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The Power of Big Events

Dan Carson

Fall Fun Fest. Christmas Carnivals. Easter Egg Hunts. Over the years, I have approached big events with mixed emotions. While fun and exciting, they can simply be fluff if not approached with the proper attitude and purpose. However, if used for the kingdom, they can significantly impact your church and student ministry. What are some of those benefits?

• It can give your ministry purpose. There are times when we lose focus. We understand our great mission as Christians, but we can get caught up in the minutia of day to day living and ministry. Working in a greater way to show Christ’s love and share His message can give your group focused purpose.

Annually, we host a Fall Fun Fest at Calvary Baptist Church of Fayetteville. We work together as a congregation to simply show love to our neighbors and neighborhood. Would we love to see them worship with us? Yes. However, our purpose for this event is singular — love our neighbor.

• It can give your ministry unity. Working for the greater goal will help us set aside our own personal agendas and have us looking toward the team. Ministries and churches are made up of individuals with lots of different opinions but having everyone row in the same direction can help break down barriers.

• It can give your ministry greater impact. Having trained in Taekwondo since 2006, I love the idea of a punch. I know it is a violent illustration, but hear me out. I can slap someone with an open hand with fingers spread and it will hurt, but when I clinch five fingers together into a fist, the impact is much more significant. Working together as a group will always give us greater impact than working alone. 

Big events can be tricky, but, with the right purpose, they can have a powerful impact on your community and your congregation. Use your God-given creativity and imagination to think of ways your student ministry and church can show love to your community.