Key Points of Month 3 1.A church must have a vehicle to involve laity in ministry for discipling to take place. 2.A “pastor’s meal” is the best method for doing this. 3.A pastor’s meal offers friends, follow-up, leads, commitment and importance. 4.4 areas are covered in this pastor’s meal: Church’s Vision, Evangelism training (conversion), Spiritual gifts discovery and training, and discipleship through lay involvement.

MONTH 4 4.Making the Church Like Heaven on Earth: The law of first impressions and initial contact ministry. The closest thing to heaven on earth should be your church!!!

Team One Front Door By Dr. Owen Weston DMin, PhD.

Vision To make church like Heaven on Earth by creating an accepting and friendly atmosphere where the love of God is demonstrated.

Scriptural Significance “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14

Scriptural Significance A growing church is the church that seeks out the one lost sheep and gives preferential treatments to this one lost sheep. Parking Attendant and Greeters at the door, along with the reception by church family need to show preferential treatment by seating guests in preferential seating (aisle and back row) and making them feel welcome and accepted.

Front Door Team  The church is the nearest thing on Earth to Heaven. Is our church?  How do we want to be accepted into heaven? 1. Will we open Heaven’s gates for ourselves? 2. Will we be made to feel we have come home and the banquet is waiting for us? 3. Will we escort ourselves around Heaven?

Team Structure  Administrator  Teacher/Trainer  Prophet (Fellowship/Prayer Coordinator)‏  Evangelist (Outreach Coordinator)‏  Pastoral Care The Front Door Team is comprised of the five-fold ministry team leaders, a secretary and many sub- team leaders. The five-fold main team leaders are:

Team Administrator Principle Function: Provides leadership and administration to the team. Is a good manager with a pulse on the future goals/plans of the team. Spiritual Gift: Administration and, if possible, the secondary gift of Encouragement Responsible to: Pastor and/or Executive Administrator Time Commitment: One Year Should spend 1 to 2 hours a week preparing for ministry. Should set aside additional time, as needed, for leadership development and training. Should arrive 30 minutes before service/event to meet with team and prepare and pray.

Team Administrator Responsibilities: 1. Recruit and coordinate schedule of greeters Who assist with welcoming and directing others on a regular basis as well as for special events. Maintain a list of greeters phone numbers and addresses. 2. Recruit and coordinate schedule of parking lot attendants Who assist in welcoming, traffic flow, visitor and handicapped parking, greet guests, giving directions at all church services and major events, and informing greeters of guest information via radio/walkee-talkees.

Team Administrator Responsibilities: 4. Organize and provide equipment for services and events Delegate responsibility to the Secretary to check all necessary equipment is in good working order and available to Greeters and Parking Lot Attendants (i.e. umbrellas, parking cones, and radios). 5. Oversee budget and expenditures for the team. 6. Appoint other team leaders With the approval of the Pastor including a secretary, Prophet (Fellowship Coordinator), Evangelist (Outreach Coordinator) and Pastoral Care Person. 7. Keep all confidentiality. 8. Fill in for any position, especially the trainer, if a team member is absent and was unable to find a replacement.

Team Teacher/Trainer Principle Function: Provide leadership for team as well as train and recruit new members for the team. Spiritual Gift: Teaching and, if possible, the secondary gifts of Encouragement or Administration Responsible to: Team Administrator Time Commitment: One Year Should arrive 45 minutes before service to walk new trainees through their job duties. Be in your designated position 15 minutes before service and remain until 15 minutes after the service/event begins or the job is complete.

Team Teacher/Trainer Responsibilities: 1. Be familiar with the team philosophy of ministry and vision. 2. Interview people who have completed the Spiritual Gift test and train them in the area where they would best serve. 3. Oversees training of all positions in team Administrator, Fellowship Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, Pastoral care Coordinator, Secretary, Parking Lot Attendant and Greeters. Train new team members for four weeks and then be available/approachable for any questions or concerns. 4. Maintain a good knowledge of the job descriptions and responsibilities for the Parking Lot Attendant or Greeter so that you are ready to train a new person at any time.

Team Teacher/Trainer Additional Responsibilities: Pay close attention to the Pastor when he is training you. Remember you are responsible for training new people to carry out their job duties the way the Pastor wants it done, not how you think it should be. Give the Administrator a minimum of 24 hours notice if you cannot make it to service due to illness etc. Have an understanding of the Administrators duties so that you can fill in, if the Administrator is sick.

Other Positions Prophet (Fellowship/Prayer Coordinator): To ensure fellowship, prayer and fun within the team. Evangelist (Outreach Coordinator): Provide motivation and compassion for their team members and individuals within the church body to help recruit new team members. Pastoral Care: To oversee prayer for the spiritual well being of the team and its members by sometimes counselling and weekly encourage through phone calls and visiting, if needed. Secretary: Responsible for assisting the Administrator with organizing schedules, team member information, equipment and coordinating with church pastoral/office staff.

