There’s 168 hours in the week, and the families who attend our churches only spend 1 of them with us—if that! And that’s not even to mention all of the families who don’t attend our church. With so much of life being lived outside of Sunday (and outside our church walls), doesn’t it make sense we’d want to show up for kids, students, and their parents in both random and predictable ways?
Today on The Pod, we talk about how church staff and small group leaders can elevate community outside the four walls of the church. First, Tom Shefchunas (Shef) unpacks the Lead Small principle of Be Present. Then we’re joined by Kellen Moore who shares some (often humorous) stories from his own ministry, practical steps we can all take to show up in our communities, and why being authentic is more important than being perfect.
Welcome to Episode 46 of the Think Orange Podcast!
Topic Timeline:
Tom Shefchunas unpacks the Lead Small principle of Be Present (9:20)
As an SGL, you’ve got to show up . . .
predictably (10:05)
mentally (11:14)
randomly (11:45)
Being present allows us to connect the faith of our few to a community (13:24)
Dave interviews Kellen Moore (13:51)
Kellen tells about a time he stepped out to connect with families outside of Sunday . . . dressed like the Cat in the Hat (15:13)
You don’t have to be perfect, but you have to be present (18:41)
How to “show up” in a kid’s home environment (23:05)
Getting introductory conversations started with parents inside and outside the church (24:08)
Leveraging technology to Be Present in the lives of your few (28:19)
The importance of knowing what’s happening in kids’ and students’ homes (30:45)
Showing up in the social circles of your few (33:50)
Partnering with schools in your community by asking the question, “How can I help make your school even better?” (36:16)
One practical step leaders can take this week to partner with parents in their church (38:35)
Dave and Ashley’s final thoughts (41:47)
Ashley shares her own experiences of showing up randomly (42:54)
