Courageous Campaign Planning Guide by LifeWay Christian Resources

CourageouS Ca mpaign pl anning guide

Michael Catt • Stephen Kendrick • Alex Kendrick as developed with

Nic Allen B&H Publishing Group Nashville, TN

Published by LifeWay Press®. © 2011 Sherwood Baptist Church. © 2011 Sherwood Pictures Ministry, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to LifeWay Press; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234-0175. ISBN: 9781415871188 Item: 005371570 Dewey Decimal Classification: 248.642 Subject Heading: Courage\Men\Leadership\Family Life Photography by Todd Stone. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked Darby are from A Literal Translation of the Old Testament (1890) and the New Testament (1884) By John Nelson Darby (1800-82). Printed copy available from Bible Truth Publishers, P.O. Box, 649, Addison, Illinois, 60101. Public Domain Copy Freely. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Printed in the United States of America Leadership and Adult Publishing LifeWay Christian Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175

Contents Changing the World: About the Authors and Sherwood 4 Why COURAGEOUS? 6 COURAGEOUS the Movie 8 COURAGEOUS the Campaign: Creating a Courageous Church 10

Big-Picture Opportunities: Special Events 12 Ongoing Ministries 16 Campaign Options 18 Developing the Right Campaign Team 20 For Success, Follow a Campaign Strategy Time Line

Special-Event/Small-Group Planning Time Lines 30 What If â&#x20AC;Ś September Were COURAGEOUS Month 34 Additional Ideas

Cover Everything in Prayer 37

DVD-ROM Contents 39 Other Campaign Products 40 Follow-up Resources and Events 42

changing the world

About the Authors and Sherwood Alex Kendrick and his brother, Stephen, co-write and produce all of Sherwood Pictures’ movies— FLYWHEEL, FACING THE GIANTS, FIREPROOF, and now COURAGEOUS (Courageousthemovie.com). They have partnered with their senior pastor, Michael Catt, and author Nic Allen to develop the Courageous Living Bible Study curriculum now available.

Michael Catt has served Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia, as senior pastor since 1989 (www.michaelcatt.com). The church’s mission statement is “to touch the whole world with the whole Word, motivated by a passion for Christ and compassion for all people.” Sherwood’s ministry programs, combined with the people’s give-back spirit, help reach people for Christ around the world. Yet Pastor Catt emphasizes that ministry starts at home with community events and ministries. The 3,000-member church donated back to Albany an outreach center and built an 82-acre ministry-focused sports complex that is open to the people of south Georgia.

Alex, Stephen, and Michael with Jim McBride (center back), the fourth member of Sherwood Pictures’ leadership team.

Sherwood Baptist Church prioritizes prayer with a 24-hour prayer tower and weekly prayer meetings. The church’s prayer warriors send out hundreds of handwritten prayer cards weekly. Planting new churches, writing books, conducting international mission trips, and hosting retreats to strengthen pastors and lay leaders (www. refreshconference.org) are other

ways the church lives out its mission statement. Along with Jim McBride, Pastor Catt is executive producer of Sherwood Pictures. He is the writer of Prepare for Rain, Fireproof Your Marriage, “The Power of” series, and Courageous Living (B&H Publishing Group). Michael and his wife, Terri, have two grown daughters. Stephen Kendrick serves as associate pastor of preaching and prayer at Sherwood Church (sherwoodbaptist.net). Stephen oversees the church’s prayer ministry and produces all of Sherwood’s movies. Stephen and Alex co-wrote the New York Times bestseller The Love Dare, The Love Dare Bible Study curriculum, Courageous Living Bible Study, and the movie-release curriculum Honor Begins at Home: The COURAGEOUS Bible Study (fall 2011). Before joining Sherwood in 2001, Stephen served as youth minister in the Atlanta area. He and his wife, Jill, live with their four children in Albany. Alex Kendrick, associate pastor for Sherwood, is also a speaker, actor, writer, and the director of all Sherwood movies. In 2002, when Sherwood Pictures was founded, Alex and Stephen began work on FLYWHEEL. Alex acted as Grant Taylor in FACING THE GIANTS and as Adam Mitchell in COURAGEOUS. Before attending New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Alex was a college minister and a Christian disc jockey. He and his wife, Christina, have six children.

Nic Allen is a husband, father, and pastor. After spending 10 years in student ministry, he transitioned to Family and Children’s Ministry to focus more attention on parents and specifically fathers. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in public communication. He currently serves Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. “As a dad of two young girls,” Nic said, “I gleaned so much about speaking truth and value into my own daughters by watching Nathan interact with Jade in COURAGEOUS. I’m thrilled to see such messages being uplifted and permeating families in our churches and our community and our world.”

