• About

DeDeBullReilly

~ Just another WordPress.com site

DeDeBullReilly

Monthly Archives: June 2013

The Day After VBS

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by DeDe Bull Reilly in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

In the words of my KidMin colleague, Katie Atcheson, “VBS is my favorite week of the year.” This is the week where anything goes and anyone can come. Both little people and taller people arKingdomRockCrafte actively sharing the love of God. We make sure that every learning style is addressed, from the crafty to the drama queen, from the wet game boys to the snackers. And we share the family stories of the Bible. We plan for 5 months to pull off 5 days. It’s glorious!

But now what?

1. Instead of filing the registration forms, place them in your bible and pray for each one to continue to grow in their faith. Pray their families will find a church home or become even more connected to the family of faith.

2. Be ready when they come through the door on a future Sunday morning or on campus for a camp or other future KidMin special event.KingdomRockPrincess  Be ready to greet in the children’s hallway.

3. Add their contact info to your database so you can invite them, with a personal note, to the next 3 things you have on the calendar that involves:
Worship – Blessing of the backpacks the Sunday before school starts
Belonging – Drive in movie night on a July Friday where there is mingling and chatting
Mission – Fall packing party for Operation Christmas Child

4. Leave a few things up on the walls for when the kids bring their families on a future Sunday. The space will resemble what they enjoyed for the week, and it’ll feel more like home.  The stairway is great for this!

5. FKingdomRockYouthollow up with your volunteers by personally inviting them to join your KidMin team in another service opportunity, especially your first-time volunteers. (I trust you have already shown your appreciation through a goodie, a thank you note, or a planned pool party for your youth volunteers).

6. Send a letter to each child’s parents who made a decision to follow Jesus.  Offer suggestions to help their new disciple grow in his/her faith and knowledge of God and His son, Jesus. And don’t forget to add a flyer with the upcoming happenings.

7. Wear your VBS tshirt often over the next 90 days…you’ll never know when you may run into a child at the grocery store or Home Depot.  It’s a great conversation starter and you can offer a personal invite.  The Kingdom of God grows through the ministry of conversation.

The last day of VBS is not the end of my favorite week of the year. It just might be the beginning of something fabulous!

What other suggestions do you have for followup?

Why Don’t They Come?

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by DeDe Bull Reilly in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

If you’ve been on church staff for any length of time, you know what it feels like to prepare, plan, and market a great idea only to have so few come that you wonder, “Why don’t they come?” It happened last night at the Family Drive-In Movie.

why-1.jpegWe have access to a huge stand up movie screen and a high end LED projector. We have a fantastic back parking lot that could hold 200 lawn chairs with beautiful shade and a fantastic breeze. We had a girl scout troupe with fresh movie popcorn and lemonade to sell at 50 cents each to support a local animal shelter with the theme of lost animals as we showed “Homeward Bound.” We had picnic tables and a sno cone machine. We had indoor bathrooms. We had beautiful weather. It was free.

Who came? I’m glad you asked.

Our pastor and his family came. He is kind enough to set the projector and screen up. The moms of 5 girl scouts came. Our staff parish chairperson and his family came. The lovely champion of Family Movie Night came. Our youth director came.

And a new family came with 3 little people who had never before set foot on campus. They were welcomed by the few in attendance, but had to wonder, “Where is everyone?”welcome

Yes indeed, it takes only a few to build a faith community. But it happens so much easier and more quickly when the founding community comes out: to visit, to welcome, to greet, to show around, to make connections with new people, to introduce themselves to new faces, to make some new friends-in-the-Lord, to perhaps be the answer to someone’s prayer through the relaxed time of shared fellowship.

It is not my intention to be negative, but it would be dishonest to not express my disappointment. So, even when you do all the preparing, marketing, sharing, and planning well, sometimes they just don’t come.

WaterslideThis Sunday, we have a giant, inflatable, dual water slide inviting everyone in the community to come. It was originally scheduled for 2 weeks ago, but the bad weather caused us to reschedule. Sliding Into Summer may be about running through a water slide for little people, but what will our surrounding community think about us if the founding community of faith doesn’t come out to welcome and greet them?

“I am carrying on a great project and I can not go down.”  Nehemiah 6:3

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010

Categories

  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Copyright Notice

Copyright 2016 by DeDe Bull Reilly - all rights reserved. This material may be freely copied and distributed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice and our World Wide Web URL http://www.dedebullreilly.wordpress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • DeDeBullReilly
    • Join 100 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • DeDeBullReilly
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...