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min·is·try [min-uh-stree] noun - no longer just a function, profession, or service; effectively reaching people for Christ (with the help of your friends at Wired Churches)

Ministry is BEING the church, even inside your four walls. 

[Some of you might have more than four walls... in that case, this still applies to you.]

The bottom line is this: Your ministry matters. Your staff and volunteers matter. The people you are reaching matter. 

We want to help you communicate that these people matter to you, and of course, that they matter to God. In fact, we want to help you communicate that better than ever! 

With the guidance of folks like Mark Waltz on First Impressions, Kem Meyer on Communication that actually communicates, and Tim Stevens on recruiting and keeping solid Volunteers, we've put together an amazing one-day workshop program.

One day. Three sessions. Major Kingdom impact. 

Click here to learn more.

"I like your Jesus, but not your Christians...your Christians are so unlike your Jesus." -- Mahatma Gandhi

"If Christ were here there is one thing he would not be - a Christian." -- Mark Twain

As church leaders, we may scratch our heads at statements such as these. 

But, are we doing things (even if unintentional) that lead to this sort of response from an unbelieving world?

We think there are some things the Church has become, some things that the Church has fostered that are unhealthy, detrimental and downright dangerous to God's plan for the Church to build community and restore lives. 

Helping others know Christ is hard enough. In this 5 week series, Granger tackled some of the yucky things that make the Church less desirable.

How audacious is your vision?

Is it bold? Is it calculated? Is it uncomfortable? Does it challenge the status-quo? Will it force you to make a lot of changes?

Most importantly - is it God-sized?

Change is hard. Change is not popular. But, change often yields much needed renewal and growth.

At Granger, we are in the second year of our 5 year New Normal vision.Part of that vision includes BEING the church in our community, Activating our campus beyond just a place to gather for church services, and Reproducing at every level through missional communities. 

Another part of this vision is to expand our multi-site reach to include a couple more campuses. A few years ago, we expanded to Elkhart, IN - a smaller manufacturing town about 15 minutes East of our Granger campus. We started in a movie theater with a broadcast of an earlier service, then rented space where we could have live worship with video message.

Now the Elkhart campus is in a fully-functional space belonging to the church. It's a great story, and the community at the Elkhart campus is rich. Attendance has grown to more than 400 average each week across multiple services.

Now, we have another opportunity to lean into God and dive deeper into our 2016 vision.

As Pastor Beeson explains, we're asking God if this is a change God is inviting us to make. And, we're trusting he will provide the direction and resources needed to take our next steps.

So, challenge yourself for a minute - how big is your vision? What is changes could God be asking you to make?

 Let's face it... everyone likes new stuff. You know, the old stuff is great, but the new stuff is where it's at.

So, because we aim to please,  there is a new category on the Wired Churches site that highlights new product.

In fact, we added a bunch of new video, series graphics, and even audio in the last week or so. 

Go ahead and check it out! You'll find something you can use in your services. Like, for example:

 What could happen if we looked at this box we meet in the same way we did when we were kids? What if 'the box' was more than just the place we 'do' church? Ever dream it could be more? 

Outside the Box from WiredChurches.com on Vimeo.

 Click here to download this video and unleash the 'out of the box' imagination for your church.

Welcome to the new WiredChurches.com store!

We've switched platforms in order to give you the best possible shopping experience. Of course all you'll notice up front is the fresh coat of paint and the new "brighter" look.

So will this change affect your current account at WiredChurches.com?

Slightly...but here's the good news.

There is nothing you need to do right now!

Simply keep browsing all those great resources. When you find something you can't live without go through the checkout process and purchase the resource as you normally would.

At some point in the process the system will ask you to set up a password for your account. As long as you're using the same email address as before it will connect your new password to your old account and you're good to go!

Thanks again for visiting WiredChurches.com! 

If you're leading worship "in the sticks," and you're looking for practical coaching on everything from the basics of leading smaller congregations in song—and why it's so important—to the ins and outs of programming worship with limited resources, from new ways to find and build into volunteers, to finding effective rehearsal techniques, then this ONE-DAY workshop is for you. (And did we mention - bring your team? The best ideas and relational development happen in teams!) It's ONE DAY.

Worship in the Sticks will be one of the three One-Day Workshops held on Friday, March 9, along with theLess Clutter. Less Noise. and First Impressions workshops. Leading worship in smaller communities can be challenging. At Worship in the Sticks we're looking to equip teams and leaders to lead their congregations with skill and grace. 

AT WORSHIP IN THE STICKS YOU'LL EXPERIENCE:

• Practical training from Dan Vukmirovich, Pastor of Music at Granger to help your team understand the 'how' and 'why' of leading worship with God-given authority and confidence
• A live worship team coaching session with members of the Granger Community Church Arts Team
• Teaching on how to keep your services engaging and on avoiding disconnects in planning between the worship team and the speaking pastor
• Ways to use the arts to reach multiple generations within your church