Why Courageous? Both Scriptures and statistics reveal that there is no more important role in a child’s life than that of his or her father. Proverbs 17:6 says the “glory of children are their fathers” (Darby). It is estimated that more than 24 million American children live without their biological dads.1 Children growing up without their father in the home represent 63 percent of all youth suicides, 90 percent of homeless or runaway kids, and 85 percent of children with behavioral disorders. Children living without their fathers in the home are more than twice as likely to be poor, to abuse drugs, and to engage in criminal activity than their peers who live with married biological or adoptive parents.2 Moms are priceless and vital to a child’s life, but they cannot carry the weight alone. However, this generation has lost its understanding of what great fatherhood looks like. Television and movie dads tend to be weak, perverted, self-centered, or passive. As a result, new fathers in this generation may have a devalued sense of purpose, honor, and influence. They may not feel prepared and adequate in understanding how to be a successful leader for their families. The Bible paints many wonderful pictures of godly leadership and fatherly responsibility, perhaps none so striking as the Old Testament portrait of Joshua. The newly appointed leader of Israel was replacing Moses and had big shoes to fill. Though Joshua likely felt overwhelmed and afraid, God charged him three times in chapter 1 to “be strong and courageous” (vv. 6,7,9). The first instance includes a charge to lead; the second, a call to obey; the third, a reminder of God’s presence. Today God is commanding men to be leaders in their homes in much the same way as He commanded Joshua to lead the nation. God is still commanding fathers to “be strong and courageous.” He is calling men to lead and to obey Him. He is reminding us all of His presence and His power as we shepherd this generation. 6

If you fast-forward to chapter 24, you see Joshua take it to the next level. He had assembled “all the tribes of Israel,” all the men, to recommit themselves to God. Verse 15 in the New International Version reads this way: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” The prophet called the question for the people of Israel and asked for the vote. But regardless of the way the culture might sway or the people would decide to go, Joshua committed his house to serving the Lord. He issued a courageous call, took a courageous stand, and set a courageous example for future generations. Now it’s our turn. The movie COURAGEOUS provides a wonderful opportunity to encourage your body of believers and to reach out to a community of nonbelievers. It is a chance to inspire dads, shape homes, and share Christ with the world. We share this campaign, movie clips, and curriculum to help you reach those great goals!

Like FIREPROOF, COURAGEOUS is intended for an adult audience but will provide no stumbling blocks for children. Though the MPAA has rated COURAGEOUS PG-13 for action, violence, and drug content, pastors and ministry leaders across the nation have seen the movie and highly recommend it as safe for families (especially children age 10 and up). There is no profanity, drug use, or sexual content. Because of the intense action in some scenes, it is recommended that parents be aware of the rating and children only attend with an adult.

COURAGEOUS

The Movie As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners in the Sheriff’s Department, David Thomson and Shane Fuller, are confident and focused. They willingly stand up to the worst the streets have to offer. Yet at the end of the day they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. After their sheriff highlights statistics illustrating the importance of a dad’s involvement in kids’ lives, he encourages them, “Go home and love your families.” But what does that look like? While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. Still, that’s better than most men … or is it? When tragedy strikes home, these men are left actively wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God and to their children? Protecting the streets is second nature to these officers. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That takes courage! Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth release of Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Filmed on locations in southwest Georgia, COURAGEOUS is Sherwood’s first movie since FIREPROOF, the No. 1 independent theatrical release of 2008 that has impacted millions of marriages in 75 countries. In a similar way, expect God to transform families with COURAGEOUS!

CourageouS h o n o r be g i n s at h o m e

Courageousthemovie.com 9

COURAGEOUS

The Campaign Creating a Courageous Church COURAGEOUS will capture the heart of the father and call him to Christ as he seeks to be a better dad. It is a great opportunity to reach out to friends, neighbors, and coworkers by inviting them to attend the movie, your Sunday morning message series, men’s ministry event, or small-group Bible studies. A campaign will provide you with the tools and resources to maximize the movie’s effectiveness in strengthening the family by strengthening the commitment level of fathers. And when men get engaged and begin to lead with courage, every area of your ministry will be positively impacted! This kit comes complete with sermon outlines, a reproducible prayer guide for churchwide use, the Courageous Living Bible Study four-week small-group study, evangelism-outreach materials, and information about other resources to help you create a specialized campaign for your church or ministry. This planning guide addresses (1) big-picture opportunities to involve and reach people and (2) planning guidelines, where needed, to implement the approaches that work best for your ministry:

Special Events Men’s and Women’s Ministry Small Groups Churchwide Outreach Make sure prayer is the starting point of all your efforts as you seek to find out how God would have you shape this campaign. What you do is important. Nothing will enhance your church’s potential to reach people for Christ and disciple people in faith more than strengthening the family. An effective way to do that is to sound the call to Live Courageously!

Big-Picture Opportunities

Special Events COURAGEOUS will hit theaters nationwide September 30, 2011. Whether your campaigns builds, leading up to the film’s release, or launches with the movie in September, special events are an important way to maximize impact. Adapt these plans and add your own ideas to meet the needs of your unique group.

LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN WITH A KICKOFF EVENT Father’s Day weekend provides an excellent option for launching your campaign. Whether you choose to do activities on Sunday during regular services or at alternate times, a Father’s Day Kickoff is a chance to celebrate and challenge dads. (See p. 30 for a planning time line and articles in the June 2011 issue of HomeLife magazine.)

