Blog
by Sean Bublitz, Creative Arts Pastor
I’m a huge fan of hockey and when I lived in the Chicago area I used to go watch the Blackhawks practice. It was incredible to see how the professionals prepare. They go full speed. Game speed. They practice exactly like they play in a game so that when it’s game time they’re ready, not trying to get up to speed.
We’ve applied the same idea to our weekend services. The last thing we want is to go into our first service not truly prepared. Not ready to give our best.
So each week before our first service we do, what we call, a service run through. In the run through we do everything that we’re going to do in a service, sans the message, before there are people in the room.
The benefit is that our excellence level is high from the beginning of the very first service. We’ve already worked through transitions, fixed mistakes, and practiced our cues. The nerves are mostly gone and we’re as prepared as possible.
Continue reading on the GCC Creative Arts Blog...
If you’d like to learn more about what goes on in Creative Arts and Weekend Services at Granger, bring your team to Innovate. You’ll find strategic and practical ways to explore innovation across the life of the church—in every ministry area. Register today for early-bird discounts and group rates!
by Jason Miller, Teaching Pastor
I have a print of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling artwork hanging on my wall. It’s the scene they call The Creation of Adam, and it shows God’s hand reaching out towards Adam’s. The details are interesting: God’s hand is stretched, making an effort, while Adam’s is limp and apathetic. But while the details of the image stir up a lot of reflection, they aren’t the main reason I bought it at IKEA a few years ago. The basic idea of the whole thing is what really gets me: God is making Adam alive.
I like this because Adam isn’t Christian or Evangelical or American. He predates all of that. He transcends all of that. His name can be translated “mankind,” meaning in some way his story is our story. All of ours. And in reaching out to Adam, God isn’t making him a denominational convert or asking him to sign a 10-page doctrinal statement. He’s simply giving him life.
Later in the Bible, in the New Testament, Jesus and Adam are lined up in a few passages, and the writers say that Jesus is a second Adam of sorts. This helps me, because if Jesus’s story has something to do with Adam’s story, then Jesus’s story might also be bigger than a Christian story or an Evangelical story or an American story.
I was praying recently, or at least I was trying to pray, and after struggling for a while, I expressed something to God that was true and from my heart:
I don’t want to be a Christian; I want to be a human.
So you’re just dying to get to Granger, Indiana this summer for a workshop, but it’s not in your budget. You’ve got a few burning questions to ask and want them answered by someone in your ministry field. The answer? Webinars.
These FREE one-hour, online sessions with a Granger ministry leader will be open to up to 100 people per session. You’ll need a computer with speakers and high-speed internet access. The price is $0, but you still have to register so we can send you instructions on how to access the webinar when it’s time. The hour will fly by, but bring one or two questions you’re wanting to ask, and be prepared to enjoy some Q & A and learn from others’ questions.
Webinars that will be available, starting August 7:
- Series Development and Programming – August 7
- Communications (Prioritization) – August 28
- Student Ministry – September 11
- Kids’ Ministry – September 25
- Developing Guest Services Culture & Training Volunteers – October 9
- Multisite – October 23
- Human Resources – November 6
- Finance – November 20
Granger Community Church is looking for a Production Director to join our Creative and Production Team. The right person for this job loves people, live production environments and teams.
The Production Director at Granger oversees our Production staff team, volunteer team leaders and works alongside the Creative Arts Pastor to implement the vision for each weekend.
This is a full-time, live in Granger, Indiana, opportunity.
Some qualifications for this job include:
- Strong leadership skills
- Team building experience
- Technical intuition
- A passion for live production
- Great communication skills
- An eye for details
See the full job description or apply for the Production Director role using the links at the GCC Creative Arts Blog.
And if you’d like to see more of what goes on in Creative Arts and Weekend Services at Granger, it’s not too late to register for the Arts All-Access Pass this Saturday. Sign up for this or any of Friday’s One-Day workshops today!
by Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections and MultiSite
Don’t go out of your way to pat volunteers on the back. They’re doing exactly what they should be doing—giving their life away. They should be sacrificing. They should be tired. Don’t acknowledge or celebrate them. The last thing you need is puffed up volunteers.
