesus told the Disciples to pray when no one else is around. The hypocrites do not have a relationship with Jesus. They are just there to be seen by others. Jesus however, wants us to have a personal relationship with him, so He asks us to pray in secret. Praying with others is a good thing and we are asked to do it, but but in these verses Jesus wanted to emphasize us having a relationship with Him.

Another part of prayer is fasting.

When we fast, we give something up for a period of time. We do this for the soul purpose of spending more time with God.

Normaly when we think of fasting we think about giving up food. Some people give up 1 meal per day, others go for several days with out eating, and people also go on strict diets where they give up just meat, or sugary foods. There are more things to fast from than just food. You can fast from video games, the internet, tv, starbucks, going to the movies, total electronic fast, texting, talking on the phone, and this list can go on for quite a while.

Its not what you fast that's important, its why you fast. When Jesus was on earth the disciples didn't fast because they were with Jesus. They had that personal one on one time with him every day. It is when Jesus ascended into Heaven that the Disciples started to fast. They fasted so that they could stay close to Jesus.

When we fast, it should be to grow closer to God, to honor Him, for God's will to be done, and to humble ourselves to put God first in our lives. When we fast and pray correctly we will see some amazing things happen. You'll have an amazing relationship with God, and you'll see many miracles signs and wonders in your life and in the life of the people around you.

I know in my own life, when I have fasted and prayed things have happened. When I first started to fast I grew closer to God and actually felt his presence in my life. When I was seeking the Holy Spirit I went on the Daniel Fast and was baptized in the Holy Spirit for the first time. When I was looking for my first full time Job while at Central Bible College I fasted and God gave me a Job at the General Council of the Assemblies of God as a Designer and photographer. Another time I fasted because my wife, Bethany, was really sick and at church one night God healed her.

Prayer and Fasting can be a powerful thing and open up doors with God that you never thought existed.

I want to encourage you to Pray and Fast.
Pray the way that Jesus set the example for in the Lords Prayer found in Matthew 6, and fast so that you can honor God and grow closer to Him. While your praying and fasting seek God's will for your life and for the Holy Spirit.




To find out ways that you can pray and fast contact Sunset Chapel.

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