Choose Your Words

It doesn’t cost anything to think more strategically when you are writing out your ministry literature. While the information you put out there maybe factually accurate and will help the person who is already coming to get there at the right to time, it won’t give them a reason to make plans to come. If you take a little more time wording your promotional literature with more emotionally appealing wording it will likely draw more people. He is a sample that I got from Jim in Little Rock, AR. He uses questions to help people self identify if CR is for them:

Do you have trouble setting limits for yourself?

Do you sacrifice your identity, desires or needs to make others feel good about themselves or to keep the peace?

Do you struggle feeling safe when you aren’t in control?

Do you raise your voice to get your way?

Do you act kind on the outside, but feel bitter on the inside?

Do you use food, sex/pornography, relationships, alcohol or drugs to cope with life’s problems?

Do you struggle with your body image?

Do you love someone struggling with destructive behaviors, such as pornography, drugs or alcohol?

Do you live with someone who abuses you physically, sexually or emotionally or feel the continued effects from past traumas and abuse?

Don’t give up! There is Hope…

Here at my church we have started using a short paragraph from someone’s testimony:

By the mercy and grace of God I was baptized one month after giving my life to God, one month after my first visit to Celebrate Recover at Central. I came here not believing in God and not wanting to, but he was here. I could no longer ignore His presence. He accepted me just the way I was and he loved me unconditionally. Now that I make the decision everyday to carry Christ in my heart my life has changed for the better.
Thanks Celebrate Recovery! Joe

Next Step:
Try looking at some old promo materials or your old bulletins and see if rewriting them begins to make an impact on people showing up to Celebrate Recovery.

The Celebrate Recovery Summit is Selling Out Fast!

I just wanted to let you know that the Summit is selling out fast. We are weeks away and 1/3rd of the spots have already been filled.

If you're planning on coming out to the 2008 Summit, make sure you register today.

Go to www.celebraterecovery.com for more information.

God Bless,

Johnny

Who are you trying to reach?

The obvious answer to this question is everyone. Like Rick says, “All of us have been hurt and we have all hurt others so everyone needs recovery.” Everyone can benefit from Celebrate Recovery and will grow if they go through the process. In an attempt to not exclude anyone we try to reach everyone. I want to challenge this thinking.

Usually churches are afraid to identify a specific target for the fear of excluding others. I have seen and heard of people connecting their CR ministries to all people no matter what social, demographic, geographical and spiritual place they are in. What I don’t see is one ministry reaching all of them under one roof. We have to learn how to connect to the needs specifically related to those that we are trying to reach. For example the business man that is trapped in pornography is going to be a different method than the person that is on the street homeless and without food. The message to recovery may be the same but the way we reach that person maybe different.

Next Step:
Think about whom God has called you to reach. Who is your target audience? Jot down some characteristics and some messages that will connect with that person. This idea will in no way exclude others that may want to come but will be more effective in reaching those that God has called you to.

Creating a Promotional Plan

This is the first of another multipart series regarding promotion of your ministry. Most ministry leaders that I have talked to over the years are always wondering how to promote their ministries but most have never taken the time to develop a promotional plan. When we use the term marketing in churches it seems to be taboo, however in order to get the word out it is important to have a plan.

Developing a communication plan will help align all of your promotional ideas. Writing all of your ideas down will help in determining what is effective, what can be done now and what ideas will have to wait until later. Just write down what you are going to do each week for the next 6 to 12 months. If you can put your plans into words, you will build more integration and purpose into your marketing. You will be able to share with your leadership team what the plans are so they can help.

Take time to brain storm all of the opportunities within the church:
Church Bulletin
Website
Email
Signs
Invite Cards
Pulpit Announcements
Testimonies during the weekend services
Videos
Visit other ministry directors (Women’s, Men’s, Singles, etc.)

Take time also to brain storm some ideas to reach outside the church:
Radio
Newspaper
Website
You Tube
Invite Cards
Brochures (Placed in Doctor’s Offices, Counselors, Rehabs, etc.)

Next Step
Take some time with the other leaders in your ministry and write down the specific ideas that you want to see accomplished through 6-12 months. And then, change those ideas into a weekly action plan that you can accomplish to see your ideas become a reality.

"Taking Celebrate Recovery to the Church, the Community and the Philippines."

It is so good to connect with all of you again! Karrie and I just returned from the Philippines with our team from Central Christian Church. If you listen to the CR Podcast available on iTunes or at http://www.celebratereoverypodcast.com/ you will hear Johnny Baker the National Ministry Leader and me talking about the trip. We recorded it while I was in the Philippines. On the show we discussed some of the CR mission strategy and how it has played out overseas.

We were in South Metro Manila where we partnered with Green Hills Christian Fellowship. The Senior Pastor, Larry Pabiona and the Ministry Leader Vincent Syyap were both tremendous to work with and through their planning and preparation we had the most successful Philippine Summit yet with over 500 people in attendance! Vince and his wife Anna organized and ran an event that rivaled any conference I have been (and I am kind of a conference addict). This was our third visit and the growth was amazing for Karrie and I to see. One of the biggest highlights was introducing all of the ministry leaders that have ongoing CR ministries and the changed lives as a result of our original mission in 2005.

This year participants were both brand new to CR and leaders from current ministries. The first day we introduced the 8 principles and helped them process it real time through small groups. This created a better understanding of the process of recovery. That night GCF held their normal General Meeting Night and was very effective in allowing people to experience Celebrate Recovery. Our team and the GCF team both shared testimonies of changed lives. The second day included the 7 Keys to help them start and grow the ministry and a time to nail their struggles to the Cross. We had many people break down the walls of denial and pain they had been carrying for years. The most important element the participants walked away with was the concept: Recovery starts with me. “I cannot transmit something I haven’t got.” This was well received and understood on so many levels.


CPR started there about four weeks ago with 4 pastors and now 12 more desire to join. It was encouraging to see Pastors willing to go where so many are not. I pray for God’s blessing on them for the courage they are showing their congregations.

My heart was touched the most by the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people and the way we were welcomed. We were blessed to stay in the beautiful home of Gaudy, Isabel and their daughter Monica. They were so amazing we feel like we were part of their family.
I am truly grateful that God would use me a recovering drug addict and sex addict to carry this message of hope. God never ceases to amaze me at how He can take the foolish people of this world from the pit of despair to the throne of His grace.

Next week I will begin a 25 part series on Promotion of your CR minstry so keep checking back.

New One Day Seminar Event Dates Announced

We’ve just announced a new group of One Day events. Three of them will have ALT training coinciding with the Seven Keys to Starting and Growing Celebrate Recovery. You can register for the events here. Make sure to sign up soon as the spots at these events fill up quick.

Here are the dates announced:

March 8th - New Orleans, LA
April 5th - Duluth, GA (With Advanced Leadership Training)
April 19th - Oklahoma City, OK (With ALT)
May 3rd - Toronto, Canada (With ALT)
June 7th - Annapolis, MD
June 14th - Chicago, IL

Hope to see you there!
Johnny

August 13-15, 2008 Celebrate Recovery Summit...Registration is Now Open

It is hard to believe that we are already talking about the 2008 Summit already. It seems like we just finished last year's. It may seem premature to talk about this now, however last year's Summit did sell out and we want you to have plenty of time to get your team together and register. The dates are Aug 13, 14, & 15 and you can register at http://www.saddlebackresources.com/en-US/Events/CelebrateRecoverySummit/Registration.htm