Hear “VELCRO Church” Author Live

KBREA has invited Mike James, coauthor of  V.E.L.C.R.O. Church, to share during a live web conference on Thursday, March 10, 10:30-Noon Eastern time. Mike will share practical and biblical ideas for addressing a real problem in most churches: opening the front door and closing the back door. How do we reach out and connect with guests and new members while maintaining strong relationships with faithful members? It is difficult to impossible to disciple people who are not connected!

Here are the chapter titles in the anagram VELCRO from the book title:

  • Valuing every person as a gift from God
  • Engaging every guest with intentionality
  • Leading our friends to Christ
  • Connecting to community
  • Recognizing relationships as key to assimilation
  • Organizing small groups for ongoing care.

The live web conference will be simulcast to three locations around Kentucky:

  • Kentucky Baptist Convention, 13420 Eastpoint Centre Dr, Louisville
  • Versailles Baptist Church, 125 Green St E, Versailles
  • Eastwood Baptist Church, 500 Eastwood Dr, Bowling Green.

Each of the three local groups will plan to fellowship over a dutch treat meal following the simulcast. Plan to join the group closest to you. Books will be available for purchase at each location for $7 (bring a check or exact change if possible).

This is the kind of a book after reading that would help a team develop a plan for greater effectiveness and fruitfulness.  Gather a team. Work on implementing the strategy a step at a time. If your team needs help, don’t be afraid to ask another church, pastor, association, state convention, or even Mike James.

Begin in prayer. Velcro your guests, new members, and faithful members. Make disciples. For more assimilation ideas, check out these blog posts:

2 Comments

  1. Daniel Edmonds, a peer in Alabama, gives this ministry advice:

    Start small.
    Do it right.
    Build it strong.

    I have two oversimplified suggestions for following Daniel’s advice. First, start mentoring, either one-on-one or in a small D-group (disciple-making group). Invite those who are willing to be discipled and then to take that experience and invest it in others. Think in terms of Paul and Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2). Then coach those leaders as they start their own mentoring or D-groups. See a previous post for materials which may be useful for mentoring relationships.

    Second, task one or more current ministries with disciple-making. You clearly illustrated diverse opportunities, but what if disciple-making were given to Sunday School or given to men’s and women’s ministry? What if they received training? What if they were challenged to start small? What if a few tried it and experienced success? One way to achieve this would be to ask for the assigned ministry to enlist an energetic, passionate individual to lead the charge. What if we called this person, the Lead Encourager? And what if he/she leads each group in the assigned ministry to enlist and train a Group Encourager. And what if Group Encouragers then do mentoring or start D-groups? See Robby Gallaty’s book, Growing Up, for ideas about D-groups.

    Either of these suggestions could address teens, young adults, adults, or senior adults. They would naturally lead participants to infuse practical application into gathering and living.

  2. Daryl since becoming a deacon at FBC Shelbyville I have wondered how to offer discipleship opportunities. I am wondering how to implement discipleship into a church with many Bible studies going in SS and women’s ministry. Guys need ways to do hands on ministries and mentors. Young adults need fellowship and ideas for following Christ in marriage, family and career. Could you suggest any ideas for us. This study of Velcro looks good. Thanks Jerry Tracy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.