This is a topic that really scares me to bring up. Short term events tend to go very well or very bad, there is rarely middle ground. It is a great solution to cover an urgent need or to follow up on the recent stir that God has created within your church. But should be followed up with a long-term vision for the future of the event, be it an annual, semi-annual, or bi-annual offering. There are some ways to minimize the risks associated with short term planning. Here are a few thoughts regarding when to plan on the short term, some benefits, and essential strategies...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Gas prices have been the buzz word for the last several months and I don't believe that it will leave the news anytime soon.  The prices are likely to fluctuate some and they will go up, and while I hope they will go down but am not banking on that happening.  For planners who are gearing up for ministry events this summer, be ready to hear the excuse, "gas is too expensive, we're not coming." I don't just want to be calloused and brush the statement off as an excuse there is no doubt that going to the gas pump is a burden. But the experience your event is offering must be prove itself as valuable to gain more registered attendees...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Seasoned ministry planners have witnessed a miracle where God feed five thousand with just a few loaves and fishes through their events. As leaders I think we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our resources and to plan well to meet the needs of our groups. But to be mindful of God's blessings and miracle to stretch dollars farther and deepen the ministry impact of the event...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Striking a balance between what a group needs and what a group can pay for is an incredibly difficult endeavor.  These decisions are unavoidable when planning an event. Whether you realize it or not; most decisions you're making as a planner are geared towards maintaining the balance...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Planning a menu seems like an easy task. Especially since I like to cook. But planning a meal for your family and planning a meal for a retreat are two different things. Sometimes it is difficult to even plan a meal for two people. Retreat meal planning can be one of the trickiest parts of planning a retreat. With a large group of people there comes a naturally large group of tastes, financial statuses, and more that affect exactly what you will be serving at your spiritual getaway...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Building off the frugal planner qualities presented on Tuesday here are ten solutions to help planners keep their events affordable...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Frugality and being cheap are two completely different things. People who camped out in front of the mall and did the shiver workout to burn the two to three thousand calories they consumed during Thanksgiving Dinner waiting for Black Friday Deals fit into one of the two categories: Frugal or Cheap. The main difference being the goal in mind...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

There is no doubt that an event can be an expensive endeavour.  Sometimes we joke, especially when we're brainstorming, we can come up with more ways to loose money than we can to make it. And for those of us in ministry, making money isn't usually even a part of our organizational values. We certainly value being fiscally responsible and there is a reality that we all have to pay our bills, but its not about turning a profit. Let's take the reality track: how do we make sure that we can pay the bills...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

Many events that have received support from their parent organization are no longer receiving as much or they're looking to stretch their money. Let's face it, an event costs money. In order to get sponsors involved with your event you need some time. It's a perfect time to start recruiting sponsors to help your church fund next year's summer camp...     Continue Reading | View Comments (1)

"Volume" is the number of guests you can get to register. "Volume" is the number of people you can divide your fixed costs over. "Volume" will change how much it costs you to run your event. You have to plan with "volume" in mind...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

You can't start making cuts or adjustments to your event if you don't have the spiritual impact in mind...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment

It seems as though there has been quite a bit of focus on families in our society lately. I have noticed in the last 5 to 10 years that Las Vegas has shifted to a "Family Friendly" destination. Their degree of family friendliness may still be questionable to some. Here's a few more examples: Disney introduced a successful cruise line entirely focused on families, conference centers and hotels are working to make family events affordable, churches instituting small groups & a plethora of advertising directed toward families regarding vehicles, vacations, movies and more. So what is all the hype...     Continue Reading | Leave Comment