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Minute to Win It: Promoting Missions in 60 Seconds or Less.

Posted by Steve Grusendorf , 08 February 2013 · 1984 views

I hate to admit it, but this past summer I was sucked into watching ordinary people attempt silly little carnival games for big money. I’m a “Minute to Win It” fan. There is something captivating about the show. I know how it’s going to end, but I watch anyway.

Watching the show reveals a powerful reality: a lot can happen in 60 seconds.

The producers of “Minute to Win It” realized this and seriously capitalized on it. So as people who are passionate about missions why, shouldn’t we? Why not make a big difference with just 60 seconds.

By concentrating on promoting missions one minute at a time you no longer have to worry about the “big” promotion, instead you can have countless interactions that involve one or two people at a time. Consider for a moment if your mission committee or team owned this vision. If one person showed up 10 minutes before your worship service and stayed 10 minutes afterward, they would have the potential of talking with 20 different individuals about missions in a single week. Now imagine that it was two or three or four people! By coming in 20 minutes early and staying 20 minutes late, a small band of 50 could speak to every single attendee of a church of 2000 in a single week.

The question is no longer if we should but how we can keep people on mission one minute at a time. The key is creativity. Take a minute to consider each of the following four ways you can promote the benefits of your missions program in 60 seconds or less. Allow them to serve as a starting point to get your creative juices flowing…then go for it.

1. Faces of Change
Ahead of time ask two or three individuals at your church to briefly share a life change that happened to them through an international mission trip. Once you have the stories, copy each of them to a quarter-sized piece of paper along with that individual’s picture and e-mail address. Finally round out the project with your mission ministries web page address or the contact info for the ministry leader. Now the fun starts. Never leave home without a stack of these cards. When you meet someone new at church, or an individual not involved in missions, pull out a card and offer to share with them one brief story of how a life was affected by your mission program. In 60 seconds or less, not only will you leave them thinking, but you will also leave them with the name, face and contact information.

2. iPad Party
Ahead of time, ask three or four friends with an iPad to join you after service one Sunday in a mini recruitment drive. Have each wirelessly connect to the internet and have the following information on hand:
  • A picture and brief profile of an Alliance International Worker with whom your church has partnered.
  • A simple web form that allows someone to enter their email address so they can receive further information about joining the prayer team for that International Worker and their family.
Once this is ready, release these individuals to mingle within the congregation after the scheduled service has concluded. In 60 seconds or less each potential prayer partner member will see a International Worker and have an opportunity to sign up to be connected as a prayer partner.

3. Survey Says
Prepare a three-question survey to give to your congregants after church service on a particular weekend. While many different questions are good, consider the following:
  • Do agree with the phrase, “Do you believe offering prayer and financial support to Alliance International Workers is important”? Yes or No
        
  • Are you and your family currently praying for the Alliance International Workers with which “fill the blank church” has partnered? Yes or No
        
  • Are you and your family currently financially supporting the faith promise pledge of “fill in the blank church”? Yes or No
        
  • How might/has partnering with Alliance International workers at “Fill In the Blank Church” make/made a different in your life?
After an individual finishes your survey, thank them for taking 60 seconds to assist you. Then hand them a certificate for a free coffee from either your church coffee stand or a local coffee shop. Make sure on the back of that card is all of the necessary information an individual would need to give to the GCF or begin praying for a particular Alliance International Worker.

        
4. Flash Group
Everybody seems to be in a craze for Flash Mobs so why not take the cue. Coordinate ahead of time with a returning mission team and have them dress the same way one Sunday. Then, at the specified time (hint: It’s a good idea to let your Pastor know ahead of time….oh and don’t do it during the middle of the sermon) have everyone grab a folding chair and circle up right in the middle of the foyer. Have your flash mission trip group meet for exactly 60 seconds. While meeting, leave an empty chair in your circle with a sign that invites newcomers to check out your group. In those 60 seconds, try and showcase some highlights of the trip experienced by group members. Make it fun and inventive. When 60 seconds are up, remove the chairs and go about your business. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to meet one or two new people you can talk to about missions.

Limited time does not mean limited opportunity. If you believe that involvement in missions can make a difference in the life of your friends and family you need to be prepared to capitalize on every moment afforded. Let’s commit to changing lives one minute at a time.

  • Dick Jueckstock, Sharon Thornton, Ruthie Hankins and 1 other like this



Terrific ideas, Steve! In order to have peoples' heart touched by what God is doing around the world we need to be relevant, short and precise, and non-threatening (read that "boring" or "bubble-invasive").

Thanks for writing. These thoughts can be shared on a broad scale and will encourage many church missions leaders, I'm sure!
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Steve Grusendorf
Feb 09 2013 05:12 PM
Thanks for the encouragement Fran. Feel free to add any create 60 second promos to the list below.
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Ruthie Hankins
Feb 12 2013 01:01 PM
Steve, I love this concept and your examples. I think I'll share the idea with the Global Impact Team at my church.
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Steve Grusendorf
Feb 13 2013 11:16 AM
Thanks Ruthie, I hope it helps. Post back if you come up with some new ideas!
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Richard Byham
Feb 18 2013 07:53 AM
Sounds like my creative buddy at work again. Thanks Steve!
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I like your suggestions. Our Missions Committee chooses a missionary family (usually those who have visited our church in the past) as our prayer focus for the month. Their names, information and pictures are included on the church calendar for the month. The first Sunday of the month, one member of the Committee makes a short presentation about the missionary family and shares their current prayer requests (a little more than 60 seconds, but short), and we pray for them in each of our services throughout that month.
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Steve Grusendorf
Feb 18 2013 06:20 PM
Hey Rick,

Thanks for the encouraging words. I look forward to bumping into you at Council this year. Pray all is well.
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Steve Grusendorf
Feb 18 2013 06:22 PM
Ann,
That is great news! It really helps when a congregation can get to know a International Worker and their family. So many times it difficult to get past the faces on a prayer card. By putting them before the congregation bit by bit your church family can start to become more familiar with them. As I was writing this another idea that came to mind was facebook and texting. These are two other simple and effective ways to engage some within your church in a short period of time. Praying God continues to use you and your missions committee.
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