Blog

 

 by Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections & MultiSite


We recently completed a teaching video that apparently many have asked for over the past few years. This is not the complete six-hour Guest Services/First Impressions training that I teach, but it is packed with many of the best practices from that workshop.

WiredChurches is now making this training tool available for other churches. My hope is that these short training videos can be used as stand-alone resources to train your teams or used to supplement your local training program. Here's a brief synopsis of each element:

  • Section 1: People Matter (Time: 21:30)
    • How do you meet people right where they are? 
    • How do you prepare before you serve so your serve is genuine?
    • How can your own experiences prepare you to communicate authentic value and care for others?
  • Section 2: Your Serve Matters (Time: 30:46)
    • How do you navigate the tension between the values of experiencing community with teammates and welcoming new guests?
    • What if you threw out team labels for the sake of one single focus?
    • What rules will kill your serve to new guests? 
    • How do you create your own best practices?
  • Section 3: Team Matters (Time: 35:20)
    • What does empowerment really look like?
    • What's the trick to recruitment?
    • How do you develop community on your team when the task has to be done?
    • How do stories impact the power of your team's serve?

Order your downloadable video here.

To hear more from Mark and get more of the inside scoop from Granger's leaders, register and bring your team to ReInnovate Conference 2013 on October 15-16.

  

It can be so easy to forget the power of a first impression. 

Think back to your last job interview, or maybe even your first date: how much time did you invest in making sure your first impression communicated the right message?

First impressions matter! 

We recently hosted men and women for our Summer Coaching Networks who came from all over the country to learn from Mark Waltz, GCC's Pastor of Connection and Multi-Site.

First Impressions ResourcesHere's just a few highlights from the first hour of the session:    

  • With vision, you need to know where you are so that you know where you can go
  • Analogy of being in a shopping mall and planning which stores you want to visit
  • You can’t get where you want to go until you are honest about where you are. What steps are going to be required, how do you take them, and where are they going to lead.
  • You can’t be any other place than where you are because you’ve taken the steps you’ve taken

What one or two words comes to mind when you see these images:

  • Starbucks
  • BMV
  • The person to your right
  • Last hotel stay
  • US Postal Service
  • Your local church
  • Last movie preview you watched
  • A Walmart store

As a true test of first impressions and associations, imagine a photo of a boarded up, run down home. What do you think of? A quick survey of the room, none of the answers were about the structure we were looking at – all of them were judgments about the people (homeowners) we have never seen or met. 

Your first impressions – or associations – with these images matter. 

If you missed this session, get tuned in from more info on the upcoming Fall Coaching Networks sessions.



 "...a leader without integrated character will never see the results personally and professionally they desire... To become whole we need to be open for growth, own our current reality, invite others to speak truth in our lives, and connect often and intimately with God."

A recent post on the blog for the WCA Global Leadership Summit underscores our need to develop ourselves as leaders - not just in what we do, but also in who we are.

The Willow Creek Association Global Leadership Summit is a must-attend for all leaders... in the church and the marketplace... who seek to go deeper to go further.

Register now - Early Bird rates fly away after June 26th.

 

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 no longer just what we do... or some side function of your church. 

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.

 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: