July 2005

Featured Event Idea - Independence Day Rocks!

Real Stories - Case Study- "Saturday Superbowl Breakfast" Calvary Baptist: Turlock, CA

Performer Profile - Featuring Pete McLeod

Special Promotions - 500 FREE Impact Cards

Effective Resources - Event Planning Guide

Event Planning Tip of the Month - Effective Visitor Follow-Up

News & Updates - Team & Performer News

Joke of the Month - Featuring Pete McLeod

Independence Day Rocks!

Fact

Congress first authorized the United States Flag on June 14, 1777, the day we currently celebrate Flag Day in America. This date is also significant in that it qualifies our flag as the third oldest of the National Standards of the world-even older than Britain’s Union Jack!

The individual stars depicting the states represent the power of our Federal Constitution, which reserves to the States their individual sovereignty, except as to rights delegated by them to the Federal Government.

Indepedence day falls on Monday, July 4th this year. Below are a few ways for you to make your 4th of July rock.

Ideas

Fireworks. Kids. Parades. Ice cream-some words just belong together. The Fourth of July is a day for family fun. Whether you're taking a trip or looking for fireworks close to home, here's a sample of festivities across the nation:

Philadelphia; Sunoco Welcome America! Festival
The Sunoco Welcome America! Festival runs June 26 through July 4th 2005, with parade, concerts, fireworks, barbeque, Opera on the Square, Kids Day at Penn's Landing, afternoon Dance Party-- check web site for schedule.

Fourth of July in New York City
NYC's Great July 4th Festival has entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts, fireworks; admission is free. Location is Water Street between State and Fulton Streets. See also, at link above, info on other celebrations in NYC.

Macy's Fireworks
"The world's largest fireworks display." For info, call Macy's Hotline at 212-494-4495.

Boston's Fourth of July
"America's Biggest Independence Day Party" takes place on the Esplanade with plenty of fireworks.

Baltimore's Fourth of July Celebration
Baltimore's Inner Harbor is where to be: check the Calendar for entertainment throughout the day, culminating in fireworks.

Connecticut Fourth of July Events
Click on Events and select month for parades, fireworks, etc. Mystic Seaport, for ex., has an 1870s Fourth of July.

Washington, DC: Fourth of July
Fireworks on the National Mall; "A Capital Fourth", a free concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. At the National Archives: dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, extended hours until midnight at the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom with entertainment and free family activities. A highlight in DC is the National Independence Day Parade.

Fourth of July in Colonial Williamsburg
This has to be a great place to be on the Fourth. Colonial Williamsburg is living history: real-life actors in the streets and in historic houses bring to life the days before the American Revolution. July Fourth brings fireworks, of course, and also the chance to ask a few questions -- ask Thomas Jefferson or Patrick Henry, that is.

Fourth of July in Orlando
Expect great fireworks in this town! Find fireworks and celebrations at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, more.

Fourth of July - Amelia Island, Florida
Some resorts go all-out for July 4th festivities, and at the Ritz-Carleton on Amelia Island (northern Florida), this is definitely the case.

Miami Beach 4th of July
The City of Miami Beach has a "naturalization of newest citizens" ceremony -- foreign-born kids adopted into American families-- followed by a free concert and fireworks. Phone 305-673-7400.
nix Fireworks
Los Angeles: Top Fireworks for Fourth of July
Top 10 Fireworks in LA County; most venues have activities all day.

San Francisco 4th of July
The Fourth of July Waterfront Festival takes place at the popular tourist complex that includes Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, the Cannery, and Ghirardelli Square. Free family fun, bands, street performers, marionettes, face-painting, and (do we need to say it?) fireworks.

Seattle: Fourth of Jul-Ivars
Ivars is a big name in Seattle for its seafood restaurants. 40 years ago, founder Ivar Haglund was asked to put on a fireworks show for the city. The fireworks have gone off year after year, plus music, kids' activities, food and more.

Also in Seattle: Family Fourth of July
Lake Union fireworks extravaganza, and Tacoma's Fourth of July Freedom Fair.

Still looking for more ideas? Check your local visitors bureau for more information.

