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Pivot Challenge

 

 

PIVOT: to maneuver strategically around obstacles. I have learned from watching our son play basketball as a point guard how important it is to look beyond the obstacles so you can pass, redirect, and aim. If ever there was a time for the church to be on the offensive and see how to maneuver through this season, it is this one. It is our time to pivot or shift our thinking. It has been easy over the last number of months to feel trapped or constricted. The Canada East Regional Team would like to introduce to you a way to create an opportunity where we can encourage each other, our communities, and our congregations. It is called the Pivot Challenge.

The instructions are below, and the challenge is on. Would you consider helping Canada East, reach out, share Christ in neighborhoods, and encourage the churches of your Classis. Would you encourage the youth and young adults to experiment and experience mission in a different way?

Hebrews 10:24 says “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” and in The Message, “So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out”

The Resonate Canada East Team says thank you for your participation. Looking forward to the videos and stories.

WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE?

It's simple: engage in a short missional project or experiment in your community, and inspire your congregation.
 

WHO IS INVOLVED?

You will need a youth or young adult group, a church council, and a congregation. Each group plays a role!
 

WHAT DO WE DO?

Youth/young adult group

Step One:

Come up with a short missional project or experiment that you want to do in your community and a cause you would like to give to. This project/experiment may be something new that you want to try out yourselves, or it could be joining in something that another community organization is already doing.

Step Two:

Make a budget for using up to $300 to fund your project with a plan to raise funds to cover the $300+ so that you have a gift at the end for your chosen cause. Then present your plan to your church council to request their support and participation. 

Step Three:

Choose a scripture verse to inspire your team and your congregation and invite your congregation to join you in praying for you, memorizing your verse, and giving. 

Council

Step One:

Support the youth/young adult group with $300 funding, or apply to your classis home missions committee for support. 

Step Two:

Participate in the missional project with the youth/young adult group. Get out there and do it with them, but keep in mind that they are leading the project! 

Step Three:

Keep your congregation informed and excited about the project. Encourage their participation in the verse memorization, prayer, and giving. Make sure that the project is promoted on Sunday mornings as well and celebrated upon completion.

Congregation

Step One:

Memorize the scripture verse chosen by the youth/young adult group.

Step Two:

Pray for the project.

Step Three:

Give: your church council is giving $300-can you increase that as a donation to the cause?

Project/Experiment Guidelines

The project/experiment:

  1. Should be able to be accomplished within 3 weeks.
  2. Shouldn't cost more than $300 (money can come from your church budget or classis home missions fund).
  3. Should serve members outside your church community and raise additional funds to support the outside cause.

For ideas, see below

Share on social media

Take some photos and video (short, phone video is fine) to share your experience on your church social media pages. Use the hashtag #pivotchallenge and send a link for your video to Resonate so that we can include it on our website. 

Challenge another church

Think of another church in your classis to challenge to do the same!

 

How do we sign up?

Contact Beth Fellinger - bfellinger@crcna.org

 

Project/Experiment Ideas: 

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

  • Pay for drive-through meals or hand out food vouchers to random people to support a local restaurant - $300.00
  • Do a food basket drop off
  • Book a picnic table lunch
  • Put dog treats at the end of the laneway/driveway
  • Set up a lemonade stand with free lemonade
  • Set up a table at your church (if it's in a high walking-traffic zone) or another spot in a walking neighbourhood on Halloween or on a Saturday afternoon and offer warm cider and muffins to adults (and maybe have something like glow sticks or stickers for kids).
  • Run a free car wash in the church parking lot - let people give a free-will donation to a local charity.
  • Get a guitar, portable keyboard, and loudspeaker, and go outside a long-term care home and serenade residents with some old-timey songs (You are My Sunshine, Bicycle Built for Two, etc.). Make cards for those in the home and send in a basket of treats for the caregivers.
  • Set up a booth in front of the church with a sign (like Lucy from Peanuts) "Prayer, 5 cents" or "Scripture verse, 5 cents" and see if people stop to either get a scripture verse (nicely printed on card stock) or give you a prayer request - maybe write and put in a bowl. People don't actually have to pay 5 cents, of course. Pray for all the prayer requests and keep them confidential.
  • Partner with a community organization for a project that benefits them - a cleaning bee, yardwork, etc.
  • Create a drive-through “Bethlehem live” at a park.
  • Create a calendar to be given out with encouragement to the neighborhood (use pictures of the community).
  • Create survival mugs to hand out to the community (a mug, a pkg. of hot chocolate, a pkg. of halls and a pair of mittens or pkg. of kleenex, hand sanitizer)