Kearning is very important. More about logo design.

May 29, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

If you were to speak with anyone that knows me pretty well, they would probably tell you that I strive for excellence and am very particular about how things look, almost to the point of annoyance. Currently I have a design contest running for a NextGen logo. With hundreds of designs being submitted, I am sometimes shocked and even taken back to see what some people would submit. At the very least, let’s get the kearning right. So, what is kearning? I’m so glad you asked and yes it is very important with any design. It’s a fancy word for appropriate spacing.

Did you know GOOGLE changed it’s logo this past weekend, and you didn’t even notice? Not until now.

When you are branding or coming up with a new logo get all the feedback that you can. Email it out, print it and hang it up in your program/office space, ask people both inside and outside the church to vote on a few different options.

Your sign to get a new sign.

April 29, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

If it’s not simple.
If it’s not short.
If it’s not synchronized.

SIMPLE – If you are running a program or ministry project that requires signs, directions, or logos, you want people to read it and read it correctly, right? So keep it simple, make sure it’s legible and not too crazy with unnecessary fluff. Remember, simple is clean, clean is attractive.

SHORT – I just finished visiting a church and walked through a 12,000 sq. ft. space of a church lobby. There was only ONE word on the giant wall as people left the auditorium. “CONNECTIONS” Simply one word says it all. There is not a question in anyone’s mind about where to go to get further connected to what is going on in that church. The more words, artwork, phrases, pictures, random, useless, meaningless…well you get the idea, people stop reading or lose interest. Keep it short. Whatever you desire to have the most attention in your space dial it down to one or two words.

SYNCHRONIZED – You might have the coolest sign ever, but if it doesn’t match anything else in the church you are sticking out like a sore thumb in a bad way. Figure out your churches style and fit into it, if you don’t like the style or the style is too outdated, sketch up some proposals and get some feedback before purchasing that big sign or multiple signs for your space.

Here is what I did with our student space at our church to communicate to the general public where students hang out on Sundays and the program times we offer.

If you are coming from the visitor parking lot and don’t see the doors, at least the 8ft. tall word STUDENTS will give it away.

Good signage following these three rules does not cost your church an arm and a leg, it just takes some brainstorming, creativity, and agreeing on next steps. The paint on the building and vinyl work on the doors gets complimented every other week. People share how helpful the signage was in directing them. It only cost a few hundred bucks, 3 sit down meetings and roughly 4 email threads. Small investments of budget and time can make a huge difference and leave a big impression to those visiting for the first time.

Challenge: Don’t pick up the microphone.

April 14, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

Last night for our high school programming was a first for me and my volunteer team. It was a regularly scheduled program for our HS students: dinner together, large group game, announcements, teaching, worship, small groups. For many it was just another night… but not for me.

On top of two middle school programs and a mission trips training, I was pretty spent. Here’s the cool part, I never picked up a microphone, clicked a button, or flipped a light switch for last night’s program. How? I empowered my leaders, volunteers and students. And it went much better than if I would have tried to pull it off on my own.

Our food coordinators had a new batch of volunteers they were training, my only part-time staff took care of the speaking part, I had a senior high school guy that’s been itching for leadership take care of announcements and the game (he did a fantastic job!), and all our small group leaders were connecting with students. What did that leave me with? The guest group! Simply sitting down and enjoying some cookie cake with two new students. It allowed me to give all my attention and energy to them. They said that they loved our hangout and were excited to get involved, taking the next step of attending a small group after Easter.

To build a team you must give away your leadership to others. You would be surprised at what could happen if you accept this challenge at one of your next programs: don’t pick up the microphone.

Try it out and let me know how it goes!

Let them lead, it’ your missing puzzle piece.

March 27, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

I strongly believe that I lead where I do today because someone let me lead way back when. If you don’t have students leading in your ministry or another ministry in your church–it’s the missing puzzle piece.

One of my first leading experiences was to help lead a team of 3 other students as we did backyard bible clubs for kids in neighborhoods around our church. This leading experience had its ups and downs, but I was learning and someone entrusted that leadership to me. I was a freshman in high school.

I know that one of the best ways to get our students involved, engaged and keep them connected to the church is through serving and leading opportunities. These students are the future leaders, volunteers, and staff of our church. How will you empower them? What kind of opportunities will you give them? What kind of risks are you willing to take?

Let them lead.

Leading your leaders.

March 27, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

Perhaps the best thing you can do for your students is understand that you simply cannot lead them all. Whether your youth group size is 30 or 300, you need to inherit this mindset if you don’t already have it. An authentic relationship is hardly possible with 30, let alone 300.

Do you want to offer the very best to the students and make sure they are connected to great leadership? The answer isn’t you, at least not for all of them. Offer the best through your leaders. Recruit them. Develop them. Get them connected to students. Focus your leadership on the leaders, in turn you will multiply your leadership beyond what you could have ever offered students on your own.

If it weren’t for the 35-40 leaders that were investing into our students, the students would not be truly connected to the church body… they would be connected to just a building, just a program, just another student function.

