Excellence in Planning and Promotion: A Guide for Maximizing Your Ministry Events and Campaigns

By Trace L. Howard

Today's congregational expectations regarding ministry events and campaigns are viewed through the lens of excellence not only is this an expectation, it is also a requirement if the church intends to maximize those programs in which it has invested precious resources of time and people. A God-given vision for a ministry program, after prayer and vision sharing, begins with planning, and comes to fruition through effective promotion and marketing. In Excellence in Planning and Promotion, Trace Howard has provided churches and their leadership an outstanding resource by reminding readers of the importance of these elements in delivering ministry events and campaigns that make a kingdom difference. The principles of this book are at the same time incredibly simple yet will reap great benefits for church leaders in our day. This book brings helpful and practical insights to the pastor's approach to ministry and event planning that can be utilized in any ministry leadership context.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512761955

Trace L. Howard

Trace L. Howard, MA, ThM, JD, has taught in the New Testament and Pastoral Ministry Departments at Dallas Theological Seminary and Grace Theological Seminary. He currently teaches Biblical Languages at the College of Biblical Studies in Houston, Texas, while also carrying on a full-time corporate law practice. He has pastored two churches in the Midwest and has been involved in small-group life and leadership for more than thirty years. He has published numerous articles and book reviews in Christian magazines and professional theological and legal journals in addition to contributing to several commentaries and other resource works. He lives with his wife, Lee, in The Woodlands, Texas, where he serves as an elder at Church Project, a nondenominational church.

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Copyright © 2016 Trace L. Howard.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect people’s identities.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Edited by Kris Bearss

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6194-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6195-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917773

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/15/2016

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: Effective and Spiritual

Chapter 2: Strategic Steps for Planning and Promoting Excellent Ministry Events

Chapter 3: Step 1—Assemble Your Team

Chapter 4: Step 2—Calendar on Purpose

Chapter 5: Step 3—Consider Your Culture

Chapter 6: Step 4—Plan Intentionally

Chapter 7: Step 5—Plan in Advance

Chapter 8: Step 6—Capitalize on Opportunities within the Weekend Service

Chapter 9: Step 7—Go Digital

Chapter 10: Step 8—Leverage Significant Dates throughout the Year

Chapter 11: Step 9—Celebrate Those Events That Are Central

Chapter 12: Step 10—Evaluate the Event Once It Occurs—and Be Brutally Honest

Conclusion

About the Author

To Lee, my amazing wife and partner in life, whose passion for ministry exceeds even her beauty

INTRODUCTION

In late spring, Mark and Jane were recruited by the lead pastor of their church to put together a ministry team for the purpose of developing a plan to equip and disciple people more effectively. They were ecstatic. Each was gifted, had a passion for helping people grow, and had been praying for such an opportunity. They became even more excited when the pastor told them that equipping believers was a driving force in his life and that he had been asking God to raise up people with similar desires to develop and implement this type of ministry. It seemed like a win-win for everyone.

Mark and Jane recruited several other like-minded individuals, and the team worked tirelessly through late spring and most of the summer preparing a curriculum, selecting teachers, arranging all the logistics, and even outlining a plan for promoting the ministry to the congregation. Pastor Jon assured the team of his unwavering commitment to the enterprise, promising that he would be its biggest cheerleader. The decision was made to launch the equipping ministry in September because fall is a strategic time in the yearly ministry cycle.

As promised, Pastor Jon made a public announcement about it approximately a month before the September 6 launch date and provided the congregation with information about how to sign up; 150 people immediately registered! The team was thrilled as they began to realize how significant the new ministry’s potential impact might be.

Then it happened.

As fall approached, other ministries in the church began to reserve spots on the calendar, and those leaders competed to get their particular events highlighted in bulletin inserts and public announcements. As a result, the equipping campaign got swept up into a cacophony of noise, becoming virtually indistinguishable from every other event and campaign the church was promoting.

Two weeks before the launch, the soon-to-be ministry received a one-sentence mention in the bulletin along with several other upcoming church activities. On August 30, the Sunday before the launch date, the junior high youth pastor did the announcements during the morning service even though Pastor Jon was the campaign’s spokesperson. The youth pastor got so excited about his own ministry’s events, scheduled for that afternoon and evening, that he forgot to say anything about the equipping ministry. To make matters worse, on the same weekend as the new ministry’s launch, the church scheduled the fall women’s retreat plus a small-group connection luncheon immediately following the Sunday morning service. Pastor Jon never said another word to the congregation about it and, as a result, only twelve people showed up.

Just one month earlier, 150 people had committed to the campaign, and now a mere handful made it to the opening event. Although thankful for the faithful few who attended, Mark and Jane walked away discouraged, vowing never to commit to another ministry launch again. It had the potential to impact so many more, but the church leadership dropped the ball in promoting it.

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