PROVIDE A VARIETY OF THEATRICAL-RELEASE SPECIAL EVENTS The theatrical release of COURAGEOUS is a pivotal point in your campaign. In anticipation of the movie release, explore renting a theater for at least one showing. Depending on your church size or situation, you may want to rent a theater for an entire day to allow families to come at a variety of showtimes. Encourage them to invite their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to attend with them. Promote “Let’s Go to the Movie!” competitions to add to the fun and to the number participating. Challenge adult classes to compete for the most people to attend together, for the most guests to be invited, for the class that invites the most guests, for older dads to attend with younger dads, and so forth. Using your knowledge of your congregation and discerning how God is leading you, let your creativity take hold! Growing out of Sherwood’s experience with FIREPROOF and other movies, the church has used several outreach approaches that may lend themselves to COURAGEOUS. While acknowledging that everyone’s situation is different, the following theatrical-release ideas reflect some of what Sherwood leaders have learned about movie outreach. Host a Free Movie Night Consider buying out a showtime at your theater and challenge church members to purchase tickets from you for that time and to invite their friends to attend with them for free. Your ministry can host that time at the theater. Whether you are sharing a gospel message or inviting attendees to an event or program, theater managers often allow you to stand up front, speak to the group, and even give out materials if you are purchasing a complete showtime. Be sure to request needed permissions and graciously coordinate details with the theater manager in advance. It’s possible someone will say no; let your response reflect a Christian witness. Consider a Great Money-Saving Idea By coordinating efforts beforehand, some theaters will allow you to create and print your own unique movie tickets with your church information on it. Recipients of your tickets can walk into the theater and exchange them for 13

real tickets for one specific or any showtime they desire for COURAGEOUS. By giving the theater an allotted amount of money beforehand to keep in their safe, they can use it to pay for your specialized tickets once they are redeemed. You can avoid wasting money by purchasing tickets that may go unused and cannot be redeemed after the showtime passes. It also allows you to get back any unused money. Schedule Couples’ Date Nights Provide free childcare for couples in your community who want to go on a date together. Allow them to drop off their kids off at church, go out to eat, and see COURAGEOUS. Provide coffee and dessert later so they can discuss the movie together before picking up their children. Use activities like these to connect couples to your church, men’s ministry, or upcoming Bible study program. (See p. 31 for a planning time line for a variety of theatrical-release promotions and special events.)

INVITE MEN TO A TAILGATE EVENT A tailgate party piggybacks on a popular televised football game by inviting people to come watch the game around good food and fun activities. During commercial breaks and halftime, you can make announcements, give away prizes, and introduce guest speakers. Host a weekend tailgate event at your church the weekend of a great fall football game. Invite men to bring friends and coworkers to grill out and watch the game on a big screen. Build fellowship and community. Consider inviting a speaker from your church or community, perhaps a local coach or athlete, to challenge men. Use commercial breaks and halftime as a platform to cast a vision for men’s ministry and biblical fatherhood. Offer door prizes such as grills, tailgate accessories, sports or hunting gear, gift certificates for a car wash, or even tickets to an upcoming sporting event. (See p. 32 for a planning time line.)

INVOLVE FAMILIES IN A FAMILY FUN FEST Put the family back in your festivals. Too many church outreach events are focused singularly on children. Studies reveal that when children are the first point of contact, only 3.5 percent of families follow in church connections.3 Instead, make this fun festival a family-focused event. Build a plan that involves everyone. For example, incorporate elements of a county fair. Offer a family relay race, a father-son sack race, family-style Olympics, pie-baking contests, fatherdaughter dance lessons, and/or family costume/theme showcases. Make sure families engage in activities together. Use this go-to event (that you probably already have experience running) as a place to involve entire families, not just attract kids.

FEATURE 9/11 RECOGNITIONS Sunday, September 11, 2011 is the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001. Consider including as part of your campaign a special way to observe and remember 9/11. Use the September movie release as a means to acknowledge local community servants in honor and memory of the work they do and those who have lost their lives serving and protecting. Invite a special speaker or involve community leaders in developing the program. Adopt an area police department for the month of September. Acknowledge firefighters, police officers, and other public officials as everyday heroesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as fathers in their homes and as servants in their community. Make appropriate recognitions in your worship service of men and women in your church and community who serve locally as well as in the armed forces and those whose family members are currently deployed. Consider a lunch or dinner as a celebratory option.

Ongoing

MINISTRIES As your campaign continues, strategically kick off or add small-group Bible studies. Invite the people who show interest by attending your events. Develop men’s and women’s initiatives to strengthen individuals and families.

Men’s Ministry Make no mistake—COURAGEOUS is first about fatherhood. It is a call for men to step up and take responsibility for their families. You can use the movie to strengthen existing men’s ministry or launch new men’s programs in your church. There is no substitute for the mentorship of an older, faithful believer in the life of a new father. There is no substitute for honest, courageous accountability as a man seeks to honor God and lead his family.

Women’s Ministry Women provide strategic support to COURAGEOUS and a church campaign as they involve other women and represent opportunities for new ministries related to the movie and to women’s needs. Mothers have a direct hand in raising sons who will one day be fathers and daughters who will one day choose a man to marry who will become father to her children. While we desperately need men to step up and be the fathers God has called them to be, we also need women to understand that call and provide their spouses the necessary support and daily encouragement. Even women who do not have children do have a father who has impacted their lives. One worthy campaign goal could be to help single women and divorced mothers in your church discover godly mentors for their children.

Small-Group Ministry Use the four-week Courageous Living Bible Study as small-group curriculum for all adult small groups or Sunday School classes. Men will be challenged and women will be encouraged. The movie and Bible study are for believers, young and mature, whether they have no children, kids at home, or grown children on their own. It’s a great entry point for the unchurched and uninvolved. Consider structuring your leadership and sign-ups like a draft in which men choose men in your church based on age and stage. Plan to “stack” each small group with an equal number of empty nesters, middle-aged dads, young fathers, newlywed husbands, and even single men. (See pp. 32-33 for a planning time line.)

