Tag Archives: systems

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A Pastor’s After-Easter Action Plan

The songs have been sung, the message has been preached, the celebration is over… and the pastor is tired.  I know.  You definitely need to take some time off this week.  But here’s a short list of actions you should take to make sure that your efforts leading up to Easter Sunday don’t go to waste.

A Place to Start for Small Church Pastors

1. Follow up on spiritual decisions.

If someone came to know Jesus, that’s of paramount importance.  Check in with them, confirm their decision, share your joy, communicate your availability, answer questions.

2. Take care of the administrative details.

This is the “unsexy” part of your week, I know.

  • Entering guest cards into the database…
  • writing follow-up letters…
  • communicating “thanks” to your team…

Those kinds of things may not feel like exciting things to do on an emotionally exhausted “morning after Easter,” but paying attention to these kinds of details is exactly what will put you in a good place for the future.  If you have recruited administrative help, this is a good time to make a list of tasks they need to take on.

3. Keep the conversation going with guests.

Use information you’ve captured with your guest card to communicate a couple times with guests from Sunday.

  • Send them a personal thank you note (we do ours hand-written, with a little gift card to a local restaurant inside).
  • If someone asked for info on a particular next step on your guest card, then that could be a next step they’re motivated to take.  Follow up on that.
  • Find a way to “wow” guests with your love.  After all, “By this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:35

4. Clearly communicate a general next step.

In today’s world, it’s doubtful that people are suddenly 100% committed to coming every Sunday from “now ‘til Jesus comes.”

Lifetime commitment to your church is probably a tough sell after one Sunday.  It’s like a store owner asking you to only shop at that store after your first visit.  Probably not gonna happen.  It’s better to communicate a specific next step people can take if they were attracted by what you offered on Easter.

Being a pastor who really is intentional about discipleship means you’ve got to communicate the next step on your discipleship pathway.

It’s probably best not to have 6 next steps.  Simplicity and clarity mean you need to decide about 1 next step you want new guests to take.  Is it:

  • Come to a membership class?
  • Show up at a relationship-building event?
  • Download our discipleship tool?
  • Come to your church dinner next week?
  • Volunteer at your outreach event to kids?
  • Attend the start of your new series next Sunday?

5. Do a review with your team.

I wrote about this in my post “The Easiest Way to Continually Improve Your Outreach.” Check that post out.  The best way to make sure all the lessons of this Easter get learned and captured is a quick review of:

  • What went right
  • What went wrong
  • What we can improve next time
  • Who’s responsible for it

6. Thank God & your team.

You didn’t do this Easter alone.  Even if it was a bit less than you hoped for, people labored to make it happen, and it wasn’t a waste in the eyes of Heaven.  So spend some time thanking God in faith for what he’s doing, and how he’s going to continue that work.

Then make a few phone calls or write a few thank you notes to people who made the weekend happen.

Here’s to small church pastors, who labor faithfully… thanks for what you do for God’s Kingdom!

I’m going to make a checklist for this post, and give it away.  What other steps should I include after Easter?  Tell me in the comments below.

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How to Not Waste Your Christmas Crowd

Every pastor knows that Easter and Christmas are two Sundays that are most likely to attract the unchurched and the de-churched to attend. You probably have given thought to your Christmas or Advent services already, since we’re just a few weeks away.

Between now and Christmas, you’ll probably

  • brainstorm ideas
  • decorate the Sanctuary
  • rehearse special music or programs
  • recruit prayer warriors
  • pray God does something great

But have you built systems to capture what God does?  Or will your guests who walk through your door that Sunday… walk back out until next Christmas?  What can you do to keep from wasting the big day?  Here are four ideas you need to think about in advance:

1. Capture their information.

As I’ve written before, one of the biggest regrets I have about some of my early outreach efforts, was that I didn’t know the power of harvesting information.  Without the ability to continue the conversation, those one-time guests… slip through your fingers.  One of the best ways to show concern and care is to get someone’s info and keep the conversation going.  When you get someone’s info, you’re practicing what Seth Godin calls Permission Marketing.  It’s the permission to continue the conversation, to build trust.  Whether it’s a pastoral visit, a text, a phone call, or a personal note, you’re working on the relationship.

And if you’re going to keep working on it, the core of a guest follow-up strategy is your connection card.

Connection Card front 2013 FINAL

If you want an editable copy of this, email me at darrell@newstartdiscipleship.com, and I’ll send you a Canva link. 🙂 

2. Give them something to come back for.

I know that God has to draw them to Jesus… but He may want to use your plan to do it!  So plan to give them every reason to come back!

  • Start a new series after the New Year.  Announce it on Christmas.
  • Have promotional materials available for that next series.
  • Schedule a church dinner for the launch week (If you’re a small church pastor.)
  • Do a 30-day Church Attendance Challenge.

This is going to take pre-planning.  Look over the graphic designs (paid and free) on CreationSwap.com.  Get someone to design a postcard or series graphic for you on Fiverr.  Get it printed up in advance with GotPrint.com or VistaPrint.com.

