It’s important to value people for the right reasons.  It’s been said that “old” folks are worth a fortune-they have silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, lead in their feet, and gas in their stomachs.  Well, I know that I will be there one day and would prefer not to be valued for those reasons, humorous though they may be.  But they are extremely valuable as they bring into a conversation years, even decades, of experience.  They have learned from the most difficult of laboratories, life.  They have had successes as well as failures.  They have seen moments of great joy and great grief.  They have the ability to share with the up and coming generations the way in which you navigate those things and everywhere in between.  This is one reason why the apostle Paul said, “Let the older men teach the younger men and the older women the younger women.”

I personally have found the senior generation as a whole to have a wonderful sense of humor.  They have lived through some of the most difficult periods of history the world has known.  Yet in spite of that, they find reason and occasion to laugh and to take with humor the challenges that come with their phase of life.  I once read a prayer by an elderly man which went, “God, Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.”  These days many seniors do not live close to their children or grandchildren and they desire to share their lives with others.  There is still much gas in tank.  Benjamin Franklin contributed the most to American governance and culture after his sixtieth birthday.

So what can your church do to encourage?

• Start a Bible study/book study for the seniors of your congregation but do it mid-day where going home in the dark will not be an issue.

• Arrange monthly outings for the elderly. Museums, historic sights, and other such places have good rates for tours, if not for free.

• Par up and elderly person with a younger person. “Adoptive Grand-Parenting” bridges the generation gap and is a great ministry for those whose families live a considerable distance away.

• Create a membership directory for seniors (such as at ABCFastDirectory). It will help them remember names and faces easier.

• Host a “Classic Movie Day” and encourage them to bring their friends as Hollywood classics starring such actors as were popular during their youth will be shown.

People never want to feel as though they have been forgotten and our seniors are no different.  By putting the spotlight on them, it will energize the hearts and their bodies and you will find greater participation and involvement than before.  Some churches have increased membership by focusing on the seniors who are unfortunately overlooked.

Plus, senior members have important life experiences that they can share with their younger counterparts, that can strengthen your overall membership.

Why the senior ministry is so valuable to your church and how to encourage senior membership is a post from: ABCFastDirectory.com

At the same time, we can all attest to visiting a church for one reason or another and found the congregation to be less than inviting, warm and friendly.

Chances are, many churches believe that they are friendly to visitors but, it may not be so.  Surely there is something or many things a church can do to make it more enjoyable for visitors when they come to the place where the members love to be.  There are, in fact many things a church can do to help it generate a more visitor friendly environment.  We will consider information, maintenance of the building/grounds, understanding of the worship service, and of course the friendliness of the people.  When these things become a priority, many churches will see visitors return again and again.

• Where is the bathroom? No one wants to ask such a question but they will if they must.  People who have been in the same church for years could find the bathroom if the lights were turned off.  As a result we tend to forget that people coming to visit don’t know the somewhat hidden location of bathrooms.  So, put up easy to find signs directing people to the restrooms.

• Where is the nursery? People with children whose ages make them appropriate for the nursery will frequently be late to worship simply because it is harder to get out the door on time with little ones.  Make it easier for them.  Put up signs for them too.

• What does your church believe?  What are their core values?  Do you have a ministry for senior adults?  What about high school seniors? These and other questions are answered easily enough by some pamphlets on a table near the most used entrance.  Your denomination’s central office may help you in the area of doctrine/beliefs/values and already have such materials printed.

• How clean do you keep your house? If you’re like me you clean the floors, do some dusting, tidy up the shelves and make sure the house in general is presentable.  Why would we want to treat the house of the Lord any different? Yet it is easy to find cob webs in many corners of the church, dead bugs on window sills, light bulbs burnt out, bathrooms without toilet paper or paper towels.

• When was the last time the sanctuary was painted?  Are the carpets worn?  How do the hallways look?  Could they use some touch-up paint?  Do the weeds need to be pulled?  Is the outside maintained? Some well placed annuals and perennials add welcomed color to entrances and signs that introduce people to your church.  People notice if these areas have not been kept up, however, they will notice your pleasure in the place where you worship the Lord as you enjoy seeing improvements in the church facility.

Some other useful tips:

• Making it easy to understand Complicated Church Terminology – Perhaps you will have a visitor come to church who really isn’t all that familiar with church “stuff.”  Maybe they have never heard the words catechism, creed, doxology, benediction, hymn and so forth.  Whenever possible take the opportunity (either the pastor can do this as the service progresses or as written in the bulletin) to explain some to the terms or language of the worship service.  They will feel more at ease and not quite as lost.