Churchwide Outreach “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children” (Eph. 5:1). A person cannot act like God until he or she knows Him. And according to Romans 10:14, how will people call on Him and know Him unless they are told? We have a responsibility as a community of faith to effectively communicate the gospel. COURAGEOUS provides a unique outreach opportunity. Many adults in your community may seem closed to the gospel or reluctant to accept an invitation to a church or ministry-related event. The success of the FIREPROOF campaign for many churches was found in people’s desire to strengthen their marriages. Nonbelievers want healthy marriages too. What they learned through their willingness to participate in a local church that chose to promote and invest time in the film was that a healthy marriage starts with whole people and that wholeness comes from a relationship with God. While nonbelievers in your community may not know their need for Jesus, most admit a desire to be better dads and build better homes. COURAGEOUS provides a hook to invite people to come and be challenged and equipped to strengthen their homes; in the context of your campaign, they will be invited to know Christ.

Campaign

CHURCH ENGAGEMENT

Options

This option is for churches that recognize needs in their congregation and desire to strengthen families in their church.

Planning Notes:

Benefits Unify your body of believers Strengthen families Call fathers to renewed leadership Cast vision for missional families Start or enhance menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry Prompt churchwide spiritual growth Restore broken relationships

Important Tools Churchwide groups attending movie/ other theatrical-release events Living a Courageous Life, four-week sermon series Courageous Living Bible Study four-week small-group resource (member, item 005422891; leader kit, item 005371695) Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry mentoring and accountability groups Courageous Living book by Michael Catt

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

COMPLETE CAMPAIGN

This option is for churches that want to focus on reaching out to unchurched families and singles in their community.

This option is for those churches that want to evangelize and strengthen existing families by maximizing the Courageous strategy in their church and community.

Benefits Foster evangelism and church growth Provide opportunities to share Christ Call men to lead Restore broken relationships

Important Tools Churchwide theatrical-release events Living a Courageous Life, four-week sermon series Invite cards Mass-mailer Courageous Living Bible Study four-week small-group resource (member, item 005422891; leader kit, item 005371695)

Benefits Foster evangelism and church growth Provide opportunities to share Christ Call men to lead Unify your body of believers Strengthen family units Call fathers to renewed leadership Cast vision for missional families Enhance menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry Facilitate spiritual growth Restore broken relationships

Important Tools Theatrical-release events Four-week sermon series Invite cards Mass-mailer Courageous Living Bible Study four-week small-group resource (member, item 005422891; leader kit, item 005371695) Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry mentoring and accountability groups Courageous Living book by Michael Catt

Developing the Right

Campaign Team Roles and Responsibilities A churchwide campaign of this magnitude will take a strong team effort. It is important before you begin any planning to assemble just the right team and to cast a vision for the campaign. The heart of COURAGEOUS is that churches and families will be strengthened by a renewed commitment in the hearts of fathers. Consider each of the following roles and begin praying for God to reveal just the right person to tackle the task ahead. Pastor The pastor’s role is to cast a vision for the campaign to the team and to the church body. His work on the campaign is to support the Campaign Team Leader as he or she manages the schedule, communication, and workflow of the remaining team members. If you are not the senior pastor or executive leader of your organization, make certain you enlist his support and secure his input for campaign dates. For your campaign to have maximum impact, you need to have the investment of your organization’s senior leadership and spiritual authority. ampaign Team Leader C The team leader’s role is to set the schedule and guide each member of the team to successfully fulfill his or her role. This leader is responsible for the campaign budget and helping each team member secure volunteer groups and manage churchwide communications. Other team members are to direct questions and funnel communication through the Campaign Team Leader. pecial Events Coordinator S A Special Events Coordinator will recruit a team of volunteers to pull off events related to the campaign—for example, “Let’s Go to the Movie” group

viewing showtimes, tailgate party, and so forth. The events coordinator will work with Men’s and Women’s Team Leaders to design events and strategies to enhance men’s and women’s ministries within the church. The Special Events Coordinator will also work to plan and promote a churchwide Resolution (commitment) Event at the end of the campaign. rayer Team Leader P The Prayer Team Leader will develop a volunteer prayer team to support the work of the campaign team. The prayer team will be responsible for sending out weekly prayer-devotional resources and for managing prayer request channels for the group. They will provide ongoing support for the pastor and the Campaign Team Leader as they cast a vision and manage the team’s operations. They will be available for general encouragement and specific prayer support for each team member. A 12-week Campaign Prayer Guide, available in two reproducible formats on your DVD-ROM, suggests areas on which to focus prayer. mall Groups Coach S Depending on your Bible study format, a Small Groups Coach will engage the congregation in one of two ways. The first way involves Adult Sunday School classes. The Small Groups Coach learns the Bible study material and trains leaders to use the curriculum in their classroom setting, whether with single adults, couples, or separate men’s/women’s groups. The second way involves small-group ministry. If your church is already equipped with small groups, the coach will train leaders to use the Bible study curriculum in their specific setting. If the church does not have a small-group Bible study format, the coach will enlist small-group leaders to launch groups in conjunction with the Campaign Launch. The coach will train and equip leaders and be responsible for churchwide communication and small-group sign-ups. Work with the Special Events Coordinator to plan and implement a banquet to conclude the Bible study. Prepare options for groups to do further study if they choose to stay in community with one another. (See information about the Honor Begins at Home Bible study on pp. 32 and 42.) 22

