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Have you ever went on a vacation and the staff at your hotel or resort made you feel special by remembering your name? Have you ever went to a restaurant and the waitress remembered you wanted extra sour cream without you having to remind her? Have you ever been to a store and the cashier engaged you and complimented your shirt? We as humans are incredibly complex and incredibly simple all at once. The truth is, it doesn’t take much to make us feel good. In fact, most often it is the little things that make an experience extra special.
We can apply this logic to our meetings in college ministry. Recently I visited a BASIC group and was impressed by some little things that they did to make their meeting fun, effective and special. It encouraged and challenged me, and I hope it will inspire you to make little changes that can make a huge impact.
1. Be Prepared
I was excited to see that the entire leadership was there a half hour before the meeting was supposed to start. This might not seem like a big deal, but having the team there early ensures everyone is on the same page and ready to do their job. The slideshow was ready, the opener was planned, and the students were in place to welcome any newbies.
2. Pray
This often overlooked activity is important. This group not only gathered their leadership team to pray right before students arrived, but they also had two students designated to intercede for the meeting. This is truly one of the most effective ways to see God move at your group. I can never stress this enough! It may seem so small, but God uses your prayers to change things.
3. Help People Connect
This may seem so small, but it is important to think about. How will students know what is going on at your group or when special events are? This group made a Facebook page and Instagram account specifically for their group. They announced it and encouraged everyone to get on it so that they would always know important information about when and where things were happening.
4. Follow Up
It is always very exciting when new students come to your group! However it can be quite difficult to keep them. Having a strategy for how you will follow up with new people is key. This group had a small clipboard with a sign in sheet (you can print your own from the BASIC resource page!) that was passed around as the meeting started. Somebody on your team can be in charge of contacting those people by email/text/imessage/pigeon(jk) or whatever you feel is most appropriate. Getting that information and reaching out is a little thing that can make someone feel wanted and appreciated.
5. Communicate Well
This may seem simple, but clear communication makes a huge impact. This group used slides to clearly display dates, times, and locations for the events they had planned. Their leaders made the announcements engaging by reading them and calling attention to important information. Some things that you might want to include in your announcements are: who the leaders are, where you attend church, how they would get to church if they wanted to, special events and who to contact if they had any questions. Everyone loves when things are clear and easy to understand!
These are just a few examples of little things that go a long way. What little things do you do at your group that make people feel special or welcome? One of the coolest things about the BASIC network is that each chapter, though similar at it’s core, is unique and different. Feel free to comment and share some little things that your group does!
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