Case Study:

"Saturday Superbowl Breakfast"

Event Basics

Customer Interviewed: Pastor Russell “Rusty” Lyon

Organization Name: Calvary Baptist Church, Turlock, CA

Event Name: Saturday Super Bowl Breakfast; Sunday Super Bowl Sunday service

Event Type: Men’s Breakfast on Saturday; Outreach Worship Service on Sunday

Event Dates & Time: February 5th & 6th

Event Location: Turlock, CA.  Rented hall on Saturday morning; worship center on Sunday AM

Attendee Type: Men on Saturday; everyone on Sunday AM

Price per Attendee: Free will offering on Saturday; we placed costs for most of it in the outreach budget from the church.

Total Attendees: 50 on Saturday morning breakfast; 200+ on Sunday AM

Behind the Scenes Efforts

Publicity Tools Used:
Mostly word of mouth; flyers; local Turlock Xtn radio station

Tickets:
Free tickets were printed in advance. Printed tickets helped associate an added value to the event.

About the Event

Event Purpose:
Evangelism and outreach

Event Content Included:
Saturday breakfast; food and fixins.  Warm welcome. Door prizes.  Gifts.  Then Thor Ramsey came and extended his ministry.

Decorations: 
None.

 About the Comedy Performance

Performer: Thor Ramsey

Type: Comedian

Response to Performer:
On Saturday morning, the breakfast went from 7:30-9:00 AM.  I didn’t know how men would respond comically on a Saturday morning early.  But Thor really captured their attention with his humor, and the guys really laughed hard despite the earlier time frame. Because of the good connection on Saturday morning, the guys were really looking forward to Sunday morning the next day!  They could bring their families.  People really responded well on the Sunday morning event. Thor gave an invitation after his presentation that morning, and one person did make a commitment to Jesus Christ.

Results

Total Visitors:
Over half of the men who attended on Saturday morning were guests, about 25.  On Sunday morning, 10 or so.

Overall Response to the Entire Event:
Both events were incredibly good.  We wanted to have a “relational evangelism” event where the Gospel was presented, but not in heavy-handed or a guilt laden fashion. I felt we were able to accomplish that objective and yet demonstrate some spiritual fruit from it!

New Attendees Retained:
That’s hard to read.  Some of the men who attended that Saturday morning were already considering coming to Calvary Baptist and since that time some have made Calvary their home. The event with Thor certainly helped us create an environment where people could say, “I’d like to check that church out… if they do something like this maybe it’s a good church.”

Additional Comments

Biggest Concerns Heading into the Event:
Could we afford it, being a smaller church.  Thor really worked with us to make it happen.

How This Compares with Past Events:
We had the privilege of using Scott Wood some time earlier, and Thor’s ministry was on equal par with Scott Wood.  Both of them are incredible Christian communicators, using humor to have people begin to think about Jesus Christ. 

Would You Do This Event Again?
Absolutely!  I’m sure that we will!

What Would You Do Differently Next Time?
I think we’d keep the same approach.

What Would You Say to People Planning a Similar Event?
It will be worth the effort to make it happen. You will not probably have laughed so hard in all your life, and yet, a sure taste of Jesus and the Gospel will be left behind for all who come.

Pete McLeod

Where are you from, and what was it like growing up there?
I was born (twice) in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  My parents and my two sisters lived on a quiet lake for much of my life. Some of my greatest memories were spent swimming in the summer and ice-skating in the winter.  It was a fabulous place to grow up.

When and how did you become interested in being a comedian?
Genetics play a huge part in who I am and what I do.  My mother was a very gregarious person who was a terrific storyteller.  My dad has a fabulous sense of humor… perfect comedic timing… so I certainly came by it naturally.  I just sort of see life in a comedic way.  When I think about the Bible analogy of being “members of the body of Christ”…I’ve thought that I am probably “the funny bone”.

How did you become a Christian?
There is no doubt in my mind that God was wooing me my entire life.  His spirit was softening my heart and drawing me to Him. I was 18 yrs. old , when I met a man that spoke to me about Jesus in a way I had never heard before.  He was so full of joy and confidence in his relationship with Jesus, that I prayed for the first time and said,'God, I want to have what he has.' And, God answered that simple, humble prayer. My life has never been the same since.  In actuality, that is when my life began!

