Volunteers

Many times in ministry, we find ourselves in a place of needing more people to volunteer. We need SGLs, greeters, production team, worship, parking lot team, and the list goes on. It takes a lot of people. Maybe you have been a part of a big volunteer push at your church. Maybe that is even […]

If you want to reach the heart of a kid, then you have to reach the heart of his or her parents. And the number one way to do that? Care about their marriage. Today on The Pod, we talk about how to incorporate a marriage ministry into your church that’s not only effective, but doesn’t require a fleet of staff to pull it off. First we hear from Ted Lowe, who shares some approaches to marriage ministry that fall short, as well as some mindset shifts that must happen in order for leaders to be proactive and strategic in their support of the married couples in their community. Then we join guest hosts Sarah Bragg and Holly Crawshaw as they interview Todd Graham on practical ways to engage your entire family ministry in being cheerleaders and resources for married people everywhere.

By Adam Duckworth I’ve been working with volunteers in ministry my entire career—in local churches and with Orange. Now, I’m excited to announce a brand, stinkin’, new online course on how to lead volunteers better called . . . drumroll . . . Leading Volunteers Better! See, I love volunteers. In fact, I probably love […]

The fall season is upon us and you’ve got big plans. Your calendar is booked with parent connection events, baby dedications, baptism celebrations, and holiday parties. The last quarter of the year is commonly referred to as a strategic growth season, and while you’re excited and ready to implement your growth initiatives, in the back […]

Most church leaders—especially those in family ministries—would say they pour a great deal of time, energy, and resources into fostering a life-long faith in the next generation. The average student pastor invests 4, 5, sometimes 6 or 7 years into students planning weekly programming, going on retreats, investing in small group leaders, and so much more. Then when their time is up, those students graduate and move on. And all too often, they not only move on from the student ministry but the church as well. Today on Episode 68 of The Think Orange Podcast, we’ll listen in on a conversation between Jared Herd and Chuck Bomar as they discuss six reasons The Barna Group has unearthed as to why high school graduates leave the church. Then Ashley interviews Dr. Steven Argue, author of 18 Plus: Parenting Your Emerging Adult, on ways that parents and the church can remain active in the lives of students post-graduation. We’ll discover that when it comes to 18 to 29-year-olds, empathy and a sincere, “Tell me more” can go a long way in reaching the next generation.

I’ve been in some level of family ministry for over 20 years, and there is one statement I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say, “We have so many volunteers I really hope no one else wants to serve!” The fact of the matter is that most kid and student ministries are always looking for ways […]

As the breadth of your ministry grows, so will the opportunity and need for new team members. Maybe you’ve seen a consistent trend of growth in your preschool programming, and you’re running out of bandwidth to invest in and develop your growing team of preschool ministry volunteers. It could be that the number of small […]

Ministry Leaders spend countless hours trying to help their team grow. Whether it is organizing training days, going on conference trips, buying books that will be helpful or even bringing in a guest speaker to talk about certain subjects, they are always on the lookout to help improve and grow the team.  As valuable as […]