Communications Director The Communications Director will oversee all aspects of churchwide and community communication. He or she will be responsible for all viral communication, including church Web site and all social media as well as all print communication (invite cards, mailers, printed programs, movie tickets) and campaign and event promotion. This leader and team will be a resource for all other team members to effectively communicate dates, details, and campaign information to the congregation and the surrounding community. Use social media wherever helpful for your group. It’s largely free and incredibly impactful. View the article “How to Use Social Media to Enhance Your Campaign Experience” on the DVD-ROM. en’s Ministry Leader M Your Men’s Ministry Leader should work directly with the Special Events Coordinator to plan and promote men’s ministry events, including men’s ministry outreach. He should also work to develop a plan for ongoing men’s ministry in the life of the church including but not limited to men’s Bible studies, accountability groups, and mentoring relationships between older and younger men. (See articles on men’s ministry on the DVD-ROM.)

our men’s ministry leader needs to view the Courageous Campaign as a Y way to take his entire ministry to a new level very quickly. omen’s Ministry Leader W Much like the Men’s Ministry Leader, the Women’s Ministry Leader will work with the Special Events Coordinator to plan and promote women’s ministry events and outreach related to the Courageous campaign. She will work with ongoing women’s ministry to plan and promote women’s ministry including but not limited to women’s Bible studies, accountability groups, and mentoring relationships between older and younger women.

In many cases, someone is already in a role (pastor, men’s ministry leader, women’s ministry leader) so you are not enlisting new people for these roles. If you cannot enlist for all of these team positions, be sure to have someone responsible for praying over your Creating a Courageous Church campaign and for overall coordination. A Courageous Campaign is a great way to involve people who are skilled in event planning and who enjoy being involved in high-impact ministry through short-term projects like this.

Our Leadership Team:

For Success

Follow a Campaign Strategy Time Line Your campaign’s success will be directly proportionate to how well you plan and follow up. In order to maximize a Courageous Campaign in your church and community, this time line can be used to structure your planning, your events, and your follow-up. It’s up to the Campaign Team Leader to follow the time line and to manage the individual team members’ planning success.

Before the Campaign Assemble your campaign team. Cast a vision for your campaign. Begin praying for your campaign daily. Choose your campaign strategy. (See Campaign Options, pp. 18-19.) ❒ Plan your campaign events and sermon series dates. ❒ Set your campaign budget. Include team meeting expenses, promotions, communications, events, and any curriculum. ❒ Purchase your COURAGEOUS Starter Pack (item 005422171; it includes 200 postcards, 5 posters, customizable Impact Cards, and more). ❒ Customize additional mass-media options. (Ideas are available on the DVD-ROM.) ❒ Continue event planning using the plan sheets on pages 30-32. ❒ Launch small-group planning. (Use the specific event plan sheet provided on pp. 32-33 for launching small groups.) ❒ Go viral using social media. (Refer to the social media article on the DVD-ROM.) ❒ Host an information event for your church body to learn about the campaign. Cast a vision, share goals, and begin congregational prayer movement using the Campaign Prayer Guide. ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒

❒ Develop a marketing plan for churchwide and community outreach, noting specific engagement dates beginning four weeks from the start of your campaign. our Weeks in Advance—Engage churchwide communication using F Starter Pack items and additional resources. Three Weeks in Advance—Engage in community event and sermon series marketing using your campaign kit. ❒ Finalize all event and sermon series planning.

Notes:

During the Campaign ❒ C ontinue praying for your campaign, its leaders, and those individuals who are attending different activities. ❒ K eep morale high by resharing the vision and spreading good news of progress. ❒ Continue to finalize details and promote upcoming events. ❒ Update social media outlets regularly. ❒ U ndergird and encourage any team members who may struggle with their responsibilities. ❒ K eep following your marketing plan and meet all dates and deadlines for churchwide and community communication about events, sermon series, and campaign opportunities. ❒ T ake notes to evaluate the Courageous Campaign and to use for future churchwide efforts.

Notes:

After the Campaign ❒ M eet with your core leadership team to finalize campaign efforts. Use the opportunity to recognize their hard work and to thank everyone for their tremendous service. ❒ Follow up with any decisions made. ❒ Involve the team in evaluating the campaign. ❒ S end thank-you letters to your pastor, theater managers, and campaign team members. ❒ Meet with your pastor and senior leadership to plan for the future.

A Courageous Campaign is more than a short-term theme; it is an opportunity to change the way families exist. Once dads make courageous commitments, a new structure for how you approach men’s and family ministry is necessary to maintain and maximize momentum. Use strategies and resources from the “Follow-up Resources and Events” pages (42-44).

Notes:

Special-Event/Small-Group

Planning Time Lines Father’s Day Weekend Kickoff Event Step 1: Choose a date and a venue. If you choose Father’s Day, your church building is the obvious choice. If you do a Saturday morning or evening event, consider a neutral local venue. Step 2: Invite a team to plan, design, and customize your event. Brainstorm and develop ideas, such as the following: Host a breakfast for parents or fathers and sons Include dad/family features during worship La unch your Living a Courageous Life sermon series (see the DVD-ROM). Conduct a parenting event Keep in mind that Father’s Day may begin a slate of activities. Step 3: Four Weeks in Advance: Select a key speaker to challenge and motivate fathers and their families. Also enlist dads at different stages to share wise words and testimonies about biblical fatherhood. Include a son and a daughter to share about the role their father played in their faith development. Step 4: Three Weeks in Advance: Decide on food and décor. Also choose a special gift for dads. Begin promoting your event. Step 5: Two Weeks in Advance: Follow up with any planning details, and continue taking advantage of any and all marketing outlets. Step 6: One Week in Advance: Check in with special guests and with presenters. Confirm your food and décor, and solidify any necessary event volunteers. Step 7: Implement your event. Step 8: Follow up with any unchurched families who attended.

