Church-wide campaigns rally your church.

When you take the lead and suggest everyone get on board, people capture the energy and momentum. It’s harder to rally the troops when a goal isn’t clear. Themes are “in.” From restaurants to room decorating, our world is bombarded with creative approaches to bring order, yet excitement, to our lives. Your church could be one of those rallying points. You’re heralding a clear cause, a purpose. A rallying point such as this makes it easier to advertise what your church is doing, gives reasons to invite others to your church, and simply gives you all something to talk about.

Plus, bringing your key leaders, volunteers, and staff together to accomplish a common goal has added benefits of a cohesive, we’re-all-in-this-together attitude that can only strengthen your church.

Church-wide campaigns equip families for conversation.

For too long, the church has perpetuated everybody doing their own thing. Have you ever wondered what families talk about when they travel home together? Imagine the power of everyone focusing on the same thing -- especially if it’s age-appropriately designed. For example, Friendship First uses the metaphor of a friendship with other people as a way to understand our friendship with God. In small groups everyone actually experiences the process of human friendships and equates it with what it means to have a real friendship with God.

So children learn how to be kind and fend off bullies. Teenagers realize the power of words to tear down or build up; adults tackle what it means to forgive a friend -- especially when it’s painful. Everyone experiences the message on their age-appropriate level through small group discussions and eating together. Because they’ve all focused on the same thing, they can talk about that with their family and make even more discoveries together!

Your preaching can tie it all together.

You can set the stage for in-depth spiritual growth. People want to hear and see you express why the campaign is important. And everything that happens in the related small group times re-enforces your sermons points and themes. Then your people not only tune in and remember your sermons, but they’re given hands-on opportunities, through groups, to actually apply your messages to their everyday lives.

Jump in. Unleash the power of church-wide campaigns in your church. Then wait for somebody to catch your people with the question, “What do you remember from the last sermon you heard?” We think you’ll be pleased with the response.

For more information on Friendship First, visit www.grouppublishing.com.

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Thom and Joani Schultz are the authors of Why Nobody Learns Much of Anything at Church: And How to Fix It, The Dirt on Learning, The 1 Thing, and Friendship First. Thom is the president of Group Publishing, and Joani is Group’s chief creative officer.