Tag Archives: Orange Tour
Make it easy for parents to win!
Posted on 25. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
I think my last big take-away from the Orange Tour was this little concept.
Make it easy for parents to win!
In Think Orange, Reggie describes the four levels of parenting.
- Aware – These are parents who may be outside your church. Studies have shown that most parents are aware that the moral and even spiritual development of a child is their responsibility.
- Involved – These are parents who are in our churches. They’re around, maybe following Christ, but they’re not really doing anything intentional with their kids.
- Engaged – These are parents who are beginning to be intentional. They’re trying things that they’ve not done before.
- Invested – These parents get “it.” Whether you provide a plan or not, they’re going after it, developing spiritual champions.
Here is what I appreciated tremendously. Reggie shared that you’ll probably never get more than 20-30% of your parents to the invested level. As much as we’d like for it to happen, it’s just not going to happen. Set your expectations.
However, it’s possible to get a lot of parents to engage. It doesn’t take too much effort to take a parent who is doing nothing to start doing something… and this small change can produce huge results. We’ve got to celebrate the small changes. This is huge!
This is why this information was really refreshing for me. We’re in the process of developing a milestone family strategy and we’ll be putting a lot of effort into getting parents to engage with the plan. I would expect that the parents to truly engage in this strategy and follow it through are more likely to be invested parents. However, at the same time we’re panning to launch easy stuff, resources and opportunities to help parents do small things.
I guess it was just good for me to hear this stuff so that I know how to balance, that I don’t get frustrated by less people getting to the invested level where huge numbers are engaged.
I’ll leave you with one last quote that ties this all up and certainly rang a bell for me.
So, consider how everything ties to the next thing and in all of this, make it easy for parents to win!
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We are stewards of timeless truths
Posted on 24. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
On more than one occasion, I heard Reggie say this line last week at the Orange Tour.
We are stewards of timeless truths.
What I think is interesting is that I often hear people complain about Orange curriculum Usually I hear people complaining from the point of view that there isn’t enough Bible in it. The funny thing is that I have people on my own staff who at times complain that the curriculum is too church. Honestly, there’s no such thing as a perfect curriculum and that alone isn’t reason enough to go out and start writing your own.
Curriculum was made to be tweaked… especially when they give it to you in editable digital form, right? Whether your curriculum comes from a virtue perspective or a chronological spin through the scriptures, the foundation doesn’t change that scripture is the basis for all things taught. If we don’t connect kids and students to the life-changing power of the scripture, we’re sunk. We may explore how the scripture can transform us to lead self-controlled lives or how certain events in the Old Testament teach us about what God wants to do in our lives right now. The bottom line is about how scripture connects to our lives.
In ministry, we have to understand that we are stewards of timeless truths. Every one of us. Leaders, small group leaders, hosts and story tellers. We steward these timeless truths and it is so important that we convey these truths accurately and responsibly. Too many times in my ministry have I heard a leader butcher the telling of a biblical truth, either in delivery or in content. We need not forget about James 3:1.
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
We are stewards of timeless truths and we must never take this responsibility lightly.
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Orange Tour Gleanings
Posted on 23. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
Last Friday I took 24 staff and leaders to the Dallas Orange Tour and Bent Tree Fellowship. What can I say, I’m a big believer in the local conference… something that’s close and affordable to inspire volunteers and staff that I can’t afford to take to the national events. It’s why I started Illuminate.
This Orange Tour was different for me. I was a little nervous. This was the first time I’ve ever taken student ministry volunteers. In the past I’ve brought my student pastor, but the team as a whole had never really been represented. They were very excited to have been invited and showed up in force. The Orange strategy is certainly something I believe in and I was more nervous that the student ministry volunteers would not connect with it or that it would somehow be a miss for them. Every year the Orange Tour has been one of the best conferences/seminars I attend and for no real reason, I was just nervous that it wouldn’t be as good as it had in the past.
