Guest, Kendra Golden: Orange Week

Over the last two years, our teams have made many changes to reach kids and students more effectively. We’ve tried simple things—like involving youth and children’s staff in the same retreats—and complex things—like aligning our elementary, middle school, and high school content with Pastor Craig’s message series back in May. This month, Pastor Craig invested his whole series I Believe in You to cast vision for how we can fuel the faith of the next generation.

Many of the best strategies we’ve incorporated come from the Orange concept. Orange simply means the church (yellow = light) combining forces with parents (red = heart and home). Reggie Joiner and his team at Orange have brought this idea into reality for churches across the world. On average, they estimate that church gets kids and students about 40 hours per year, while parents have them for about 3,000. To make a deeper impact, we must do less thinking red or yellow and more learning to Think Orange.

This week, check out the posts of several family ministry bloggers who are celebrating Orange Week by posting about their experiences with going Orange.

How Orange is your church? What’s the most effective thing you’ve done to target the next generation?

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A Weird Book

Thanks to all your suggestions for the title of  my next book.

We decided on Weird–Because Normal Isn’t Working.

The book is scheduled to release in Spring of 2011.

Also, The Christian Atheist hits over 800 Wal-Mart stores today!

Praying God will impact many lives through the book in Wal-Mart.

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The Most Important Word

In many cases, the word “no” is more important than the word “yes.”

To say “yes” to the best things, you’ll have to say “no” to the good things.

In ministry, you will be overwhelmed with many good opportunities. But if you say “yes” to all of them, one day you won’t be able to say “yes” to the most important things.

Just because you could do something, doesn’t mean you should do it.

It may sound odd, but if you want to do more to make an impact, it often starts with the word “no.”

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Be Unreasonable!

I bet you have heard this many times… “Be reasonable.”

Truthfully, under many circumstances, “Be reasonable” is sound advice—but not always.

As Christian leaders, there are times to be unreasonable.

• When you pray, you might ask God to do something most consider impossible or unreasonable. Pray unreasonable prayers.
• When you seek God, He might lead you to do something others consider undoable. Empowered by God, do unreasonable things.
• When you lead, some people might think you’re making unreasonable demands. Lead passionately and pull unreasonable results out of reasonable people.

Being unreasonable all the time would certainly be a mistake. But if you aren’t being unreasonable every now and then, you probably aren’t leading by faith.

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Generational Tension

Thanks for the help last week on brainstorming titles for the new book. Your insights were amazing. (I’ll let you know the final name when we have one.)

I’d love to learn more from you.

Brad Lomenick asked me to do a talk about “Generational Tension” for Catalyst.

I’d be grateful for your insight(s):

• What tension(s) do you see between the older and younger generations in ministry?
• What is the biggest challenge facing the older generation? Younger generation?
• What questions do you have about this subject?

Please include your age if you think it might be helpful.

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A Weird Request

Thank you for being a part of our Swerve community. I’ve got a personal favor to ask.

I’m finishing up a manuscript based on Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Jesus calls us to live a different life. If we are living like everyone else, we are probably not following Jesus.

We are wrestling with possible titles. I’d love to know which of these you like (or see if you have better suggestions).

1) Weird Rules

2) Weird

3) Weird in a God Way

The working subtitle is: Better Than Normal Living in a Settle For Normal World

Thanks for any input!

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