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!