Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Rockbridge Seminary - Just finishing up teaching “The Theology and Practice of Fellowship”

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on April 28, 2009
in B.E.L.O.N.G. and Street to the Seat
. 3 Comments

You’ve heard me share with great passion about Rockbridge Seminary.   Well, here I go again.

I have just finished teaching another semester for Rockbridge and the learning environment it creates for men and women around the world who desire a seminary education when they can not or do not desire to leave their ministry position to attend a traditional seminary is phenomenal.

I wished that you could read the Learning Assessments that I just read about how these students ranging in age for 25 to 65 are now implementing their learnings in the context of their local congregation.

In addition, since each student is working alongside a mentor within their local church environment, how much more rich that is for them.  They are learning online with students from all over the world while being mentored by a local pastor/minister all the while having some of the most knowledgeable persons in the their specific field of ministry facilitating the entire learning community.

I know what you are thinking… It’s just to good to be true… I can get my seminary education fully online while collaborating with men/women around the world from the comfort of my own home while sitting in my pajamas sipping a hot cup of coffee…. BUT, you can!

Try it for yourself… Tell them I sent you!

The backside of Easter

Published
by
Kerry Mackey
on April 25, 2009
in Communication and Community
. 0 Comments

long time… no talk…

The backside of Easter is always a busy time for us first impression and assimilation guys/gals.  All the hard work that is put into making the experience one that will break down all the barriers of someone who only attends a church once to twice a year is crucial.

The back end of the experience is just as crucial.  This year was a great year where I serve.  We saw 1275 families engage one of our campuses with 312 persons choosing to follow Jesus and 204 persons saying they desire to return to the teachings of Jesus.  Wow… Praise God for such a wonderful Easter experience…27,000 on one of our 5 campuses and 16,000 joining us online.

We have spent the the past two weeks being very intentional about how we follow up with our guests.

Here are a few things we’ve done that you might find helpful:

NewComer:

  • FREE CD at the Welcome Centers with a coupon for a FREE coffee and/or meal on us.
  • Email response w/n 24 hours of them completing a response card
  • Automated phone call from our executive pastor w/n 48 hours
  • Personal phone call from a ministry partner and/or pastor from the campus they attended w/n 72 hours
  • Letter in the mail from Senior Pastor w/n 3 days - specifically asking them to join us for the next weekends launch of a new series

New to Jesus

  • Email w/n 24 hours
  • Personal phone call from a ministry partner and/or pastor from the campus they attended w/n 72 hours
  • Letter in the mail from Director of Adult Ministries w/n 3 days - specifically asking them to join us for the next weekends launch of a new series AND to invite them to “New Beginnings” a class specifically designed for them to answer their questions and give them next steps.

Coming back to Jesus

  • Email w/n 24 hours
  • Personal phone call from a ministry partner and/or pastor from the campus they attended w/n 72 hours
  • Letter in the mail from Director of Adult Ministries w/n 3 days - specifically asking them to join us for the next weekends launch of a new series AND to invite them to “Foundations” a class specifically designed for them address the basics doctrines of the faith and give them next steps.

In addition, we have asked each of our campus teams to personally call these folks weekly for the first month just to check on them, see how they are doing, answer any questions, they may have, and encourage them to connect with us each week on some level… weekend service, life group, life study, etc…

Hope these few suggestions are helpful…