3. Follow up on them intentionally.

What kind of contact do you have with your 1st time guests through the week after they visit?  For many churches, the basic plan is, “Give them a generic pencil, and tell them we hope they come back soon.”

You’re going to need a more intentional, on-purpose plan.  

And what if they pray for salvation? You need a discipleship pathway that’s ready-to-go. 

In fact, I’d recommend checking out the free discipleship tools from NewStart Discipleship. If you’re not sure how to go about disciple-making, you can get some free discipleship training here, or you can download my 35 page free guide by dropping your email right here:

Download How to Build a Clear Discipleship Pathway FREE

    I HATE spam. I’ll never share your email! Unsubscribe at any time.

    4. Have something ready for those who decide to follow Jesus.

    This is something I used to do badly. But not these days. I’ve gotten way more intentional about being ready for new Christians.

    Think about giving them:

    It doesn’t have to be perfect.  But you should have a plan!

    If you want to download my secret tool for giving to a brand-new believer, drop your email here and I’ll send it over for free: 

    Get my SECRET TOOL for brand new believers!

      I HATE spam. I’ll never share your email! Unsubscribe at any time.

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      10 Ways Evernote Is Making Pastoring Easier For Me

      I am loving Evernote.  I had an account with Evernote for a couple years, but I confess I didn’t see the benefits & uses at the time, so I didn’t start using it. Then I read a post by Michael Hyatt on how he uses Evernote, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities. Since then, Evernote has become one of my absolute favorite tools.

      It’s really useful on on a personal level — I keep my budget there, gift lists, etc. But in this post, I’ll talk about how I’m using it professionally in my ministry work. Here’s what I’m doing with it, and how it’s making my life easier as a pastor:

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      How to Thrive In A Tough Season

      I know that title is pretty broad — I can’t do anything about some of the frustrations in your life.  I can’t do anything about that guy whose trash blows in your yard.  Or the guy on the interstate who cuts you off with no blinker.  And you really can’t do much about it, either.  Just get over yourself and get over them. 🙂

      But there are some larger, enduring frustrations that I’ve experienced that I bet you have too.  And THOSE, I can teach you something about.  It’s the frustration that comes with seasons in your life.

      I know you’re familiar with the concept of seasons of the year, but you might not have thought of life in terms of seasons.

      3 things you need to remember to keep from being frustrated about seasons:

      1. Seasons come in a micro- and a macro- version.

      Here are some examples of micro-seasons:

      • Recovery from a medical procedure.
      • Bouncing back from a very busy project
      • Adjusting to a new neighborhood after moving

      Examples of macro-seasons:

      • Raising young children
      • Old age
      • Teenage years

      For micro-seasons, you just need to wait them out, and take some short term actions — medication, rest, etc.

      For macro-seasons, you’ll need to adjust your attitude, check your values, and engage in personal growth.

      2. Seasons are not something you can control.

      You can’t just decide you’re not going to participate in this season any more.  You can’t stop most seasons of life any more than you can stop spring or winter from coming.

      So the solution to the frustration can’t be found in how to change the season… it’s got to be found in how I respond to it.

      3. You can’t control seasons, but you can choose your attitude.

      iStock_000004003533XLarge

      The old saying “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what happens IN you,” applies here.  Author and holocaust survivor Victor Frankl said,
      “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom….When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

      So here are some ways that I have dealt with seasons, while trying to keep my attitude positive:

      1. Watch your words.

      Early in my ministry, when we were frustrated about a season we were facing, Liz and I would often say to each other, dramatially, “Well, in the grand scale of 30 years of ministry…”  It was usually good for a chuckle, but it did more.  It became a tagline that allowed us to “zoom out” and see the season from the larger perspective.

      Be careful of your words.  They don’t just reveal your perspective — they help create it!  And your perspective helps create your reality… Create wisely.

      2. Find the funny.

      20151122_100932

      Kids have been probably the defining season of this part our life.  I have a saying my wife and I have laughed over for the last few years: “Someday, I’m going to change the world, but right now I have to change this kid’s diaper.”  It helps me laugh, and remember the delicious irony of a young kid that thought he was going to change the world through his career in ministry — then had 6 kids, and discovered that he needed to change himself first.

      3. Grow.

      Sam Chand says, “A leader can only grow up to the level of his tolerance for pain.”  Seasons can be full of pain.

      But they are also prime places for “the growth that happens before the growth.”  You know what I mean by that, right?  It’s what Steven Covey calls the “private victory” that always precedes “public victory.”

      I know what it’s like to be dealing with a season while wishing to be out “kicking behind and taking names.”  But while you’re waiting, don’t waste the time.  This is captured beautifully in John Waller’s song “While I’m Waiting” from the movie Fireproof. Check it out if you need some encouragement:

      These are some behind the scenes areas where you can grow during tough seasons:

      • Attitudes
      • Personal Discipline
      • Family habits
      • Reading
      • Personal devotional time
      • Working on a new skill
      • Improving an old skill
      • Investing in a relationship
      • Seeking out coaching
      • Developing teamwork in your church/family
      • Creating better systems
      • Creating morning and evening routines

      Choose your attitude.  Watch your words.  Create your plan.  You’re going to get through this.

