EFFECTIVE OUTREACH
MEETINGS
(Winning men back to God)
FGBMFI – Accra Regional Training
Coconut Grove Regency Hotel
Feb 22, 2014
OUR MISSION!
• To reach men in all nations for Jesus Christ:
▫ Matt 28:18-19
18 Then
Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age.”
THE VISION IS TO REACH MEN!
• Typical Testimonies at FGBMFI outreach
meetings:
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Men who grew up in “Christian homes”
Went to church as children growing up
Went astray in high school/college
Facing prospect of a bleak future or everything
looked promising
▫ NO RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!
▫ Invitation to FGBMFI outreach meeting
▫ A Chance to meet Christ!
THE VISION IS TO REACH MEN!
• Other stories
▫ Successful professionals
▫ Acknowledge the need for God in their lives, i.e.
yearned for a relationship with HIM.
▫ However hated church, pastors and the “holier
than thou” attitude of “Christians”
▫ Invited for an outreach meeting
▫ A chance to meet Christ!
WHY MEN?
• Some interesting facts (alarming stats –US)
▫ Only a 3rd of church attendants are male
▫ Men are turned off by the feminized nature of the
church – David Murrow author of “Why Men
Don’t Go to Church”
 Over 90% of men believe in God, 5 out of 6 call
themselves Christians. But only 2 out of 6 attend
church.
 Lesson: the average male accepts the reality of Jesus
Christ , but fails to see any value in going to church
 90% of boys will abandon church by age 20 and may
never return
WHY MEN? -Alarming stats cont’d
▫ Majority of men who do attend church do nothing
during the week to grow their faith
• The fatherly influence – why we should call men
back to God
▫ When you win the father to Christ, 92% of the
family also come to Christ
▫ When you win a teenager to Christ, 44% of the
family come to Christ
▫ When you win a wife to Christ, 18% of the family
come to Christ
The problem?
• Jesus has been presented only as a person who
comforted the sick and the needy – something that
does not really appeal to tough, young working men,
high achievers, risk takers and visionaries.
• Instead of challenge and adventure, most
congregations offer a safe, nurturing community of
stability and predictability.
• Studies show that women and seniors tend to
gravitate to these types of environments – not men!
The Solution- the Outreach Meeting!
• The FGBMFI outreach meeting is our key tool
for fulfilling our vision of bringing men back to
God.
• The spirit-filled outreach meeting requires
preparation in two ways:
1. Spiritual (prayerful) Matt 21:22
(“..If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”)
2. Administrative (organizational)
Exod 18:17-23 Jethro counsels Moses to put structures in place
and to stop micro-managing!
How? - the FGBMFI Way!
• Create an atmosphere that is attractive to the
90% of men who believe in Jesus but are not
interested in how He’s presented by churches.
 Meet in non-intimidating venues, hotels,
restaurants, board rooms, recreational areas
 Be professional, punctual, businesslike and time
conscious. (Watch meeting formats, emceeing etc)
 Meetings must not look like “Bless me clubs”
 Foster genuine friendships and fellowship
• Invite, Invite, Invite!
Who to invite
• People of like minds attract each other. Target a
particular group of invitees at each meeting who can
relate to a particular speaker’s testimony
▫ Invite the salesman that comes to sell you
something
▫ Invite a co-worker
▫ Invite a casual acquaintance
▫ Invite someone that needs encouragement
▫ Invite someone who is lost
▫ Invite in person, by email, by phone, or with an
official FGBMFI card
How to invite
• Carefully plan the distribution of invitations.
▫ Pray over your invitations/invitees
▫ Pray with a burden for souls
▫ Follow up invitations
• Keep invitation general and not religious
▫ “An uplifting talk from a successful business colleague”
▫ “We’re going to have breakfast with several new
business colleagues”
▫ “Be my guest at a meeting with some colleagues”
• Some have said later: “Thanks for not describing the
meeting or I would not have been interested..I would
have missed so much”
Preparing for the Outreach Meeting
• See Beautifulgate’s Meeting Checklist
▫ Identifies specific tasks with corresponding role
players and a set time!
▫ Chapters must adopt or create one that fits their
needs
▫ Clearly define your goals and pray about it!
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Who is the target
How many souls do we want to see saved?
How many new members are we believing God for?
What are our expectations in terms of healings, holy
spirit baptisms etc?
The Meeting Program
• We are professional ambassadors!
▫ All role players must participate in pre-meeting prayers.
▫ All Chapter members must have participated in individual
prayers or Chapter prayers for the meeting
▫ Members must come well dressed in the prescribed attire
▫ Ushers and greeters must be well dressed, exhibit love,
warmth and courtesy. They should be on hand about
30mins before start of meeting
▫ All chapter members and especially officers should be
available to welcome guests and help them find seats. You
are the hosts!
▫ Remember, the outreach meeting is for them, not for you.
SOME BEST PRACTICES
• The Head Table
▫ Must be carefully planned. For role players, testifiers, special
guests.
▫ Plan on 6 to 8 seats at the head table per 100 persons
attending, with maximum of 12-15.
▫ There should be no empty chairs at the head table.
• The Meal
• The meal should be served within 10 minutes of the meeting
starting. Meals director/coordinator must impress on hotel
kitchen to be ready before opening prayer.
• Soft, background music during meals to allow people to
fellowship while eating.
• Don’t have special music or singers during meals.
