Blog

At Granger, we believe kids and students aren’t just the church of the future—they are the Church today. Watch a recent video from Granger’s summer camp, where middle school students get to experience the love of Jesus in an incredible environment each summer.

How do you keep students engaged and growing week after week? We’re hosting Kids and Students workshops to address that very question. We’ll talk through planning and executing weekly programs and more! Come with questions and be ready to collaborate and share ideas about:

  • How to build and train volunteer leaders
  • Creative ways to get your message across
  • How to get students out of their seats and into serving the community
  • Planning life-changing mission trips, camps, retreats and events

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

by Executive Pastor Mark Waltz

Maybe you’ve watched this happen with someone else. Or maybe it’s actually happened with you. You’re on your game. You’re serving well. You’re engaged. You’re making a great first impression with a new guest at your church (or place of business). And then you cross a line. You went—just too far.

  • You got new guests where they should be...
    • but you yelled their arrival to everyone
  • You did your homework and had the right and helpful info...
    • but you made your guest feel like an idiot for not knowing
      • what to do next
      • what lingo to use 
  • You’re all about guest training...
    • but the guest feels like a naked experiment as you and your team all huddle around the monitor (bookstore, kids check-in, the register)
  • You’re laid back, not invasive, playing it casual...
    • but you missed the opportunity to engage when the guest showed her hand, “Yeah, I’m new.”
  • You were paying attention to your guest...
    • but then crossed the line into assumptions
      • that was his boyfriend not his brother
      • she wasn’t pregnant
      • that was his girlfriend not his mom

Sometimes a great first impression can go south with a word, a gesture, or an assumption. Keep it great! Stay fully engaged, always thinking about the experience you’re providing from the other side of your experience.

To hear more from Mark, come to workshops in October at Granger. Select a workshop below to get more details and register. Bring your whole team!

Early Bird Rate: $99 per person | After September 18: $119 per person
Early Bird Group Discounts: $89/person for groups of 2–5, $79/person for groups of 6+

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
9 a.m.–4 p.m.

First Impressions
Presenter: Mark Waltz, Executive Pastor
Learn how to make great first impressions with guests (old and new). Discover ways to:

  • Gain clarity and get intentional about the experience you desire for your guests.
  • Build your team—the right team—from the ground up.
  • Cultivate volunteer “wow-makers.”
  • Determine the “rules” your church has (even if you don’t know them yet) and learn what to do about them.
  • Experience hands-on training that will empower your staff and your volunteers.

Students
Presenter: John Keim, Pastor of Granger Student Ministries
How do you keep students engaged and growing week after week? We’ll talk through planning and executing weekly programs and more! Be ready to collaborate and share ideas about:
  • How to build and train leadership teams.
  • Creative ways to get your message across.
  • How to get students out of their seats and serving in the community.
  • Planning life-changing mission trips, camps, retreats and events.


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Creative and Communication Arts
Presenters: Sean Bublitz, Creative Arts Pastor, and Jami Ruth, Communications Director
Learn about Granger’s process for planning, promoting and executing weekend series through:
  • Timelines and brainstorming creative ideas.
  • Executing a series plan.
  • Q&A with your Granger staff/volunteer counterpart (in web, production and sound, worship, design, promotions, film and more).
  • An optional weekend rehearsal experience Wednesday evening.

Groups
Presenter: Josh King, Director of Discipleship
Life is better in groups. We’ll talk through a working strategy to keep people engaged and discipled through groups. We’ll discuss the challenges and practical framework necessary to:
  • Look at the role groups play in discipleship.
  • Understand group structure.
  • Recruit and train healthy group leaders.
  • Organize curriculum and a yearly schedule.
  • Oversee group growth (numerically and spiritually).

Kids
Presenter: Ted Bryant, Pastor of Family Ministry
A healthy kids’ ministry has enormous impact. This is for leaders and volunteers who want to learn how to:
  • Create environments that inspire kids at their level and encourage learning and relational connection.
  • Plan and develop curriculum, music and more to make the Bible and relationships come alive.
  • Find, keep and utilize volunteers to make it happen every weekend.
  • Incorporate a special needs ministry to help every child take steps toward Christ.

Come for one day or stay for both days to maximize your learning!