e training

2007 was a great year for our City Care Outreach. It is exciting to know that over a thousand Vineyard people helped us reach out to our community. This year we want to kick up our training to equip you to grow in confidence as you serve, and to help you reach out more effectively.

The e-training will help you:

• Gain an understanding of why we reach out the way we do.
• Grow your confidence to serve others in a positive upbeat way.
• Give you tips to share your story with another person.

We are offering a special learning opportunity. Our e:training workshop is Saturday, March 15th, starting @ 9am, ending @ 1pmish.

We’d like to see everyone who served in 2007 attend this training. I would encourage you to mark this date on your calendar and please make a special effort to attend.

We will be learning:

• Future / Past - Lessons Learned From Our Outreach History
• Servant Evangelism - Breaking Down Barriers, Building Bridges
• I’m Wondering?? - How To Ask Great Questions
• Walk Across the Room - How To Share Your Unique Story,
• The Good News Is Still The Good News - How To Introduce A Friend To Jesus Christ.

Serving you, Steve and the City Care Team
To register:
sign up in program or copy and paste link to nicole stubbs nstubbs@daytonvineyard.com

Kindness to go weekend

January is always a great month...I slow down and think, reflect, pray and plan for the year ahead.

We are keeping our outreach on ramps, just strengthening what is already in place, retooling 2nd Saturday, adding Vineyard on Main and helping Impact...Love In Action for Dayton's World Impact Tour.

We will begin to up our training this year planning a few exciting all church intensives.

The first intensive is March 15th 9am - 1pmish

Future Past Creating An Outward Focused Church Doug Roe

Good Deeds Creates Good Will That Opens Heart To The Good News Steve Bowen

Being Irresistible...I'm just wondering...Boy, I wish I said... Doug Pollock

Just walk across the room. What's your story morning glory? Steve Bowen

The Good News Is The Good News YWAM



Kindness to go

January is the kick off month so it's Give em the Bag!

What's in the bag?
I purchase the bags and the sparkle filler from American Paper and Plastics West Chester OH nice paper lined bags various colors. Sparkle filler that we place in the bag gives the bag some eye popping color, and buzz...we've discovered that people like to dig past the sparkle filler to see what items of interest are in the bag.

Items:
1 package of Grandmas Cookies
1 bag of peanuts
2 granola bars
2 rolls of lifesaver peppermints
1 peanut butter crackers
a sprinkling of peppermint round candy
1 box of Kleenex tissues
sparkle filler
1 connect card attached to the bag and 2 connect cards in the bag on top
1 instruction sheet for people doing the outreach.

Our Teens pack the bags the Wednesday night before a Kindness to Go! weekend. We always hear from someone who was on the receiving end.

During the weekend services we mention the outreach and encourage people to grab a bag along with some instructions as they leave the service. I usually plan for around 100 bags at the end of our 3 weekend services. Long Term Sowing. Bridge Building. People Equipping. Fun and Uplifting. Creative Sparking. Outoftheboxthinking.


This weekend is a Kindness to go weekend...We're doing the 'give them the bag' outreach. It's always fun to watch people as they realize it's a KTG weekend...Big smiles, some people usually new, pausing to read the instruction sheet then smile and grab a bag. Those in the know usually grab their KTG item on the way in to ensure they are locked and loaded for the outreach.

Behind the scenes:6 to 10 hrs.
Steve: orders the items from Sam's Club online.
Steve: drives to Sam's picks up items
Steve and Nicole: Unload items and prepares for packing
Chris and Teens: Set up tables, packs bags, staple card on bag and place bags in safe secure room
Steve: Goes through bags, fills any light bags, puts iridescent film into bag and places two connect cards in bag.
Nicole: prints out Instruction sheet and has them photo copied enough for every bag
Steve and Nichole: Place bags on Kindness to go cart and in wagon for each of the 3 services

Church: grabs bags and goes out into the community to do outreach on weekend or through the week.

Here is the instruction sheet information.
Kindness to Go! Ok, How’s does it work?

It’s simple:
Step one: Grab a bag
Step two: Transport the bag to your favorite restaurant, after or before the meal hand the bag to the person serving. Say, ‘This is a small gift for you and your team.’
key… tip big and smile.
Or
Step one: Grab a bag
Step two: Take it with you the next time you go grocery shopping, put the bag at the end of your shopping for the person checking.
Or
Step one: Grab a couple of bags
Step two: Take the bags to your local police station, fire station, emergency room or post office. Say, ‘Just thinking about you this time of year.’

When asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ Reply, ‘Just showing you God’s love in a practical way.
Or
Be creative...choose your place, smile and have some fun!

