BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
Preparing your family to savor the Christmas season
We are just days away from gathering with our family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. Many will probably enjoy the meal and then quickly launch into the Christmas frenzy! Let me suggest four practices that you could incorporate into the four weeks leading up to Christmas in order to bring your focus back on the meaning of Christmas and give your family an opportunity to bond in a special way and savor the true meaning of Christmas.
Planning for a great fall event
Summer will be a distant memory soon and it is on to fall! This is a great season to think about doing an event to gather your community together. Here are some important steps to keep in mind as you get ready for this event.
3 big mistakes in follow up
For many, the next few months will be spent on major efforts in summer ministry events. We expend a lot of time and energy making sure that our events connect with our communities. Unfortunately, after the excitement of the event is over, we drop the ball on follow up. Let me unpack three big mistakes often made regarding follow up.
The art of listening
It is clear that ministry has changed in the wake of the pandemic and as leaders we need to be willing to change with it. One of the most important skills we have to offer is listening!
Bible illiteracy - it’s an epidemic
Did you know, in the average church:
⅓ of members read the Bible once or a few times per week
⅓ read their Bible rarely if ever
Only ⅓ read their Bibles daily!
(Approximate Statistics from Lifeway)
Rethinking our stewardship strategy
I don’t know about your church but during the pandemic our church had to rethink our church’s giving procedures and strategies. Several years earlier we had begun an online giving option but only two people were taking advantage of it. It was now time for us to help our congregation to utilize different methods of giving and to present our offering time in a more meaningful way.
2021 Summer Ministry: What did it look like?
The summer of 2021 here in New England has been less than stellar but summer ministries around our region have exploded! It has been awesome to see the many, different ways that churches in all six states have approached their summer outreaches. There has been a renewed excitement to reach out to families and kids and get them reconnected and to get to know others in the community.
Follow up for church events
Summer is ticking away and many local churches are doing events like vacation Bible school, block parties, sports camps, and other creative ways to reach the community. After these events, it is so important to follow up. Many churches find that these valuable prospects slip through their fingers because of the lack of follow up.
The power of persistence
I recently came across an interesting survey about prayer done during the pandemic. It was conducted by the Cultural Resource Center at Arizona Christian University on behalf of the Presidential Prayer Team. They discovered that 66% American adults pray at least once a week and another 10% reported they pray at least once a month. According to this survey, prayer is the most widely practiced religious activity today. Even with these impressive stats, people still report struggling with their prayer life. In this same survey, only 2% said they were satisfied with their prayer life.
Spring cleaning for the church administrator
The start of spring ushers in a great opportunity for churches to do some much needed “spring cleaning.” I have been part of a local church for almost 40 years, and the paper and digital files that we have amassed over the years has been overwhelming. I have only recently been involved in the administration of the ministry again, and it is amazing the amount of data that we have been keeping. Many are reticent for fear we might need it, but I am here to tell you … it is time to purge! Here is some guidance that has helped me to begin paring down the mountain of information that we had in our possession.
Rejuvenating your small groups for 2021
For many churches, small groups are the spiritual and relational lifeblood for the congregation. It is in these groups that we practice life together through encouragement, Bible study, accountability and relational investment. It is in our small groups that strong friendships form and strengthen. It is here that the Word of God comes to life and we see it applied in our own lives.
Technology is our friend
Many years ago I was at a national meeting and heard Ed Stetzer, a well-known missiologist, say “facts are our friends.” That always stuck with me, and during this pandemic, I have coined the phrase that “technology is our friend!” I know that adjusting to new technology has not been easy, but it certainly has provided a way to interact with our congregations, and I believe we need to embrace it as a “friendly” alternative.
Learning to practice gratitude
The year 2006 began like any other year – slow and steady. But by March, everything began to spiral out of control. My mother unexpectedly passed away while on vacation, my daughter began to have major issues at school, and I found myself the primary care-giver to an aging parent. Everything was overwhelming me, and I just couldn’t seem to get out of a very real funk.
5 ways to help small groups flourish in 2020
With September comes the beginning of small groups for many churches, and I hope that this is still the case this year! Don’t let the current state of our world distract you from being able to gather your church for small group experiences this fall. Because of the challenging times that we are facing, consider these actions as you get started.
Helping parents discuss racial issues with kids
During the past few months we have been having many different types of conversations with our children, including some that have been especially challenging. With the start of the pandemic, we needed to find the best ways to help our kids understand what was happening and why things in their world were changing without notice. Just as the pandemic began showing signs of dissipation, the country was talking about race and social injustices with the public killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Public protests following Floyd’s death have given positive traction to issues we have talked about for some time with no substantial changes.
Not business as usual: Ministering to kids during quarantine
The COVID-19 crisis has done many things to our kids ministries. It has made us rethink, redirect and refocus the ways that we connect with kids and their families. In a recent online meeting with more than a dozen children’s ministry leaders in New England, the hands-down thing they miss most are the hugs and interaction they had with their kids on a weekly basis.
An almost lost church history
During early 2019, my home church was getting ready to celebrate our 40th church anniversary. As one of the earliest church members, I was asked to put together a church history. At first I was really excited about the challenge ahead. I had this vision of assembling a comprehensive, chronological history that included pictures and all of the notable milestones along the way.
Six ways to cultivate prayer in your small group
Small groups are very important to the health of any church. They are places for individuals to grow in their faith and to build relationships with others. One important aspect of any small group should be prayer, but many small group leaders share their concern that prayer time sometimes becomes stale.