Some would claim this is biblical. I’m not sure what Bible they’re reading. The scriptures teach gratitude, mutual respect and personal value. It’s how Jesus lived his life. It’s how Paul encouraged the Church.
Live by this worst practice and you’ll be looking for volunteers—’cause they’ll be G.O.N.E.
Hear more from Mark about the importance of using volunteers to create great First Impressions in your church at his workshop at Granger on Friday, July 11. Register your team now for this or any of the workshops coming up next week:
Friday, July 11, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
As an organization grows, communication and alignment are two of the hardest things to maintain. Throw that into the mix of a bunch of creative people trying to stay on the same page and execute projects at the same time and you’ve got a difficult task.
Because of that we’ve developed a process to help us stay aligned with our weekend series development and planning. This system is the way that our communication, creative, production, teaching, and campus teams stay on task and aligned without having to meet every day and check in.
This is our process, the people involved, and the timeline we work to stick to. This is a guide for us, not a law. We have flexibility based on projects and pace. If it’s helpful to you, you can download the .psd for our timeline in the resources section of this site and create your own.
10 weeks out
- Our Lead Team (direction leadership team for our church) will agree on the series topic. The Lead Team doesn’t always come up with the topic. Our topic ideas come from many different sources. But the Lead Team will put a rubber stamp on the topic for us.
- Our packaging team can then take the topic and start to brainstorm the branding, the series title, and the design and packaging.
Continue reading on the GCC Creative Arts Blog...
This is a great example of the kind of practical, behind-the-scenes learning we’ll be featuring at Innovate 2014. We’re finishing up the details of the elective offerings, but for now you can check out the speakers and main sessions. And if you register by September 14, we’ll reward your hustle with an early-bird discount.
I’ve said it before, and it’s still true today: One of the most enjoyable things I get to do is lead a Coaching Network for Executive Pastors. In a few of months, I’m going to offer this again. I will be meeting with 12 church leaders for a coaching experience that begins in September and concludes in December. I’m designing it specifically for Executive Pastors (or leaders in a similar role) who want to take their leadership to the next level. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but here is my best attempt:
- It will be personal. Highly practical. Intensive. Relational. Collaborative.
- Think less conference or workshop–and more hands-on graduate study program.
- We will drill down on building teams, hiring and firing, developing a healthy staff culture, leading change, budget and money issues, communication strategies and more.
It’s not going to be cheap or easy. It will involve an investment of money and time, and a commitment to travel (Granger isn’t “on the way” to anywhere). But for those who join me, I promise it will be an experience that will enhance your ministry and take you to the next level of personal leadership. Here are some comments from my most recent group that just finished up last month:
- “It was like getting three masters-level courses on being an Executive Pastor.” (Dale Roddy, Crossroads Church, Oakdale, PA)
- “The leadership resources that Tim provided and led makes me feel like I jumped a few years in the process of development.” (Billy Creech, Lake Center Bible Church, Portage, MI)
- “Without the opportunity to learn from the workshop sessions and the other pastors, it would have taken me nearly a decade (of successes and failures) to learn it by experiencing it first-hand. This saved us money by a factor of at least 10!” (Anonymous)
- “The full disclosure and transparency shown to us was very much appreciated. Add to that the networking with other Executive Pastors, and the Granger resources that were given to us, and the entire experience has been the best investment to my growth since being in ministry!” (Tim Hastings, Oakridge Baptist Church, Salisbury, MD)
If you are interested, there is good news and bad news. The good news: Registration is open now, and if you act quickly, there is a good chance you can be involved. But here is the bad news: This may be the last one held at Granger and hosted by and with the Granger team. Once these 12 slots are gone—the network will be closed.
Download information here: Executive Pastors Coaching Network Fall 2014
I’m really praying that God will put together an amazing group and can’t wait to see what happens!
Not an executive pastor but still looking for insight and practical wisdom in your area of ministry? Need to be stretched, challenged and encouraged? Good news! If you're involved in communications or connections, we also offer intense, practical and personal training for you. Download the Communications or Connections & Assimilation Coaching Networks information to find out if either of these is right for you.
