By Tom Bandy Strategic thinkers often want to explore a specific demographic detail for which there is no one single category in the Build a Report process. Recently I was asked to research locations with a high population density for children aged 5-13 in families below poverty. MissionInsite only allows you to do separate OpportunityScans …
Read more “MissionInsite: Going Deeper beyond Basic Categories”
By Tom Bandy The single most difficult group for churches of any variety to reach is Group O Singles and Starters. There are six segments included in the group: O50 Full Steam Ahead Younger and middle-aged singles gravitating to second-tier cities O51 Digital Savvy Young Singles who live digital-driven smaller city lifestyles O52 …
In an earlier post on hospitality (read it here), I discussed the importance of guest follow up, and I shared some tips and tools. I based my post on Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” This is a reference …
By Tom Bandy Focusing Outreach Ministry Outreach is important for a church both to transform society and to mature Christian disciples through service. Yet as we wrestle with the business – or “busy-ness” – of outreach, we forget that outreach is about embracing people and not just managing tasks. Church people know that they are …
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and a meme jumped off the screen at me. It posed the following question: “What does the Church need to unlearn?” I shared this in one of my clergy colleague Facebook groups and here are some of the responses: Wow…I’m sure this list could go on and …
In the Gospel of Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the parable of the Great Banquet. A man of great wealth prepares a great banquet, and when it’s ready, he tells his servant to alert those invited. When the servant finds the invited guests, they give several excuses as to why they cannot come to this great …
We are excited to have the Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy share monthly with us on how we can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism and the development of new faith expressions in local churches. This is his first post on how we can use MissionInsite when planning for September ministry events. Many of …
Read more “Making Good Use of PeoplePlot: Start-up Events for September”
When I started working at the Baltimore-Washington Conference, one of the first people I met on my tour of the building was Tony Martucci. Tony worked with our Facilities Assistant, Ricky, and spent the bulk of his time completing tasks with him. As a mother with a child on the autism spectrum, I noticed right …
On occasion I’m asked where my ideas for blog posts come from, and honestly they come from a variety of sources. Many are based on blogs, articles, and books I read. Some are reflections on training events or conferences I’ve attended. Several have been grounded in my own experiences as a local church pastor. A …
I love the story of Samuel because of God’s involvement in his life from the very beginning. Hannah cries out to God for a son at the altar. God hears her cries and sees her distress. Eli, the priest, confirms God’s blessing soon to come upon her, and she vows to dedicate the child to …