Theatrical-Release Special Event(s) Stories have the power to teach and inspire. Whether you launch your campaign by attending the movie or use COURAGEOUS as a midpoint or even grand-finale experience, events will be a highlight. Step 1: Secure the theater(s). Step 2: Plan for ticketing by pre-purchasing a specific number of tickets to give away or sell. Work with movie management to reserve an entire theater and open it up for several free showings. Consider an off-peak time and day (Saturday morning) to save money. To offer the movie for free on the big screen is a great evangelistic outreach. (See pp. 12-13 for more details.) Step 3 : Four Weeks in Advance: Begin promoting the event. For example, your event could be to turn the entire month of September into COURAGEOUS Month, with something new to promote each week (tailgate party, 9/11 observance, family fun festival, and movie premiere weekend attendance; see p. 34.) Step 4 : Three Weeks in Advance: Go viral using the Internet and social media. Step 5 : Two Weeks in Advance: Mail invite cards and other information to your church members. Step 6: One Week in Advance: Customize the COURAGEOUS Next Steps handout (DVD-ROM) with your own information, and make copies for moviegoers. Step 7: On the day of the event, use preenlisted greeters to welcome moviegoers. Set up a resource table in the theater and include small-group information and a way to sign up. Include dates and information about other events in your campaign. Option: Turn opening weekend of the movie into a weekend event. Promote groups attending COURAGEOUS on Friday. Then host a daylong retreat on Saturday in which a special guest teaches Courageous Living Bible Study to men or couples. See “Camping Out and Advancing: A Men’s Retreat Guide”(DVD-ROM) for more ideas.

Tailgate Men’s Ministry Event This casual men’s event can be used to strengthen men’s ministry or to launch a new ministry. Use a tailgate outreach event to build fellowship among men in your church and to provide them with a safe event to which they can invite unchurched friends. Step 1: Check the fall football schedule and choose an exciting game. Step 2: Recruit tailgate hosts to provide grills for the event and volunteer teams to implement the event. Step 3: Develop your food plan (choices and quantities). Step 4: Enlist your speaker and plan your “commercial breaks” and Halftime Challenge. Step 5: Four Weeks in Advance of Tailgate Event: Begin promoting your event. Step 6: Three Weeks in Advance: Dive into social media outlets. Step 7: Two Weeks in Advance: Develop information or inspirational tools for event distribution. Pick up any door prizes or giveaways. Step 8: Implement your event. Have fun. Follow up with newcomers.

Small-Group Bible Studies Whether your best model for engaging the four-week campaign curriculum is the Sunday School context or home-based small groups, before the movie or immediately after the theatrical release—here is a step-by-step guide to launching and leading groups. Remember, even if your groups aren’t new to the life of your church, they are new to anyone who is not yet involved. You have options for group study. The eight-week curriculum (Honor Begins at Home: The COURAGEOUS Bible Study) will be available in the fall, after COURAGEOUS releases in theaters, creating options for both small groups and church engagement. More information will be available at movie screenings and at www.lifeway.com/courageous. For example, you might: 1. Use the Courageous Living Bible Study four-week curriculum to involve church members in a campaign and to overview big issues of fatherhood. 2. Take church members deeper using the movie, the Honor Begins at Home eight-week curriculum, and other study resources. 32

Consider using the four-week study with current small groups and then launching new groups in conjunction with the eight-week Honor Begins at Home study and commitments. Use home groups and the four-week study for community outreach, and utilize church settings for the eight-week study. Step 1: Based on your target small-group number, obtain the curriculum you need. Step 2: Enlist small-group leaders and decide on the venue (church; host homes; or community locales such as coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, or even the theater where your group attended the movie together). Step 3 : Four Weeks in Advance of Launching Groups: Host a dinner and training event for your leaders. Step 4 : Three Weeks in Advance: Begin group sign-up. Step 5 : Two Weeks in Advance: Check your numbers and purchase any additional curriculum needed. Step 6: Once groups begin, check in regularly with leaders to provide your support and encouragement as well as additional resources that would maximize group success.

What If … September Were

COURAGEOUS Month September 2011 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 2

3 Men’s tailgate event Announce men’s mentoring retreat and “Let’s Go to the Movie” tickets

Week 5 Prayer thought: Pray for Fathers (Josh. 24:14-15)

11 Thank you to 9/11 community leaders event

Week 6: Pray for Families (Deut. 6:6-9)

19 Week 7: Pray for the Lost (Matt. 24:14)

Fall Family Festival

25 Living a Courageous Life sermon series begins

26 Week 8: Pray for Children (Phil. 2:14-15)

13 Monthly men’s prayer breakfast

20 Sign-up begins, Courageous Living Bible Study

7 Fellowship Dinner/ Missions/Prayer Meeting “Let’s Go to the Movie” competitions/results CLBS leader training

Parents Night Out

Courageous campaign teams meet Fellowship Dinner/ Missions/Prayer Meeting

Deadline to register for free Courageous tickets

Fellowship Dinner/ Missions/Prayer Meeting “Let’s Go to the Movie” competitions/results