Sub-Teams  Parking Lot Attendants  Greeters The Front Door Team is comprised of two-sub teams. Additional teams can be added by the Administrator as needed, in coordination with the Pastor.

First Impression Principle Function: Is to seek out visitors and welcome them to the service/event. Spiritual Gift: Encouragement. Helps and service Responsible to: Team Administrator Time Commitment: Six Month Should arrive 30 minutes before service for team meeting and prayer. Be in your designated position 15 minutes before service and remain until 15 minutes after the service/event begins or the job is complete. Parking Lot Attendant

Responsibilities: 1. Check the local weather forecast and come prepared to be outside for minutes (i.e. wear cool clothes in the summer, heavy coat and scarf in the winter, rain gear, etc.)‏ People believe you really care when you are out in the rain, snow or heat. 2. Check in the with the Administrator to find out your post for the service/event. 3. Obtain a radio, parking vest and umbrella (if raining) from the Secretary. 4. Be aware you will be the first person to help visitors feel accepted by shaking their hands and giving them an appropriate greeting.

Parking Lot Attendant Process: Step One: The Attendant at the Parking Lot entrance is to look for a new person or family whom he does not recognize and direct them to the parking places saved for the visitors near the front entrance of the church. Step Two: The Attendant at the Parking Lot entrance then radios to the Attendant stationed in the visitor parking area and tells him their name and gives them a vehicle description to let him know they are headed his/her way.

Parking Lot Attendant Process: Step Three: The Attendant in the Visitor Parking Area will look for the vehicle described and wave them over to a open space and remove the reserved cone out of the parking space. He/She should then 1) wait for them to open the door, 2) welcome the guest by name, 3) and escort or direct the family to a Greeter near the front entrance. Step Four: The Attendant in the Visitor Parking Area then radios to the head greeter the visitor/family’s description and name and lets them know they are about to enter the building.

Parking Lot Attendant Process: If the Attendant at the Parking Lot entrance recognizes a family he/she will welcome them by name and direct them to the next Attendant and/or regular parking areas. Reserved visitor signs should be avoided in churches with less than 500 attendees. Instead, use cones to mark off the reserved spaces.

Principle Function: Ensure that every person entering the church is greeted and that visitors are offered assistance so that everyone feels important and welcome. Greeters will be asked to serve during special events also. Spiritual Gift: Encouragement (Outgoing and Accepting)‏ Responsible to: Team Administrator Time Commitment: One Year Should arrive 30 minutes before service for team meeting and prayer. Be in your designated position 15 minutes before service and remain until 15 minutes after the service/event begins or the job is complete. Greeter

Responsibilities: 1. Check the local weather forecast and come prepared to be outside for minutes (i.e. wear cool clothes, heavy coat and scarf, rain gear, etc.)‏ People believe you really care when you are out in the rain, snow or heat. 2. Check in the with the Administrator to find out your post for the service/event (outside/inside and post). 3. Smile and offer the love of Christ by being warm, welcoming and friendly to those who enter the door. 4. Determine if the person coming in is a regular attendee or a visitor. After greeting the visitor, they should introduce them to a Shuttler.

Greeter Process: A Greeter will stay at the same door from week to week in order to make returning visitors feel comfortable, as visitors tend to use the same door. It is acceptable to rotate Greeters between outside and inside the same door. It is imperative that Greeters deliberately seek out and greet people they do not recognize. They must not take to much time talking to friends and allow visitors to go unnoticed or unappreciated. Remember the Parable of the Lost Sheep…the Shepherd left the 99 to seek out the one. This is the Greeter’s job.

Greeter Process: Keep two Greeters on each side of doors (i.e. Four Greeters per door, two inside and two outside). It is recommended that young teens especially girls be used a door openers.

Greeter Process: If there are double doors leading into the church, six Greeters are required – two outside, two in the foyer and two in the building.

Plain clothes greeters Those who walk in the parking lot and those who walk around the sanctuary to see for visitors etc.

Key Points Month 4 1. To make our church like heaven on earth for all to see and feel. 2. Give preferential treatment the lost and un- churched 3.Provide parking near the front door for these 4.To have outside and inside greeters making these feel welcome and excepted 5.To have young people at the door to open doors for them 6.Use Ushers for handing out the bulletin and handling crowd control 7. Have Shuttlers to give tours and follow-up.

Next month 5 Retention and how to keep visitors

Month 5: Team approach to Retention: Pastor’s class, visitation, deacons, etc. – Set up the Follow-up team