Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Leaving for Venezuela
Tomorrow at 7:10pm I am flying to Caracas, Venezuela. On Friday morning, I fly from Caracas to a small town called Carupano. There will be about 35 of us on this trip as we set out to share the gospel door to door with the people of this city. Please pray for our team. We will be back home in DFW on Friday, August 8th. I hope to bring back a great report for you, so be sure to check back. In the meantime, no one better tell me who wins "So You Think You Can Dance" next Thursday. I will be upset if I am not allowed to watch it on TiVo.... Have a great week everyone! Blessings....
Monday, July 28, 2008
What in the World is Assimilation?
It's inevitable. The conversation usually goes like this: "Hello Joe, my name is Bradley Thomas." Joe then says, "Hi Bradley, great to meet you. Are you on staff here at First Euless?" Then I respond, "Why, yes Joe, I am!" (I don't really yell it, I just like to put exclamation points in sentences for emphasis!!). "What do you do here, Bradley?" I respond, "I am the assimilation minister." Then it happens. The blank look on the face, followed by the crooked eye brow and the slow response as if air is being slowly leaked out of a balloon: "Noooooowwwwww, (pause for dramatic effect).... what in the world is assimilation?"
It really is a good question. I don't get tired of answering it, because it does give me the opportunity to explain what I do for a living and how this particular ministry is a growing need among churches across the country. I give the response that I will now give you: Assimilation is the process by which we plug new members into the small group setting of the church. My job is to help people from get from the big room with 2500 people to the small room with 25 people. It also involves everything to do with our members & guests Sunday morning "experience". That would include parking lot attendants, shuttle buses, door greeters, ushers, guest services centers, pastor reception, security, and the little elves that put the offering envelopes in the backs of the seats at night. Okay, there are no little elves (although that would be really cool!) but you get the picture.
Over the next few weeks, I am going to dig a little deeper into this Assimilation Ministry thing and show you the overall need for this ministry. We will look at what is involved with the new member process. Why we do what we do, and the importance of getting new members started on the "right" foot. We will also look at some national statistics that show how churches are effectively growing and connecting with their new members through efficient Assimilation tracks. There are some churches who are doing some cutting edge innovative things with Assimilation.
It's an important process in effectively plugging people into your church. Getting from the big room to the small room can be an overwhelming task for many people. My job is to make that transition easy and smooth, but more importantly, help people find the RIGHT place to plug in. I firmly believe that if a new person to a church does not 1.) actively join a small group and 2.) find an area to serve within the church (even if it's just refilling the coffee machine each week) within 6 months of joining a church - they will slowly begin to fade away. When that happens, then we as a church have done a poor job of helping those people belong to the body.
I hope you enjoy these Assimilation blogs over the next few weeks. Please feel free to send any questions you may have. Until next time.....
It really is a good question. I don't get tired of answering it, because it does give me the opportunity to explain what I do for a living and how this particular ministry is a growing need among churches across the country. I give the response that I will now give you: Assimilation is the process by which we plug new members into the small group setting of the church. My job is to help people from get from the big room with 2500 people to the small room with 25 people. It also involves everything to do with our members & guests Sunday morning "experience". That would include parking lot attendants, shuttle buses, door greeters, ushers, guest services centers, pastor reception, security, and the little elves that put the offering envelopes in the backs of the seats at night. Okay, there are no little elves (although that would be really cool!) but you get the picture.
Over the next few weeks, I am going to dig a little deeper into this Assimilation Ministry thing and show you the overall need for this ministry. We will look at what is involved with the new member process. Why we do what we do, and the importance of getting new members started on the "right" foot. We will also look at some national statistics that show how churches are effectively growing and connecting with their new members through efficient Assimilation tracks. There are some churches who are doing some cutting edge innovative things with Assimilation.
It's an important process in effectively plugging people into your church. Getting from the big room to the small room can be an overwhelming task for many people. My job is to make that transition easy and smooth, but more importantly, help people find the RIGHT place to plug in. I firmly believe that if a new person to a church does not 1.) actively join a small group and 2.) find an area to serve within the church (even if it's just refilling the coffee machine each week) within 6 months of joining a church - they will slowly begin to fade away. When that happens, then we as a church have done a poor job of helping those people belong to the body.
I hope you enjoy these Assimilation blogs over the next few weeks. Please feel free to send any questions you may have. Until next time.....