• Name Tags – Also, members would be appreciated by visitors if some wore name tags to let them know who they are talking to.  A visitor registry which they can be gently encouraged to sign will help the minister place the face with the name so that when (Lord willing!) they return he will be able to address them by name.  Dale Carnegie said that the most beautiful sound a person can hear is their own name being spoken.

In time, these kinds of simple means can be the difference between someone visiting once, or in someone returning, building relationships and making your congregation their church home.  So roll up your sleeves, paint a wall, plant some flowers, put up some directional signs, release the bright smile and you’ll be rolling out the welcoming mat.

How to make a visitor friendly church and encourage church membership is a post from: ABCFastDirectory.com

Minisiters, priests, deacons, and so forth are people too. They need words of encouragement. So by gently reminding your congregation that church leaders are people too — and perhaps just to send a word of encouragement their way, church leaders can refuel and reenergize, and channel that energy into the church making it an exciting place to be.

Being a leader in any circumstance can be a challenge.  The church is no exception to that rule.  In fact, in many ways it is more difficult.  Leaders must lead volunteers, and the leaders themselves may be volunteers.  There is the burden of trying to make as many people pleased with what is taking place as possible.  Church ministry can be very complicated. Recent statistics point out that every month 1,500 ministers leave the pulpit never to return again.   In order to keep going, encouragement is paramount.  Ministers, bishops, elders, deacons and others who serve in leadership capacities need fresh wind to fill their sails.  Thankfully there is much that the lay people who fills the pews can do to help those whose calling it is to lead and serve God’s people.  Remember, that as we encourage and bless others, Jesus tells us it is as though we have done it unto him.

A few months ago I had the privilege of participating in an ordination service for a young minister.  It was my responsibility to speak to him and another minister spoke to the congregation.  To the congregation, the sage-like minister said, “Here is the way for the minister to be a joy to you, you be a great joy to him.”

October is considered to be Clergy Appreciation month.  Don’t let it slip you by.  Here are some things you can personally do as a church member to encourage your minister/bishop/priest:

• Write an encouraging note inside a thoughtful card letting the minister know how he is a benefit to you spiritually-be specific.
• Put a gift card to his favorite restaurant or store in it.  If he has children, offer to baby sit or to pay for a sitter.  This sometimes makes it cost-prohibitive for a minster to go out with his spouse.
• Encourage the congregation to take up a love offering when the minister is not present.  One church where I was the associate pastor had everyone fill out a small piece of paper indicating what they appreciated about me and put into a large jar.  I spend the entire afternoon reading piece by piece the gems of appreciation.

As a church leader, here are some other tips of what you can do to help your other church leaders:

• Send your minister or bishop on a vacation.  Don’t call.
• Find a retreat center that specializes in ministers.  They usually offer places of solitude and peace.  Perfect for recharging.
• Discover the conference that has always grabbed your pastor’s attention and pay for the registration and any other costs associated with it.
• Seminars and workshops are always available for ministers to hone theirs skills in preaching, teaching, management, leadership and stewardship.  Find you one think they would enjoy or benefit from and send them.
• Pastors are always eager to add to their library, so find where he likes to buy books and give a little help to that end.
• Have a dinner at the church in honor of your minister.  Ask those who are willing to say a word or two about how their lives have been impacted by his ministry.
• Drop a simple note in the mail letting your church leader know that you prayed for them recognizing how difficult this calling really is.

While the tips mentioned above have highlighted ways to encourage ministers in particular they certainly apply to all those in leadership positions in general.  The more supported and esteemed they feel from their congregations the greater joy and enthusiasm you will see from pastors.  That in turn always has a positive affect on the church.  It’s a wonderful cycles so long as each is committed to supporting the other.

Encouraging church leaders to increase church membership is a post from: ABCFastDirectory.com

A Church Prayer list is simply a sheet of paper, with a list of those people you are praying for. You can pray for others every night, every morning when you awake, or when you pray for yourself.

Members of a congregation should be encouraged to create their own church prayer lists, because there are a number of immediate benefits in doing so.