ROLE PLAYERS/PROGRAM FEATURES
• The MC is key! A person of spiritual maturity who
knows how to maintain control of the meeting
• He must have prepared by praying ahead of the meeting.
• He must be sensitive to the holy spirit during the meeting.
• By his appearance and demeanour, the MC sets the tone for
the meeting and the image of the chapter.
▫ He needs not talk too much or dominate the meeting. He only
moderates and keeps the meeting on course, being mindful of
time.
• Not everyone can be an MC. But men can develop into
successful Mc’s if properly guided and instructed. They study
other MC’s to discover what makes them successful or
unsuccessful.
ROLE PLAYERS/PROGRAM FEATURES
• Announcements and intros
▫ Keep brief and to the point.
▫ Not the last item on the program.
▫ Limit announcements to what is relevant to the meeting and
chapter only.
▫ Don’t promote ‘other’ programs and business interests
▫ Promote the voice magazine and other literature
• Testimonies - Our key tool in FGBMFI
▫ Keep brief and to the point.
▫ Follow the FGBMFI guidelines
▫ Preview the testimonies where possible.
ROLE PLAYERS/PROGRAM FEATURES
• Offering Not a collection, but an offering unto the Lord!
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▫ Don’t beg or take too much time.
▫ Explain simply why a ministry like FGBMFI needs finances to
accomplish our mission.
▫ Touch on a few tremendous ministries being performed through
FGBMFI and the chapter.
• Don’t give the impression you are asking guests to pay for the
meeting by telling them how much it costs to host the meeting.
• Avoid churchy jargons. Don’t ask guests to refer to bible passages.
• Don’t preach a sermon on giving. A personal testimony is more
effective.
• Encourage pledges.
ROLE PLAYERS/PROGRAM FEATURES
• Main Testimony – Our Main Speakers are specially
chosen from the marketplace to share their personal
experience of a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ
• Should have received guidelines before the meeting.
• MC must again remind speaker about FGBMFI do’s and don'ts.
Don’t assume he knows. Must be reminded about time
constraints.
• There must be no or little movement during testimony
• The testimony must lead to an ALTAR CALL.
• If speaker is ineffective, the MC must take over.
• Not all speakers can handle ministration. Officers and members
must get involved.
CONCLUDING THE MEETING
• Meeting must end on time! Unlike the airlines, we
may take off late, but we always land on time!
• If speaker is going too long, MC must find a way to
recover the meeting so that meeting may end on time.
Respect people’s time!
• Bring meeting to a close immediately after ministration.
• No further announcements
• No special VOTE OF THANKS
• MC thanks guests and closes the meeting promptly
• Encourage fellowship after the meeting has closed.
• Follow up guests after the meeting.
CONCLUDING THE MEETING cont’d
• Pray over prayer requests without opening them
• Encourage your members to pray with and counsel
people after the meeting. You should never have a
guest leave without receiving personal ministry.
• The president and members should take time to invite
guests back and let them know how glad you are they
came.
• Appreciate your guest speakers
• Appreciate your members and role players as well
SOME FREQUENT REMARKS
• “They never start on time“
• “The meeting was too long”
• “The preliminaries and intros take too much time,
and everyone has to get in his cent’s worth”
• “The music was too loud“
• “I never saw so much love in one place”
++++
• “I’m so glad I came. I would have missed MY BETTER
LIFE! Thanks for not describing the meeting”
• “A very touching experience, I’ll be back!”
A sample meeting format
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Welcome and prayer
Warmly greet one another – fellowship
Meal is served - fellowship
Agenda
Recognise 1st timers
Introduce Special Guests
The Vision (Membership Promotion)
Vision, membership, voice
Short Testimony
Offering/Pledges/Prayer cards
Main Testimony
Altar Call
Ministration
7. Close Meeting
(25mins)
(5mins)
(5mins)
(5mins)
(10mins)
(40mins)
(5mins)
(Total: 1hr 35mins or under 2hrs even with Praise and Worship)
SOME DO’s AND DON’Ts
1. Start and end on time
2. Be well dressed; present a sharp image
3. Always start the meeting with an enthusiastic greeting
and positive statement
4. Be friendly, Smile!
5. Remember the vision of FGBMFI – to see men saved
6. Lift up Jesus
7. Be first-class in everything
8. Spend time praying and worshipping prior to the
meeting
9. Seek the anointing of the holy spirit
SOME DO’s AND DON’Ts
10. Give the speaker plenty of time for his message within
allotted time
11. Stay on schedule
12. Allow ample time at the end of the meeting for ministry
to individuals
13. Review your meeting before next meeting
DON’Ts
14. Don’t preach
15. Don’t have a church service
16. Don’t be a one man show
SOME DO’s AND DON’Ts
17. Don’t allow anyone to promote projects, ministry or
products
18. Don’t stress doctrine
19. Don’t knock denominations
20.Don’t speak defeat
21. Don’t be too formal
22. Don’t use “churchy” language
23. Don’t start or end too late
24. Don’t stifle the flow of the holy spirit. However, maintain
order, and keep the meeting in control.
25. Don’t allow “superspiritual” people to take over the
meeting.
Conclusion
Jesus had no problem captivating the
businessmen of His day; fishermen, merchants,
tax collectors, and we can do same in the
marketplace of our time.
Focus on the vision to our founder which is to
call men back to God!
THANK YOU!