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Ted the Barber
On July 2, my uncle, Ted Watts, did what all of us will do one day if our Lord does not come back. Ted took his last breath and passed into eternity. The good news, excuse me, the GREAT news is that Ted was a believer in Jesus Christ. Right now, my uncle does not labor for breath anymore. He does not struggle to walk. He does not need help getting out of his chair. He is completely whole and walking the streets of heaven.
I knew my uncle mostly from a family perspective. For years, we would have Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, Easter, birthday parties, etc. at his and my Aunt Sue's house in a small town in East Tennessee called Loudon. Loudon is picture perfect small town America. When you drive through the town, you literally drive back 50 years. It is Mayberry USA - and I mean that as a compliment. Today, I don't know my neighbor's names. I get my hair cut from a different girl every time I go to a "salon". When I drop off my mail (on the rare occassion that I actually mail something), they don't know my name or where I live. My post man drove up to the box the other day, and I went out to say hello. He drove off in a hurry as if I was going to mug him. When I go to get groceries (okay, when my WIFE goes to get groceries and I tag along!), I get them at a Supercenter and one person throws my stuff in a plastic bag while I carry it to my car. When I take my kids to get Ice Cream, I don't know the owner and I am just another customer.
There is something about small town America. In Loudon, you can still go to a grocery store where they bag your groceries and a young man carries them to your car. The post man that delivers your mail, waves at you, and yells across the drive way "How about them Braves?" You can go to the local ice cream shop and the owner knows your name and remember's your kids favorite flavors. In this town, for decades, people didn't go to a "salon" to get a haircut, they went to Ted's Barber Shop. There, Ted the Barber knew your name and your kid's names. He would look at you with a great smile and say "Howdy, come on in... how you been doing? How the kids? Work going okay?" - and you felt at home. The barber shop was a place where you talked about last night's baseball game or the home town football team's big win on Friday night. It was a great place - not because of the hair cut - but because of the atmosphere. Everyone in Loudon knew Ted Watts and loved Ted Watts.
On July 2, Loudon, Tennessee lost a favorite son, but heaven gained a great saint. I miss you Ted. Thank you for many great years of loving us. You set the example of how to live a Christ-centered life. Kick some gold dust for me, eat some dumplings.... we'll see you soon! And for the rest of you, well... let me just tell you, there was no one like Ted the Barber.
I knew my uncle mostly from a family perspective. For years, we would have Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, Easter, birthday parties, etc. at his and my Aunt Sue's house in a small town in East Tennessee called Loudon. Loudon is picture perfect small town America. When you drive through the town, you literally drive back 50 years. It is Mayberry USA - and I mean that as a compliment. Today, I don't know my neighbor's names. I get my hair cut from a different girl every time I go to a "salon". When I drop off my mail (on the rare occassion that I actually mail something), they don't know my name or where I live. My post man drove up to the box the other day, and I went out to say hello. He drove off in a hurry as if I was going to mug him. When I go to get groceries (okay, when my WIFE goes to get groceries and I tag along!), I get them at a Supercenter and one person throws my stuff in a plastic bag while I carry it to my car. When I take my kids to get Ice Cream, I don't know the owner and I am just another customer.
There is something about small town America. In Loudon, you can still go to a grocery store where they bag your groceries and a young man carries them to your car. The post man that delivers your mail, waves at you, and yells across the drive way "How about them Braves?" You can go to the local ice cream shop and the owner knows your name and remember's your kids favorite flavors. In this town, for decades, people didn't go to a "salon" to get a haircut, they went to Ted's Barber Shop. There, Ted the Barber knew your name and your kid's names. He would look at you with a great smile and say "Howdy, come on in... how you been doing? How the kids? Work going okay?" - and you felt at home. The barber shop was a place where you talked about last night's baseball game or the home town football team's big win on Friday night. It was a great place - not because of the hair cut - but because of the atmosphere. Everyone in Loudon knew Ted Watts and loved Ted Watts.
On July 2, Loudon, Tennessee lost a favorite son, but heaven gained a great saint. I miss you Ted. Thank you for many great years of loving us. You set the example of how to live a Christ-centered life. Kick some gold dust for me, eat some dumplings.... we'll see you soon! And for the rest of you, well... let me just tell you, there was no one like Ted the Barber.
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