Playbook for
Meet the Pastor Ministry Team
Updated: 1/17/14
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Meet the Pastor Ministry Team Quick Reference Page This page is a Quick Reference Guide only. Please read the rest of the Playbook and then refer to the information on this page as necessary.
How I Can Make Sure Every Sunday is a WIN
If each week, the guests who want to meet Pastor Mike do not walk away. (see p. 3)
The Leader
Robin Newton is the leader of this Ministry Team. Her cell is 281-460-8708 and her email is
[email protected]. (see p. 3)
The Schedule
The current scheduling for this ministry is to serve every week you are present at church. (see p. 3)
What do I do if I can’t be there?
First, try to get someone on the roster to cover your spot. If you can’t find someone, notify Robin Newton by email by Thursday of the previous week. She needs to make sure that every service is covered. (see p. 3)
The Procedure
To be at the Guest Table with Pastor Mike and engage people in conversation until they can be introduced to Pastor Mike. This can be done by handing guests the free gifts (currently a coffee tumbler and free book) and using a casual conversation starter as explained in this manual. (see p. 4) Cue to leave the service Your cue to leave the service to head to the foyer is AFTER the sermon & final song, when the host says “Ushers, please come forward to receive the offering”. (see p. 4) Where do I stand? In the foyer, have at least 2 mugs and 2 books in your hand. While Mike is talking with a guest near the table, you need to stand near him (& Amy), but in front of him to engage guests in conversation so that they don’t leave. See the diagram below of where this occurs: (see below & p. 4) Gift Table
Pastor Mike
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Restocking the Table When guests stop coming, please restock the table for the next service. The supplies are underneath the table. Put 48 mugs and 48 books on the table, arranged according to this manual. (see p. 5)
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Meet the Pastor Ministry Team Playbook This Playbook is a resource for all Parkway Fellowship campuses. It is meant to be an instruction manual for the Meet the Pastor Ministry Team. Should you have any specific questions not covered by this Playbook, please contact the pastor responsible for Adult Ministries at your campus.
How Can I Make Sure Every Sunday is a WIN?
If each week, the guests who want to meet the pastor do not walk away. How does this ministry “reach the lost at any cost and grow them to maturity”? (our Mission Statement) When we help guests have a good first experience, they are much more likely to come back and perhaps accept Christ for the first time or grow in their walk with Christ if they already have one. But if their last experience on the Sunday they visit ends on a negative note by not being able to greet the pastor if they want to, they are much less likely to come back. But when we give them a free gift and make sure they meet the pastor, then that sends a message that they are important to us and that we really appreciate that they came. At that point, we greatly increase the likelihood that they will come back and that they will start or deepen their relationship with Christ. Which of the 5 Biblical purposes does this ministry fulfill? This ministry is both Fellowship & Evangelism. It’s Fellowship because the people coming to meet the pastor get a chance to form at least an initial relationship with the pastor. It makes them feel more connected. This ministry is also Evangelism because if the person that meets the pastor is lost, then it increases the likelihood that they will come back if they end on a positive note and if they have a connection with the pastor. If they come back, then perhaps they will accept Christ.
The Leader
Robin Newton is the leader of this Ministry Team. Her cell is 281-460-8708 and her email is
[email protected] Can I be part of this ministry before I become a member? Yes. Who is the pastor ultimately responsible for this ministry? Pastor Mike.
The Schedule The current scheduling for this ministry is to serve every week you are present at church. What am I committing to?
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You are committing to serve for 15-17 minutes right after the service you attend each week you are at The Park. How long is this going to take me every week? The time commitment is to serve right after the service you attend each week. You will arrive at the table approx 2 mins before the service officially lets out and will stay until no more visitors are coming to see Pastor Mike. This is approximately 10-12 minutes. It will take another 3 minutes to stock the table after you stop greeting guests. The total time commitment is approximately 15-17 minutes per week. There are no obligations during the week.
What do I do if I can’t be there?
First, try to get someone on the roster to cover your spot. A roster will be emailed to you once you join this ministry. If you can’t find someone, notify Robin Newton by email by Thursday of the previous week. She needs to make sure that every service is covered.
