Seems like everywhere you turn today in Children’s Ministry you hear the word orange!  Is it something really important you need to know about or just the “Next Big Thing” that’ll be gone in a couple of years? Is IT a new model or formula for success?  Just what is it and why does it have so much buzz right now?

 First to identify ORANGE:

“Orange is what red and yellow can do when they combine efforts.” – Reggie Joiner

The idea behind Orange in a nutshell is that if we combine red (the passion of the family) with yellow (the light of the church) we get the color orange.  Conceptually the implication is that the combined influence of the church and family teaming together is going to have a much greater impact on a child than the two influences operating independently.  I know you know the stats – 80% of teens are walking away from their faith after High School.  The question being asked: How do we stop the trend?  The concept of Orange is to get back to a biblical mandate with a contemporary approach!

The first thing you need to do to get in on the Orange discussion is to read “Think Orange” by Reggie Joiner!  As you are reading visit the blog sites that are sharing their insights about Orange-Mania:

www.childrensministryonline.com

www.samluce.com

www.jonathancliff.com

www.jcisonline.com

www.danscottblog.com

The next thing you need to do is register for the Orange Conference at www.theorangeconference.com   Do whatever you have to do to get the funds!

Tomorrow I’ll share the Top Ten Ways to Raise the Funds to Get to ORANGE 2010!

Recently I’ve read a lot of commentary about how families are choosing youth sports over church involvement.   I need to let you know up front that I’m a football coach for 7, 8, 9 year old boys that play both in the fall and the spring.  I view my sons’ and daughter’s involvement in sports and other extracurricular activities as an important part of their maturing into well rounded individuals.

 It always strikes me as humorous when those of us involved in ministry see other outside activities as competition for our events.  First, I view the events that we plan for our children and families as valuable and important for everyone involved. Second, I see great value in other activities outside the church.  It seems to me that we should ask ourselves several questions as we attempt to reach families and teach them how to grow spiritually:

1. When we offer an event do we consider the families existing schedule and commitments?
2. Is the event we are planning truly going to make an impact or are we just continuing something because we’ve always done it?
3. Are we scheduling so many classes and events that it would hinder a families’ opportunity to connect to their community?

Concerning question number one; too often the church calendar is planned without even considering community events.  To me this comes off as arrogant and foolish.  When a missionary goes into a foreign country one of the things they invest a great deal of time in is discovering how that community functions.  Why would we attempt to reach our community without the same mindset?  If our goal is to reach our community we should take the time and look at what activities are taking place inside our community before creating our own schedule.

Question number two should be asked of every event we undertake.  Too often events at church are planned and presented just because it’s what we always do.  Every event should be evaluated under the microscope of the event’s goal and value.  Some events simply need to be reinvented while others simply need to be dropped because they no longer achieve the desired goal.

Now let’s take a look at question number three.  My family and I recently moved from Texas (the belt buckle of the Bible Belt) out west to Arizona.  I can say with complete conviction that the way most families view church here is a great deal different from how it’s viewed in the Bible belt.  I also know from personal experience that those of us active in church can become so involved with church activities that we are no longer connected with our communities.  This tendency to become insulated from the outside is what one author dubbed the “Christian Ghetto.”  The longer you have been a believer who is active in your church the more intentional you must be to connect with an unbelieving community.  I believe our call to be “salt and light” is too often forgotten and we simply become a “holy huddle” that is no longer focused on the “main thing.”  Our family’s experience in youth sports has been one of the best ways to connect with our community.  We have the opportunity to develop close relationships with many families who otherwise would have little or no connection to a local church.  Our goal as a family is to share Jesus in a relational context by simply being who we are as a member of our community.  Men who would never talk to a “pastor” will share what’s going on with their friend the “Coach.”

My challenge to all of us is:

1. Ask the three questions of every event we plan.
2.  Make a commitment to find a way to embrace youth sports and other extracurricular activities in order to make a difference.
3. Be “Salt and Light” outside the doors of your church.

Well it’s been a busy few months since I last wrote for my blog.  It’s easy to put off and get out of the habit.  So, now I’m going to jump back in and begin writing again.  What have I been doing since my last post?  Let’s see…a trip to Tanzania, new Children’s Building planning, Capital Campaign for CM building, and coaching my son’s youth football team. Oh, and Sunday keeps on coming every week!

First, I thought I would share about our trip to Tanzania along with some general thoughts about missions.  We took a team of 3 women and 2 men to Tanzania for the purpose of presenting a VBS program to missionary children.  AIM, African Inland Missions, is the group who extended the invitation to our team and provided housing for our team.  AIM has missionaries that serve in several different areas throughout Tanzania.  Each year AIM hosts a missionary conference as a way to connect and encourage the missionaries throughout the country.

We looked at this as an opportunity to provide a much needed service to the missionaries and at the same time expand the influence of our CM beyond our community.  I think with those goals in mind we achieved both.  Another goal was to expand the life-experience of some key members of our Children’s Ministry Team and hopefully give them fresh eyes for ministry.  The ladies that traveled with me are key leaders here at Desert View and they were great on our trip. I know that this experience has influenced the way they view our role in both the community we live in and the world we are trying to reach.

Being among people who have given their lives to sharing the gospel with unreached people groups is truly a stretching experience.   Every time I’ve visited a place like Tanzania I am reminded of how spoiled we are and how much sacrifice these missionaries have made to reach others.  Suddenly, the things that seem so important – CM budgets, staff shortages, etc – don’t seem to be that much of an obstacle.  When you are in a place that the electricity may or may not continue working and where you are staying is patrolled by armed guards you get a fresh perspective.

So what about missions in general?  One of our 2010 goals here at Desert View is to refocus our mission efforts.  We have a couple of local mission efforts we support and we have a couple of global mission efforts we support.  It has been said that you must give up some good things to accomplish great things.  That is the view we are taking as we move forward with our mission planning.  What questions are you asking about missions?  What experiences are you seeking as a team?  Have you given thought to how you can engage families in local mission efforts?

Monday September 28^th we are hosting the Orange Tour Leaders Forum here at Desert View Bible Church.  We are looking forward to a great time with Reggie Joiner sharing insights about the Orange Concepts and how to implement them in the local church.  We are also anxious to meet other local leaders who share the passion and vision for reaching families.  Orange-ology will be spoken and I hope we inspire some more Orange Fanatics!  Here is how The Rethink Group describes the Leaders Forum:

What is the tour?

We love to see what happens when church leaders get together to talk about what it takes to reach the next generation. When this happens, ministries are changed forever!

Bring your team to the Orange Tour and you will:

1) Connect with other leaders in your area

2) Build relationships among your team and others

3) Share ministry ideas in a collaborative learning environment

4) Cast vision to your team and volunteers

The Orange Tour consists of two types of events:

Leaders Forum – At this 4-hour event, you’ll engage in conversation led by a reThink staff member and build relationships with other church leaders in your community.

One Day – During this all-day event, you’ll attend three main sessions with Reggie Joiner and one focused breakout with a Family Ministry expert. You’ll connect with leaders in your community and get answers to tough ministry questions.

If you are in the Phoenix area this is an opportunity to engage with other leaders who desire to make a difference in the lives of families.  You can register at www.orangetour.org

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