28 Fellowship Dinner/ Missions/Prayer Meeting Courageous Event teams meet

30 Movie Opens: 6:00 showing; 8:00 showing Dessert event, 8:30

Additional Ideas Men’s Mentoring Breakfast Host a men’s ministry breakfast to build mentoring relationships between older and younger men. Allow all young men to complete a survey, and then draft them to connect in groups with a suitable mentor. Encourage mentors/ mentees to attend the movie together and to talk about what they experienced. (Also see the DVD-ROM article “Camping Out and Advancing: a Men’s Retreat Guide” for other ways to establish mentoring relationships.) Law Enforcement Recognition Event Host a dinner for law enforcement officers and their families. Depending on your budget and the number of officers in your local precinct, consider purchasing a movie ticket for each officer. Another option is to provide a copy of Michael Catt’s book Courageous Living. Parent’s Night In Conduct a special event in your church for parents. Include childcare so that there are no obstacles to couples being able to come. Secure a guest leader who specializes in parenting to conduct a seminar. Include dinner and humorous awards (most children, newest kid, oldest still living at home, etc.). Coordinating activities around the movie’s theatrical release may make it easier for moms and dads to attend. New Dads Party/Shower Develop a party plan for honoring new dads or dads-to-be. Make it simple by encouraging guests to stay away from gift registries and only bring a necessity such as diapers (or simply a gift card to a store that sells baby items). Make the time significant by enlisting older dads from different stages of fatherhood to offer words of encouragement and meaningful advice. Lay hands on and pray for the new dads, commissioning them to be courageous fathers.

Worksheet

Our Events

Celebrate Campaign Results Don’t overlook celebrating how God is going to change families and use your campaign for His glory in ways you cannot even fully imagine now. Such a closure is also a good way for your congregation to show public support for commitments and to highlight the contributions of the many people who were involved in your campaign. Plan to emphasize: • A celebrative spirit • Continued spiritual commitments • Creative teamwork Include a Celebration Event in your campaign planning process. Be on the lookout for ideas (www.lifeway.com/courageous) that can make this event a memorable marker in the lives of families and your church and community.

Cover Everything in Prayer Sincerely seeking and following God’s leadership and power in prayer should be the starting point, and should permeate all of your efforts during and after a church Courageous Campaign. You can use the Campaign Prayer Guide content in e-mail and Web site updates. Circulate prayer prompts to your leadership team and congregation. Use the verses to pray Scripture for God’s power and the movement of the Holy Spirit in your community and church. Reproducible PDFs (single pages and booklet formats) are on the DVD-ROM. These prayer topics are addressed: Pray for Vision—Philippians 3:13-14 Pray for Wisdom—James 1:5 Pray for Possibilities and Protection—Ephesians 3:20 Pray for Our Pastor—1 Timothy 3:1-2 Pray for Fathers—Joshua 24:14-15 Pray for Families—Deuteronomy 6:6-9 Pray for the Lost—Matthew 24:14 Pray for Children—Philippians 2:14-15 Pray for Men’s Ministry—1 Corinthians 11:1 Pray for Continued Faithfulness—2 Chronicles 15:12,15 Pray for Fathers’ Resolve—Proverbs 3:11-12; 1 Chronicles 29:17 Pray for the Future of Families—Psalm 78:4

DVD-ROM Contents Your Campaign Kit DVD-ROM contains the following items for use during a Courageous campaign:

12-Week Prayer Guide (Reproducible PDF, 2 formats)

Four-Week Sermon Outlines on Living a Courageous Life

Mass Communication Files

Articles for Information and Inspiration

Promotional Video Clips, Including a Movie Trailer

Other Campaign Products These Web sites—lifeway.com/courageous and courageousresources.com— overview resources for different audiences and purposes. The Courageous Starter Pack, described below, is a key resource for getting the word out.

COURAGEOUS Starter Pack (item 005422171) With this pack, a small church may have all that it needs to do strong promotion. The Starter Pack includes the following items: • C OURAGEOUS Banner—One banner, 23-by-87 inches. Additional banner designs available separately. Item 005429351. •C OURAGEOUS Bulletin Inserts (5½-by-8½ inches) Samples of 4 unique looks designed to run through your church copy machine. Each design is available separately in 100 count packs, (2 per 8½-by-11-inch sheet, 50 sheets). Items 005448091, 005448092, 005448093, and 005448094 •C OURAGEOUS Poster (18-by-24 inches) 5 copies of the COURAGEOUS movie poster. Item 005429352 •C OURAGEOUS Impact Cards 200 cards (4 impact cards per 8½-by-11-inch sheet, 50 sheets). Additional impact cards available separately. Item 005452811 •C OURAGEOUS Invitation Cards 200 cards (8 per 8½-by-11-inch sheet, 25 sheets). Additional invitations available separately. Item 005452810

• C OURAGEOUS Postcards (100 each of 2 designs) 100 landscape postcards (8½ by-5½-inch postcard.) Item 005429353 100 portrait postcards (8½ by-5½-inch postcard.) Item 005429353 Additional postcards available separately. For information on customizing promotional items, please visit www.lifeway.com/courageous or call toll free 1-800-458-2772 (select option 3).

Campaign Kit Items Available Separately These items in your campaign kit may be ordered in the quantities needed for your church, group, or ministry.