Well, the day didn’t disappoint. If one year’s tour could be better than the previous one, this one was… but I must say that each of them stand out equally on their own. I learned so much, I was reminded of so much and I was inspired with so many new ideas. It was amazing and initial reaction from most of the student leaders was incredibly positive. I think there is still a lot to process with them, but overall, it was a great experience.
This week I’m not as much going to regurgitate my notes for you, but more or less share about what impacted me the most and what I plan to do with such thoughts. So, stay tuned for my Orange Tour Gleanings!
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Dallas Orange Tour!
Posted on 18. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
I’m pumped! Tomorrow I leave for Dallas for the Dallas Orange Tour. This year I’m taking about 24 volunteers and staff. This year I’m actually bringing more student ministry volunteers than those in kidmin. For the last 6 months I’ve been far more involved in student ministry than I have in the past and I wanted to make a big investment in these leaders… plus I want them to start thinking Orange. These student ministry leaders were so excited to be invited, which is why I have about 18 going.
I can’t over-communicate how important these kinds of events are for ministry teams. I’ve been to the Orange Conference for the past 4 years and I’ll probably continue to attend for some time. The conference has impacted me and influenced me tremendously and I want the same for my staff and volunteers, but I can’t always bring all of them due to money issues, but something like the Orange Tour is a complete no brainer. I’m taking 24 and by the time I pay hotel, food and registration, it cost me less than sending 2 to Atlanta for Orange. To help out, I’m even having the volunteers car pool and cover their travel expenses.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the Orange Conference, but there is something really special about the Orange Tour. Because the entire thing is hosted directly by Reggie and Sue, it feels far more pure and concentrated. You’ll leve the Tour with a strong grasp of what the Orange strategy is all about… maybe even better than the conference. I’d encourage everyone to attend a tour stop… even if that means catching a flight into one of their locations. I’ll be blogging about my tour experience next week (since I don’t blog a lot over the weekend), so stay tuned!
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Orange Tour 2011 Notes: Family
Posted on 08. Feb, 2011 by Kenny.
Family isn’t what we think it is anymore. I think that most of us realize that the 1950′s typical family of Mom, Dad, 2.5 kids, puppy and the white picket fence isn’t the norm any more. However, I’m not positive that we all realize how much the typical family has changed. According to research, the family defined by married couples who live with their own biological kids represents only 23.5% of the population. Holy cow! I had no idea that it was such a small percentage. I find it interesting though that when I think of family, the first thing that comes to my mind is ALWAYS the married couple living with their biological kids. It’s default. I wonder if that’s the case for most ministry leaders (unless they come from a family that is different). So if that is what I think of first, that is probably the lens I’m going to see family through and develop programs for… and if that’s the case… I’m not seeing reality.
I’d venture to say that if our churches are packed full of happy families as I described before, we’re missing it in a major way. I’ll go out on a limb and say that we’re failing. I’d never want to be a church that’s only relevant to 23.5% of the population.
Here are some questions to shake things up. They’re questions I’m asking myself as much as I’m asking you.
- What are we doing to serve single parents? We expect them to spiritually lead their kids, but how are we helping them catch their breath from having to be two parents in one?
- We’re often frustrated about kids consistency in church. Probably the greatest cause to inconsistency is the fact that the kids are with one parent one weekend and another on the other weekend. If they’re sick, then it could be a month before they come back. There’s little that kid can do about it. How are reaching out to those kids to provide stability in their “back and forth” life?
- How are we equipping parents of blended families to be successful? Marriage and parenting is hard enough. Second marriages are significantly more likely to fail. Step-parents are always at a disadvantage. How are we encouraging and supporting these families?
This is our reality, like it or not. What has to change to be effective and relevant in this landscape?
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Orange Tour 2011 Notes: Discipleship
Posted on 07. Feb, 2011 by Kenny.
So a few weeks ago I took about 11 staff/volunteers up to Dallas to experience the Orange Tour. POWERFUL! SIGNIFICANT! IMPACT!
Those are all words I’d use to describe the day. I’m so glad I was able to take my team to this experience and bummed that I couldn’t take everyone.