The Procedure
What do I do? To be at the Guest Table with Pastor Mike and engage people in conversation until they can be introduced to Pastor Mike. This can be done by handing guests the free gifts (currently a coffee tumbler and free book) and using a casual conversation starter. A casual conversation starter could include: “How did you find out about our church?” “Do you live nearby?” “Have you just moved or have you been in this community for a while?” Continue to make casual conversation until it’s time to introduce them to Pastor Mike. **Always start with “Is this your first time to come to Parkway Fellowship?” It might seem elementary, but you’d be surprised at the number of people that come up to talk with Pastor Mike and they aren’t first time guests. If they say this is their second or third time, then ask them, “Did you get a free gift when you first came?” If not, give them one and introduce them to Pastor Mike when he’s free. Names Please learn someone’s first name so that when it’s time to meet Pastor Mike you can say, “Pastor Mike, I’d like for you to meet Jeff and his wife Robin.” It’s harder to do than you think, but if you focus and try to repeat their name in your casual conversation, then you can do it. This is the kind of thing that makes a real impression on guests. It communicates to them that we think they are important enough to learn their name.
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Cue to leave the service Your cue to leave the service to head to the foyer is AFTER the sermon & final song, when the host says “Ushers, please come forward to receive the offering”. We only want to create one moment when people are moving around—it’s less distracting. So be sure to wait until the host calls for the ushers. This is also the time when Pastor Mike leaves the stage to head out to the foyer. Where do I stand? In the foyer, have at least 2 mugs and 2 books in your hand. While Mike is talking with a guest near the table, you need to stand near him (& Amy), but in front of him to engage guests in conversation so that they don’t leave. See the diagram below of where this occurs:
Gift Table
Pastor Mike
Stand HERE
Foyer
Personal Appearance Because this ministry interacts primarily with first time guest, appearance does make an impression. The attire should be a nice casual. Nice jeans, nice shirt, skirts are all acceptable. Shorts or T-shirts (unless it’s a Parkway T-shirt) would not be appropriate. Just dress nicely, but not too formal because we don’t want to make guests feel uncomfortable. Please smile. A lot! This makes people feel welcomed and that you are happy to see them. Additionally, please make sure your breath is fresh. Use a mint provided in one of the bathrooms or bring some mints or gum of your own. But please make sure your breath is fresh. How do I handle members or regular attenders who want to talk to Pastor Mike? There is almost always some member who wants to talk to Pastor Mike about something. If you find those people in the line, politely ask them, “Would you mind waiting a few minutes until he finishes 7
greeting guests, because I know he’d love to talk to you?” Kindly motion them to out of line to the side so they can wait. Restocking the Table When guests stop coming, please restock the table for the next service. The supplies are underneath the table. Put 48 tumblers and 48 books on the table, arranged neatly. We chose 48 because the books come in a pack of six, so it’s easier that way. Place the books in 8 stacks of 6 arranged in a fan (see picture). Place the tumblers in 4 rows on each side of the plant with 6 tumblers in each row with the logo facing the front. When you open the last case of tumblers or the last case of books, please let Robin Newton know so she can arrange for more supplies to be ordered. If you need more supplies on Sunday morning and there are none under the table, there should be other boxes of books and mugs under the gift tables by the exits.
How do I order more supplies? When you open the last case of tumblers or the last case of books, please let Robin Newton know and she will order more supplies by contacting Pastor Mike or Pastor Adam. If Robin is unreachable, please let Pastor Mike or Pastor Adam know. Currently the books are ordered from Amazon.com in a 6 pack and the tumblers are ordered from Seacoast graphics. What supplies should always be available?
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Tumblers, books, and a pair of scissors to help open the packaging. The books are kept in a plastic tub underneath the gift table and the scissors are also in that box. The tumbler is a stainless steel coffee tumbler with a no-spill lid and Parkway Fellowship logo on the front. The book is “How Good is Good Enough” by Andy Stanley. The book is essentially about how good to you have to be to get to heaven. The answer is “You can’t be good enough. The only way to get to heaven is through Christ.” If you haven’t read the book, please pick up your free copy and read it.
What if people want another mug or book? Let them have it!. We want them to know that the church isn’t “on the take”, the church is “on the give.” We want to convey generosity whenever we can.
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