Orange Week > ideas need ammunition

Ideas need ammunition if they are actually going to be able to wage the war it takes to make them become reality. When it came to family ministry...true partnership with home and church...I had tons of ideas but none of them ever were able to move out of our programed / age-based based models until the team at Orange gave me some ammunition. Five years ago I showed up a new conference called "Orange" and what I discovered was a group of next generation leaders trying to rethink ministry from the top down. I witnessed preschool, children, and youth leaders unite for a few days to dream and process what might be possible if we worked together with the same strategy in mind. Five years later I can see those ideas thriving because of the work that the Orange team and leaders across the country did to make them come to life. Our team here at Grace Community have been a part of every Orange Conference and we are headed back again because the conference keeps giving us ammunition to bring home and use as we fight for the hearts of families. Here are some of the key ideas we have walked away from the Orange Conference over the years that have helped our family ministry team...

• Synchronization around a shared strategy is a powerful force for staff and volunteers.
• Parents care as much about the spiritual health of their kids as we do.
• Ministry built around "small group" will thrive.
• When we staff around our strengths and not titles we set our team up for success.
• Volunteers need significant things to do if they are to feel significant as they serve.
• When we fight for the health of families the entire church wins.
• Preschool, Children, Youth, and College ministry are better when they work together as a team instead of separated silos.

I have to stop because I could write all day. Whatever conference you attend in the coming year make sure you are walking away with ammunition that will help your ideas become reality.