How do you see the Lord impacting your comedy?
This might sound like a punch line, but seriously it is the laughter of the audience. To see people genuinely having a good time, see the stress lifted and to watch them laughing and enjoying themselves…is truly rewarding.

What are some of your current career struggles and triumphs?
An on going challenge for me is BALANCE.  Trying to know how much to work, play, worship, and relax without overdoing any one of those areas.

Where do you see your self in ten years?
If Jesus hasn’t returned, I see myself continuing to hone my craft and continue sharing the Good News of Jesus’ love through music, magic, and merriment!

What is your favorite Bible verse?
Without a doubt- Romans 8:38,39 is my favorite passage.  To me, it says it all.  God through Jesus has shown us that He absolutely, positively loves us!  And that His love is deeper, higher, and wider than any of us could possibly imagine. His love is the greatest reality!

What's you're all-time favorite gig?
That is such a difficult question. I thoroughly enjoy family audiences and yet all children or all adult audiences are equally fun-just in different ways.  I feel blessed to be able to perform for such wide age ranges.

Anything else?
This may sound like a broken record (or, to be more current, a broken IPOD) but I feel so incredibly honored to be able to go to churches all over the country and be a part of their outreach ministry.  To know that there are people in the audience that may have NEVER been inside a church, but they are coming to see a comedian-is an honor.  And, I don’t take this responsibility lightly. My constant prayer is that Jesus will shine through me in each and every one of my performances and that people might see what He has done in my life… and that they will realize He can do the same for them!

Monthly Website Promotion

When you schedule an Outreach Comedy Event* through July 31st , 2005 ask to receive your 500 FREE Impact Cards


*Booking minimum $1,000 required. Offer good on new Events only. Offer good through July 31st, 2005. Not valid with any other offer. Must mention offer to Event Coordinator at time of first contact. Promotion and prizes sponsored by Outreach Comedy.

Event Planning Guide!

Features:

-3 Ring Binder. 96 pages.

-1 CD ROM with worksheets and forms.

The Event Planning Guide gives your everything you need to organize an effective Outreach Event. Based on the 3 P's of Event planning: Pray, Plan and Promote, the 96-page guide features planning schedules, discussion guides, budget and fundraising ideas, preparation checklists, follow-up guidelines and more! If you find this eNewsletter helpful, you'll LOVE the Event Planning Guide!

Yours FREE* when you book an Outreach Event, or $24.99 from the Outreach Catalog. Call 800-991-6011 to order it directly!

*Limit one per customer.

Effective Visitor Follow-Up

Use your registrations, contact cards or door prize entries to follow-up with your guests within 2 weeks of your Event. Personally mail, email, call or visit your guests. The personal touch is what counts here - guests look for personal connections in a church they'll eventually call home. Recruit volunteers to lighten the volume, or match cards up with appropriate ministries for personal follow-up.

• Welcome: Let your guests know that you're glad they could come. Make a personal connection if possible. If calling or visiting, ask if they were able to meet anyone from the church.
• Information: Inform them of ministries, Events, or other information they might find interesting. If calling of visiting, ask if they have any questions about the church.
• Invitation: Invite guests to attend your next Event, normal church services, small group or ministry that might interest them. Call to follow-up any written notes.
• Personal Significance: Keep your tone warm, genuine, and welcoming instead of repetitive or monotonous. Space calls out if that will help you, and handwrite any notes. Keep your contact as personal as possible. LISTEN (if calling or visiting), and focus on their needs. These are small ways you can affirm your guest is wanted, special and significant (not just another number to call or letter to mail).

Note: If team members or volunteers assisted in visitor follow-up, check in on these activities 2 weeks after the Event, and again one month later.

Adapted from the Outreach Event Planning Guide, pg. 90.

Featuring:
Pete McLeod


“This has been a very emotional week for me. I have a very small daughter-Mandy and this week my daughter started walking. Actually, she started walking because she got her car repossessed.”