So, this week I’m going to share some of my notes, but not in the way I usually do. Typically when I’m at a conference, I’ll literally download all my notes from the conference onto this blog. This time I want to craft posts specifically dealing with something I heard that resonated with me. I want to blog more about that idea and possibly even strike up a conversation to explore it further. So, let’s get started.
Discipleship. I’m going to use this word lightly as there are many different thoughts and ideas about this word and how it is carried out. That’s not what this post is about… so don’t go after me about what discipleship is or isn’t.
Here’s what was said:
“You may put a child in a room and teach them truth. However, you’re not discipling them unless its the same voice every week.”
At Gateway we like to say that discipleship is life-on-life.
“Studies are showing that kids growing up in church with a consistent voice are more likely to remain in the faith.”
I haven’t actually seen these studies, but it is common sense, right? If a kid comes every week, every other week or once a month, aren’t we going to be a million times more effective leading that kid if it’s the same volunteer leading that kid every time he or she shows up? I’m not talking about the guy from the stage either, I’m talking small group. The leader that knows his or her name. The leader that knows what it takes to get him or her in line. The leader that knows what’s going on at home.
Let’s take it another step. What if that leader is in that kid’s life for three or four years? How about five or six? Isn’t it logical to expect that this leader (assuming the leader does more than just “shows up”) would have significant influence in the child’s life? Maybe that’s a little subjective. At least it would be logical to expect that this leader would have significantly more influence than the leader who is with a group of boys or girls every other week for a year.
If this is the case, why in the world would we not do everything possible to create this kind of environment for the kids we lead?
I know the excuses. I’ve said them. If you’re church only holds one service, you’re going to be hard pressed to find these kinds of volunteers. My only suggestion, beg your pastor to move to two services! I’ve done the one service model and I had leaders who served once a month as well as every other week. It worked, but it wasn’t best for the kids. You know it isn’t either, don’t you?
When that church went to two services, I immediately transitioned every volunteer to every other week scheduled. I was a little nervous about it. I was afraid that I’d have tons of volunteers bail. In the end, I lost two or three. Crazy. My fears were my own and didn’t justify me not asking for a greater commitment.
Then a few years ago I decided to take the next step and begin asking volunteers to make an every week commitment. I didn’t really have many volunteers to begin with, so I was recruiting mostly new volunteers to an every week commitment. Again, I was nervous. What if it was too much? In the end I was surprised again. Most people didn’t balk at the idea of serving every week. When I explained why, they “got it.” Last fall I did a huge recruiting push where we were only recruiting for every week workers. The result? We recruited more volunteers than we ever had before.
I’ve found that the thing usually stopping us from making the transition to every week volunteers is fear. We’re afraid to communicate such a big change to our current volunteers. We’re afraid that all our volunteers will quit. We’re just afraid. Truth is, most of the volunteers really don’t care. Give them a good enough reason and they’ll do just about anything. The quotes at the top of this post are two very good reasons to volunteer every week.
So, what’s keeping you for switching? What’s your story of transitioning to every week volunteers?
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Can you smell the Oranges?
Posted on 07. Feb, 2011 by Kenny.
It’s been a few months and it’s time again for this site to take on an Orange hue. This “Orange Week” in particular revolves around the Orange Conference. It’s coming up in just a few months and once again, I’m totally excited about joining with thousands of other church leaders to learn, grow and connect. We’ll get to more of that later. If you’ve been wrestling with whether or not to come to the Orange Conference, I really suggest you consider going. It is the only conference where you can bring your entire team (kids, students, senior pastor) where each person focuses on different aspects of ministry, but they all connect to creating a strategy that works together. I’ve not seen anything else like it. Click here to register your team.
Even better, we’ll make it easy for you. Next week, Tuesday, February 15th. Write this down. Put it on your calendar. The Orange Tour is going online. At 1:00 PM EST, you can attend a web version of the Orange Tour. Have your volunteers all log in from work or home or gather them all in a room at your church. I’m very excited about this experience. I have some people and leaders that I really want to experience the Orange Tour who weren’t able to come with us to Dallas a few weeks ago. What a perfect opportunity for them to experience Orange.