My goal is to get a Christ-following adult into the life of every student that walks through that door, and I have to be okay with it not being me… but only because I recruited, developed and am in touch with those that are leading the students.

Naming your ministry…

March 26, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

Starting a ministry? Did you change the name of your ministry? Do you want to?

Ministry names are important. A ministry name will even identify you as a ministry leader alongside your ministry, both your successes and your failures. There is so much that can be communicated in a mere word. This word isn’t the only thing that will define your program or ministry but it will be used a whole heck of a lot.

My current situation is unique in that I inherited a ministry with a particular name, but it’s not sticking. Sure, that’s partially my own fault and I will take the brunt of that. I don’t call the ministry what it used to be called but also don’t make a big deal out of calling it something new. I simply didn’t want my current ministry to be tied to something of the past. We operate and function in a different way now and I don’t want the current ministry to be confused with the way things used to be.

I think the idea of naming my ministry something new is furthest from importance right now, we are still trying to learn process, programs and procedures. Sometimes it is easier to name or re-name a ministry once it really starts establishing itself rather than putting a name to something that doesn’t really exist yet.

Let your passion, desires and goals drive you to a name…don’t let just a cool or catchy name drive you to your passion or the kind of ministry you desire for yourself and others.

XP3 – Free 3 week series!

March 17, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

One of the first questions I get when hanging out with another student pastor is, “What curriculum do you use?” I have gone a few different routes in the past, but have been using XP3 for about a year now. Here’s what I love most…they give you EVERYTHING you would ever need for a series and then some more. For every series you get small group questions, large group manuscript, access to bumper videos, logos, leader email templates, etc. The content seems to always be relevant, I take the manuscript and make it my own. XP3 gives both the young and well seasoned youth pastor a great platform to engage students with God’s word.

Take a quick look at this for your group, and try a free 3 week series!

The guest group. WIN! WIN! WIN!

March 14, 2014 by Chris Parker 6 Comments

The picture you see here was our guest group last week. At our program we always start as a large group and then break out into small groups.

When everyone breaks for small groups, we invite all guests and the friend that brought them to hang around for the guest group. We make it special, offering ice cream… what would you do for a Klondike bar? Go to guest group!

After the guest attends the guest group at least twice, and they want to continue showing up to the program, I transition them into a small group. This will eliminate those who just visit once or are unsure if they want to participate in your church program. It is difficult for the small group leaders to gain traction when new students are popping in all the time. Here’s the other really cool part, I encourage the student pastor to host the guest group. I get to meet every student that comes through the door this way, they hear our vision for them being here, and they don’t feel invisible or glanced over! WIN! WIN! WIN!

I host the guest group in the large group space. This eliminates transition time or having your guest adjust to another room or setting. Asking easy generic questions is the way to go. Keep things surface level, share the vision of your ministry and what you hope to offer them, perhaps ask one or two questions pertaining to the message.

What do you offer your guests?

Small effort, BIG difference!

March 11, 2014 by Chris Parker 1 Comment

Since moving into our home, there has been multiple things that have needed attention. Everything from painting rooms to replacing doors. Recently an arborist stopped by my house and informed me that the giant oak trees in both the front and backyard needed trimming. He quoted us $2,000 for the process, and said that was on the cheap side.

If you didn’t know it, I’m a do it yourself kind of person. Pruning all these trees by myself would have taken me 3-4 weeks by myself. So, I took matters into my own hands but decided not to do it alone. I called down a list of friends, bought a pole saw, and put some BBQ on the grill.

With the help of friends we knocked out the pruning in a couple of hours. There were ladders and pole saws everywhere, chain saws whizzing through thick limbs, and delicious BBQ for the finale!

Inviting others into your process is a small effort but can make a BIG difference. How can you invite others into your current ministry dilemma to help make that big difference you want to see?

Be a master storyteller.

March 10, 2014 by Chris Parker 1 Comment

When looking for a guest speaker or even brewing up a message of my own to deliver, I always ask myself… is this a good story? I’m not talking about the scripture or the personal application part. I’m merely talking about capturing your audience with a story.

As I observe students and their attentiveness to the person speaking they are either dialed in listening or dialing someone on their phone, or texting or just zoned out. As one of my professors said in college, “It is a sin to bore someone with the Word of God.”

So, why is it the speakers fault if the audience isn’t engaging? You haven’t captured their attention. You aren’t talking “studentnese”, you aren’t sharing a story that is relevant to their current world, you simply aren’t making them smile or laugh.

Jesus was the master storyteller. Many times before referring to any scripture at all, Jesus would share a story with his audience. His stories varied from family affairs, to robberies, painting pictures of grand parties, etc. He knew what his audience was used to seeing and hearing. He leveraged that to capture an audience so that they may hear truth.

Here’s my biggest piece of advice though, never make your story more important than the biblical truth. Never minimize what you are really trying to get across because your story is so cool. You should be just as excited if not more excited to share what is in the Bible and what it means to the listener than your hook.

The best book I’ve read on this subject and I would highly recommend is “Communicating for a Change” by Andy Stanley.