Global Impact Celebration

Global Impact Celebration Programming Suggestions

We have found it is wise to keep the GIC programming very simple the first year. It is better to do a few things well than to try to do a lot of things less well. A suggested schedule:

First Sunday  We suggest the pastor do the preaching and that he preach on Faith Commitment. (See suggested sermon in the booklet: “Giving That All May Hear.”)  The music director should focus the music on global evangelization. However, be careful not to make the second Sunday anticlimactic.

Wednesday  Missionary Registration – we suggest asking the missionaries to register around lunch time on Wednesday. You may want to provide a light lunch for them during this time. They should register for the celebration and have time to set up their displays before the missionary orientation meeting.  Missionary Orientation – this is a time to welcome the missionaries formally and provide them with the information they will need to make the rest of the week a successful experience.  Kick-off celebration service  Make this service a “blow out!” Plan to dramatically introduce the missionary personnel to the congregation.  Utilize as many of the choirs as possible (children’s, youth, adult).  Assign the speaker no more than thirty minutes.  Have missionary interviews (one or two of no more than six minutes).  Show a brief dramatic video (no more than eight minutes).  Promote the activities/services of the GIC.  Conclude with the people visiting the missionary display area (dismiss the missionaries before closing the service).

Thursday  Schedule a time for the missionaries to meet with the senior pastor for about an hour prior to the luncheon. We suggest he encourage them for about thirty minutes and then dialogue with them about their suggestions as to how the church can more effectively reach the world for Christ. This time can also be used to minister to the missionaries, i.e., time of prayer, worship, etc.  Plan a noon luncheon. This can be open to the church, focus on a particular group such as the senior citizens or just be with the church staff and missionaries.  We highly suggest an evening meeting with the missionaries and all the church leadership, i.e. church board, staff, deacons, other leadership teams, Sunday Bible Study teachers. The main purpose of the meting is for the pastor to state the intent to take the church to a new level of missions vision and involvement and that it must be a team effort for this to happen. He should state that it is imperative that the church leadership and staff work together to motivate and mobilize the entire congregation to this end. Most importantly, he should lead a prayer time asking God to help them reach their goals. This should not be a regular church service, but should be an informal, creative event.

Friday  The morning and noon schedules should be similar to the Thursday schedule, but the luncheon should have a different emphasis than the previous day.  The evening event should either be an International Banquet or a Global Briefing. These seem to be the best first year events to use. The Global Briefings, a home event sponsored by the Sunday Bible Study group/small group will serve to be one of the most important events for personalization. You can have the International Banquet on Friday night and the Global Briefing on Saturday night or vice versa.  A Children’s Celebration can be planned to occur the same evening and time as the International Banquet.

Saturday  Suggest that some members of the hosting Sunday Bible Study group do some activity with their missionaries during the day, but be sure to emphasize not to wear the missionaries out so they can be fresh for a busy day Sunday.  The evening should follow the pattern suggested for Friday night. Use one or the other of the International Banquet or Global Briefing.  Youth Celebration events can be planned for Saturday, or to include Friday evening and Saturday.

Sunday  Sunday School/Small Groups - All the missionaries should be in the Sunday Bible Study groups. The classes should suspend regular programming to allow the missionaries to share. The missionaries will be assigned to the classes about three months prior to the GIC. They should be encouraged not to preach, but to cast vision and the share what God is doing around the world and in their particular area.  Sunday AM Worship - The emphasis for the worship hour is financial commitment. The pastor will challenge the people to give their global offering/FCO at the close of the worship service(s). The missionaries that are in the service should line across the front of the platform area holding offering baskets/plates for the people to come forward and deposit their giving/FCO cards.  Missionary Debrief – Schedule a time on Sunday afternoon just before the evening service to have a time of debriefing with the pastor, liaison, ministry staff, missionaries and GIC Team Leaders and their teams. The debriefing should include having the missionaries fill out the GIC debriefing forms.  Sunday PM Worship - This service should be a celebration service of all that God has done that week. The emphasis is commitment of lives. The pastor should announce, in order, the results of the just concluded invitation, prayer commitments and faith commitments. He should dismiss the missionaries to receive the people at the display area one last time. This is a time for rejoicing, sharing and farewells.