      Who do you know that’s in a tough season right now?  Share this with them!

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      How to Be Less Overwhelmed in 20 Minutes

      The Christmas season is wonderful — and incredibly busy.  The programs, the gifts, the family time, the sermons, the special events, the dinners, the last-minute details… it can all add up to a huge stress load.  What if you could take 15 minutes and lower your stress level — feel less overwhelmed, more in control, and ready to get something done?  Would that be attractive?

      how to be less overwhelmed in 15 minutes

      I’m not talking about a massage, a medication, or the proverbial ‘stiff drink.’  Those are attempts to escape stress.  I’m talking about looking that giant hairy stress monster in the face & cutting it down to size.

      Is that really possible?  Don’t doubt me until you’ve tried these 5 simple steps:

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      How I Completely Blew a Big Outreach Event

      And the 3 simple decisions you need to avoid it!

      Four years ago, my children’s leader came to me with an idea for an outreach event: A trunk-or-treat with a Gospel emphasis.  (Honestly, I had never been a fan of Trunk-or-Treat!) She called it “Candy Thru the Bible.”  Each trunk/station was a Bible story with a candy that went along with the story.  She shared her plans, and I was impressed.  We decided to go for it.

      Trunk or Treat Candy Thru the Bible

      We got started planning.  We didn’t really think it seemed like very many kids walked our street trick-or-treating, so we planned for 120 kids.  Our volunteers were amazing & creative with their trunks… people donated candy… we bought candy… 

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      How to Get More Done With Less Willpower

      The bank teller yesterday laughed and called me OCD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)  She said that because I pulled out my phone, looked at my budget and asked for $232 back in cash.  And every week I get the same amount, in exactly the same denominations.  All the tellers at my bank know.

      Increasing your willpower can help avoid pastoral burnout

      I’ve been called (good-naturedly) “nerd” and a bunch of other things.  But here’s the thing: I’m not OCD.  I’m not that organized in a lot of ways.  I’m not really nerd…… OK, I am a little nerdy.

      But the truth is: most of what I do is not because I’m a super-organized, pocket-protector guy.  In fact, I am rather distractable, and disorganized in a lot of ways.  My wife & anyone else close to me knows.

      How I discovered the power of systems

      I moved to OKC, became a pastor and had a kid in the course of a year.  I felt like my whole life was spent barely “keeping the cheese on the cracker.”  It was like wet toilet paper: always falling apart at the wrong moment.  I told my wife it felt like I was juggling china plates.  (I like metaphors.)

      I think I first discovered the power of systems when I organized my folder system on my laptop so I can always find what I want quickly.  That stayed in place even through the chaos.  I have re-organized it a couple times, but I still use it 11 years later.  It felt like the ONE PART of my life that was actually WORKING.  I had started to discover the truth spoken by that great guru of personal productivity, Winnie the Pooh:

      “Organization is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.” – Winnie the Pooh

      What Systems Are

      Here’s what I mean by a system: A way of organizing information or doing work that is a) written down and b) repeatable.

      Here’s what I discovered:  Systems uphold and advance values.  Systems are the things that make visions become reality.

      We’ve all been there: We have a great conversation, read a great book, have a deep time of reflection, go to a great conference — and we connect in that moment with our deepest values.  Things that resonate inside us. Then we forget.  The notes never get turned into action.  The conversation is forgotten in the rush of the “urgent.”

      For a while I thought it was because the values weren’t real or intense enough.  I thought the problem was motivation… As if I really didn’t hold those values deeply enough.  You know the cruel self-talk:
      “If I REALLY valued my family, I’d…”  
      “If I was serious about my health, I ought to…”
      “Obviously I just don’t care enough about my prayer life…” 

      Sometimes, this could be the case.  But not always… maybe not even usually.  I think it’s because we have a limited supply of willpower and brainpower (I’ll be writing on this in the future!).  We can’t wake up every morning and get done the things that tug at our attention, and still create brand-new, never-before-thought-of ways to live out our deepest values!  We just don’t have the margin in today’s fast paced world.

      What if there was a way that required less thinking, less willpower, less motivation and got better results?  What if you could think about it once, create a list, and then set a reminder?  What if the mental maintenance on your values dropped by 50%?

      I am starting to see this in my life — with systems.

      What Systems Can Do

      Systems have enabled me to:

      • Get dressed faster in the morning
      • Accomplish several things I value every single day
      • Improve my relationship with my wife
      • Start improving my health
      • Prepare speeches or sermons faster and more thoroughly
      • Raise 7 kids on limited income.
      • Eliminate money fights between my wife and I
      • Cut forgetfulness in my life in half (haven’t eliminated it yet…)
      • Decrease the stress on my limited willpower
      • Focus on what matters in the middle of too many options

      In Part 2 of this series on systems, I will share a process for How to Create Systems In Your Work and Life.

      What about you?  What are some benefits you might reap in your life by installing systems?