15 Feb Sunday… I mean – Monday is Coming!

OC16FebAd_Weekly_428x42872 days until OC16!

Yep, that’s right – there are officially 72 days until this year’s Orange Conference! And there are only 3 days left for you to get $40.00 off of the regular price. Register by this Thursday, 2/18/2016 and you pay only $289.00. Plus, you’ll receive a $50 Orange credit!

Oh, how I love the theme!

Personally, I can’t wait for April 27th (that’s day 1 of the conference-btw). I love the Orange Conference every year (read about that here) but this year, I am especially excited about the theme – “Every week, Monday is coming.”

But wait, I thought “Sunday was always coming!”

If you are in ministry at a local church, then you’ve certainly heard (or said) the expression “Sunday’s coming!” or “Sunday comes every week!” It’s a perfect depiction of what happens to those of us who serve in church’s settings where Sunday is the priority. When Sunday is a big day at your church, everything else (recruiting volunteers, budgets, the calendar, developing leaders, etc.) can take a back seat if you aren’t ready for Sunday. This blog exists to help with that. To help leaders make that “Sunday’s always coming” feeling, a bit less intimidating.

But what about Monday? Why have the leaders at Orange decided to dedicate an entire conference to the idea that Every Week – Monday is Coming! Maybe it’s because MONDAY is when reality hits. MONDAY is when Sunday is tested. MONDAY is when faith has to work. I can’t wait to learn all about how to make what we do on Sunday matter more during the rest of the week.

Beyond Sunday – Partnering with Parents

I imagine much of what we’ll learn at OC16 will have to do with thinking beyond what happens on Sunday morning, as it relates to partnering with the parents we serve. I love any opportunity to help other parents as they raise their children in faith and character. As a parent of two adult children, I can see the strategies and concepts of Orange woven throughout my entire parenting journey. Read more about that here.

Orange is by far, my strategy of choice as a ministry leader, but it has also been a key component in how I parented my two daughters. Orange gave me suggestions, encouragement, Biblical teaching, and the ability to lead with the end in mind (both in ministry and at home). As a young mom that was new to faith, I wanted so much to help my kids know and fall in love with Jesus, but I really didn’t know where to begin. Orange gave me a much needed plan! I think many parents may feel a lot like I did. They want to help develop their children’s faith, they just don’t know where to start.

I’m hopeful that this year’s theme at OC16 – Every Week Monday is Coming, will help us understand how to best leverage what we do each Sunday, so it matters to the families we serve on Monday – and beyond!

I hope to see you at the Orange Conference! Don’t forget to register in the next 3 days to receive the discount and credit! And be sure to check back this week as I’ll be wrapping up the series about my own personal Journey With Orange.