So, for more information about the Orange Tour, click here. If you’ve been on the fence about attending the Orange Conference this Spring, I’m pretty confident that your mind will be made up after experiencing the tour. Just so you know, February 17th is the deadline for the special price break for Orange right now. Save $30 by registering before the 17th and get a $50 credit toward curriculum. It’s a good deal.
Already planning to go to Orange and you want to spread the love? Add an Orange Conference badge to your blog or website. Get codes here.
Last of all, I’ll be blogging more this week about both the Orange Conference as well as my experience a few weeks ago at the Orange Tour in Dallas. Should be fun!
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Freshly squeezed orange
Posted on 21. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
Well, yesterday I got to enjoy the Orange One Day event in DFW, Texas. Hands down, it was the best one yet.
I’ve got a little advice for you.
- Do whatever you can do attend the Orange Conference. It’s an incredible conference for you and your team. Click here to register.
- Make plans to attend an Orange One Day event. Period.
What if there isn’t an Orange One Day near me?
Buy a plane ticket, fly there and go. It’s only $55 or so and your expenses shouldn’t be too bad for a quick one day thing. Do it!
Here’s why I like the Orange One Day event so much. It’s like extra pulpy orange juice… like there’s a lot of meaty flavor in it. No, even better, it’s like Orange Juice concentrate. It’s super strong. Seriously, I love the Orange Conference. It’s a great conference with a lot of voices with many experiences. Every speaker is not going to speak on the Orange Strategy specifically, but it does all fit within the context. However, the Orange One Day is super large does of the Orange strategy given to you directly by Reggie Joiner, Sue Miller and Carey Nieuwhof.
If you didn’t hit the Orange Tour this year, you’ve probably missed your chance. Their last stop is in Orlando next week. However, I’d highly encourage you to make one of the tour stops next year. It’s very different from the Orange Conference, but such a powerful experience. I’m fortunate that the tour is close enough, I could bring a bunch of my volunteer leaders as well as my staff.
Next week I’ll blog from my notes, so many great things I look forward to sharing.
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Orange Tour in Dallas (actually Grapevine)
Posted on 17. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
Just curious who all is going to the Orange Tour in Dallas this week, particularly on Thursday. I’m bringing a team of 12 up on Wednesday night and I’m excited for my leaders to grow and learn from the Orange team. I know that Matt McKee is going to be there as well as Jonathan Cliff. What about you? If I haven’t gotten to meet you, I’d love to.
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Dallas Orange Tour
Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Kenny.
Orange Tour: Dallas from Andrew Winchell on Vimeo.
Don’t know if you heard, but I attended the Orange Tour event in Dallas last Thursday. 
It was incredible. Supposedly there were over 700 attendees. Seriously, would you expect any less of Texas. I’m just wondering when ReThink will come to their senses and just go ahead and do the Orange Conference out here. How’s that for a suggestion?
I’m not going to post a lot of my notes or anything. However, here is how I’ll describe the Orange Tour. It’s focused! It’s something that you can bring your entire team (and more) to that gets straight at the heart of the matter. The Orange Conference is incredible due to the variety of sources of information and the creativity and breath of knowledge, it’s a no-miss event. However, the Orange Tour focuses on the strategy specifically. Not sure you can get your pastor or some key leaders to the Orange Conference, then go to the Orange Conference with your team and take this key leader or your pastor to an Orange Tour event. You’ll get more mileage that way. However, the Orange Tour isn’t a substitute for the conference. It’s like comparing apples to oranges… or maybe smaller oranges with bigger oranges.
The thing I loved the most about the Orange Tour was how candid Reggie and Sue were. There were several point while listening to both of them that you could see their passion and heart bleeding for the cause of reaching families. Simply powerful, so motivating and encouraging. They’re not pushing a product (well, the do have a product, but that’s not what this was about). They were igniting a movement toward a new way of thinking.
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