Down On Main Street

great day today ... Down on Main St.

people buzzing with the cooked breakfast...eggs, bacon, biscuits, sausage...better than Waffle House....we offer groceries and prayer...today a special breakfast...great to meet some of the people and establish relationships...Fred who is slightly disabled...a gentle heart...and a gentile man...Bob who is 63 who is retired due to kidney failure...a violinist...a choir director who is still sharp...hopeful...a nurse who came by for breakfast who has a sharp bro who is gettin his stuff together...all receiving care, prayer and acceptance...all because we choose to be down on Main St.

Panic Attack

PANIC ATTACK

What is the worst case scenario for a public speaker?...a panic attack when standing in front of people...

This happens to me from time to time...the last one was a year ago doing the announcements...yesterday it happened again...during the announcements stuttering, mind freeze, heart racing, mouth dry... I made it through but i was a wreck on the inside...o by the way it happened in front of Doug my leader...big fun

... Looking back I realize what was going on...I have a cold and tried a cold medicine...on top of that I drank a cup of coffee dark roast just to kick me into gear...I didn't eat anything for breakfast..

It was a stressful day...I had to put out a lot of fires before getting up to read the script...like leaving to pick up batteries, a mike not working, answering peoples stressful questions, Our first shot at multi site service where Doug drives to downtown in 15 minutes to speak between services at Beavercreek...hoping he arrives on time...etc.

The last time this happened I tried a cold med...ummm a link? I had to press through the emotions and decide it's not who I am all the time...Having a set Script seems also to be a trigger...

a few years ago I was encouraged to not be note bound just sync around bullet points... tell stories.

In fact the last two times I spoke I was on form...like last weekend I spoke on Outward Focused Vision, I had great flow, and what I said moved people hearts.

So...I'm now when having to speak I'm going to forgo the coffee, cold meds or other medicines, eat a normal breakfast and pray more to prepare...

I'm grateful for being in a place where my failures don't decide my future...

My friends all tell me I'm too hard on myself...perhaps they are right...In any case everyday is a new day with fresh opportunities to press ahead.



I'd encourage you to listen to this new series by Doug Roe...A right on stimulating series. go to itunes for podcast or click below for Revving up your New Year Part 1: Making Life Great in 2008

2008

fast year 2007...life in the fast lane makes time fly...

lot's of great things in 2007 Frozen Easter Egg Hunt....burr...now a tribal story...I was there when...

D-16 youth internship off the chart with 16 teens doin the stuff weekly

Community FunFests people playing in the game consistently over the summer season reaching low income communities...at the Air Force housing a mom saw the party...just saw...just thought who would do this for us...now at the Vineyard...

Water Everywhere...new format produced great participation...BBQ then go downtown...thousands of bottles out...many great conversations...

Back to School Backpacks begins the August through December Outflow running as fast as I can season...This year we were presented with Community Service Award from the Trottwood area schools

Main Street Campus Given to the Vineyard...perhaps a new idea for suburb chrches establishing beachheads in the inner city...2008 will see us developing on ramps for suburb people into the inner city...

FunFest 5...what can I say but high energy...5k people showing up...Ferris Wheel a huge hit...

Turkeys Giving Away Turkeys...a new format released 400 turkey surprise dinners into 4 different areas of our community...350 people played in the game...

Thanksgiving Offering...second year people bringing food, and cash to help the less served in Southern Ohio...road trip always upbeat...this year the truck broke down...more excitement

Making Christmas Dreams Come True...again an off the chart event for 1400 people who attended and 400 Vineyard people serving...many stories...

7 Christmas Eve Services...hundreds of people hearing the good news...

This was the year people gave us stuff, more stuff than we could believe...a building, a coffee bar, now funds for a new truck...our old truck...drivers door doesn't work, no life gate, it changes oil and antifreeze daily...a new truck will help greatly...

Personal... Thinking forward and the areas I want to see God have more control over in 2008 (listen to John Ward's Vineyard message Big God)

Faith...I want to grow in faith... more importantly in my relationship with God this year...means more scheduling to wait, worship, and welcome Him

Family...Consistently seeing family ties strengthened

Future...Looking for my future track to begin to develop in 2008...I have a desire to help other churches develop outwardness...perhaps my 30 years playing in the game might open some doors the help motivate other young pastors. Maybe write a book...titled Google Out Google In...visionary lessons in leadership

Finances...Believing for our personal debt would be wiped out this year we are making good progress

Favor...One constant, consistent prayer point...God gives favor...favor is worth more than gold...We've been asking for God to give us favor and increase His blessing on our lives...