Courageous Living Bible Study member (item 005422891) • Four-week small-group study Themes: Taking back leadership of your family, priorities, legacy, and faith • Available now for a churchwide campaign and outreach to the community or to follow the theatrical release of Courageous

Courageous Living Bible Study kit (item 005371695) • DVD movie clips for group discussion • Also includes a member book

Courageous Living (item 005324583) • In his new book Sherwood pastor and COURAGEOUS executive producer Michael Catt addresses biblical themes and characters who inspired the highly anticipated movie. Catt challenges readers: Dare to take a stand! • Basis of Creating a Courageous Life sermon series

Follow-up

Resources and Events Courageous Honor Begins at Home: The COURAGEOUS Bible Study Eight-week study goes deeper for men/parents who participate in Courageous Living Bible Study; may be impetus for starting menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accountability groups; use after the COURAGEOUS theatrical release; ideal for community outreach. (Fall 2011 release, 8 sessions: member book, item 005371686; DVD leader kit, item 005325609) The Resolution for Men and The Resolution for Women These companion resources support the Honor Begins at Home curriculum. (September 2011 release) www.lifeway.com/courageous or www.courageousresources.com

Parenting www.lifeway.com/lifetruths parent2parent.ning.com All Pro Dad: www.allprodad.com The Parent Adventure: Preparing Your Children for a Lifetime with God (7 sessions: member book, item 005181385; DVD leader kit, item 005126524) HomeLife magazine (availability: monthly, quarterly bundles, subscriptions) To interact with other parents, visit www.lifeway.com/homelifeonline ParentLife magazine (availability: monthly, quarterly bundles, subscriptions) To interact with other parents, visit www.lifeway.com/parentlifeblog

Men’s Ministry Game Plan for Life, Volumes 1 and 2 www.lifeway.com/gameplan and www.gameplanforlife.com (Volume 1: 6 sessions: member book, item 005259409; DVD leader kit, item 005269065. Volume 2: 6 sessions: member book, item 005371575; DVD leader kit, item 005371574) Every Man Ministries: www.everymanministries.com The Man God Uses by Henry Blackaby and Tom Blackaby (7 sessions: member book, item 001116501; DVD leader kit, item 005230605) Iron Sharpens Iron: www.ironsharpensiron.net Stand Firm magazine, a monthly Christian devotional magazine for men with readings, interviews, reviews, and short feature articles; also available as quarterly bundles and individual subscriptions Visit www.lifeway.com/ standfirm for details. HomeLife magazine monthly “Wise Guys” section for men

Women’s Ministry 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son, August 2011 release (member book, item 005342724; DVD leader kit, item 005342723) 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter (member book, item 005191375; DVD leader kit, item 005125844) Both six-session resources by Vicki Courtney equip mothers to help their kids combat cultural lies and mature into godly adults. Visit www.lifeway.com/vickicourtney for details. Mom to Mom resources by Linda Anderson Visit www.lifeway.com/lindaanderson for details. 43

LifeWay Events Festivals of Marriage 2011 The ideal follow-up to your church’s Courageous Living Bible Study groups or movie-release experience is a Festival of Marriage weekend. Designed to encourage, challenge, and help build healthy marriages, this event presents solutions for relevant marital concerns, provides opportunities for dynamic worship, and offers timely breakout sessions. Outcomes to expect: • Impact families by capturing the man’s heart and calling him to be a better husband and dad • Lift up bold fatherhood and family principles Visit www.lifeway.com/fom for information or call: • 800.797.4222 (Glorieta event) • 800.588.7222 (Ridgecrest events) • 800.254.2022 (All other events)

1. “ Facts on Father Absence” [online] 2010 [cited 4 January 2011]. Available from the Internet: http://www.fatherhood.org/Page.aspx?pid=330 2. “ Statistics of a Fatherless America” [online] n.d. [cited 4 January 2011]. Available from the Internet: http://www.photius.com/feminocracy/facts_on_fatherless_kids.html 3. “ Did You Know?” [online], n.d. [cited 4 January 2011]. Available from the Internet: http://www.mensminisntrycatalyst.org/home_stats.asp

COURAGEOUS Curriculum for Small Groups Honor begins at home Help families go deeper and create a new legacy of faith with Honor Begins at Home: The COURAGEOUS Bible Study. Available in October, this 8-week small group study builds on real-life parenting issues: • Tapping into God’s power and priorities • Mentoring and discipling your kids • Serving, protecting, and leading your family • And more! Invite parents to fulﬁll the role in the family that God has for them with Honor Begins at Home.

In theaters 9.30

w w w.lifeway.com/courageous 45

Bring the power of home to your family…. with “The Resolution” print! TM

I Will The first step men take is to be accountable to God and one another.

Signing When a man signs his Resolution, he makes promises that will impact his life and his family for good for generations.

Commitment Visibly displaying the Resolution affirms a family’s commitment to each other and the Lord. TM

Find “The Resolution” as seen in the movie in framed and unframed versions at your favorite Christian retail stores this September. Also available unframed in bulk quantities for your church and curriculum groups.

For more information, go to www.dayspring.com/courageous Final design may vary

men When you’re done with Courageous Living, check out these resources for your next men’s study.

www.lifeway.com | 800.458.2772

Men

b짜 Stephen & Alex Kendrick with Rand짜 Alcorn

Inspiring a Revolution b짜 Priscilla Shirer Foreword b짜 Stephen & Alex Kendrick

Available Sept. 2011 BHPublishingGroup.com/Courageous