Creating a Church Prayer list helps accomplish the following:
(Article copyright ABCFastDirectory)

• It puts your own worries and challenges in perspective. Sure, it may be difficult for you if you say didn’t get the $2,000 bonus that you were expecting. But if you are praying for someone who needs a source of income, and has been looking for a job in the first place, it helps put your concerns in perspective

• It helps relieve yourself of your own worries or fears. If you are thinking of others, then you are not absorbed in yourself. Helping others, thinking of others, and so forth actually helps benefit you because then it is easy to forget your own worries or fears. Then, when you actually do deal with your own situation, you can approach it with a clear head, and realize that your worries and fears were just that, worries and fears. Very little to no substance, and then you can tackle them head on.

• It helps you connect with others. To have a balanced life, people need to feel connected to others. Learning what other challenges people are facing helps you to learn who they really are, as opposed to a superficial ‘hi/bye’ relationship. Not only that, but when someone else realizes that you genuinely care, it helps to forge strong friendships.

• It helps you grow spiritually and gives you extra experience. If you are learning about others, you can learn how they approach their own worries and or fears. When they overcome them, you can learn from their experiences. If you ever encountered something similar in the future, you could use their experiences to help you conquer your own challenges. You could slay those concerns before they ever became worries or fears.

Creating a prayer list is easy:

1. Take out a sheet of paper and a pen
2. Start writing the names of those on your hear. It doesn’t matter if it is just a few names, others will come to you and your prayer list will grow.
3. When you pray, think of how the individuals you are thinking of can be helped. If someone needs a employment, envision them finding a dream job that is a perfect match for their skills. If someone is injured, imagine them smiling, laughing, and having the warmth of friends and family around them. If someone needs to pass a test, imagine the sigh of relief they will have when it is over, and the beaming smile when they ace it.

Creating prayer lists is a great way to focus. It is a great way to create and forge strong bonds with others.

Do this on a daily basis, and not only will you find that actually others do become better off and happier, but you will find peace in your own heart.

How to use Church Prayer Lists to increase the connection between Church Members is a post from: ABCFastDirectory.com

Getting people to come to church is one thing. Getting them to bring their friends, and come regularly after that is another thing.

One very effective means of retaining membership, and in fact expanding it, is through church letters, specifically personalized letters to each individual.

One of the reasons people come to Church is to develop friendships, develop connections with other individuals, and of course focus on how to become a better human being.  In today’s society, many people juggle two jobs just to make ends meet. They drive their children between various activities. Subsequently, they don’t have the time to develop that bond with other human beings. They need that connection to nourish their soul, but may just not realize it. So at the end of the day, exhausted, they may feel that no one else cares about their personal situation.

Personalized Church letters can remind these individuals that someone else does in fact care. Imagine coming home from a long day at work, knowing that you have to make dinner for the children, clean up after that, take the dog for a walk, buy groceries, and so forth, when all you want to do is relax. Imagine then, noticing a letter from your church on the table, and opening it. Imagine then that the pastor/priest/bishop sent you a personalized letter, wishing you a happy birthday and that they’d like to have a little celebration for you next Sunday when you come to Church. Or imagine that your priest/bishop/pastor remembered that you got a promotion at work, and just wanted to say congratulations. Or imagine that he or she wanted to congratulate your child for winning first place in the local talent show.

How would that make you feel? Of course you would smile. Of course you would feel good about yourself. People like it when other people are thinking of them. And of course you would want to reciprocate. In fact, you’d probably even want to go to Church to thank the pastor personally for thinking of you.

This is a very effective means of growing your congregation. In fact, people would want to invite their friends to come to a church that cared, and wasn’t simply interested in the amount someone could donate.

Church letters are very cost effective, and are a great outreach tool for those working in the ministry, and establishing genuine relationships based on sincerity. Something as simple as:

“Hi! I wanted to write you to wish you a happy birthday. I hope you; your family and friends will enjoy your special day together”. Of course, if you wanted to add a bit of humor and/or religious sayings, that would be appreciated too. For example, something as simple as, “Of course, God is thinking about you, and thinks you are special, as we here at _____ Church do so as well. You’ve grown as a person, and you have so much more excitement coming in your life. We want to wish you a Happy Birthday!”.

People like the personal touch. People like being cared about.

If you care about your people, your people will care about your Church. And writing personalized church letters is one very effective way of doing that.

(C) 2010-Current ABCFastDirectory.com

Using personalized Church Letters to Increase Church Membership is a post from: ABCFastDirectory.com