Monday, June 22, 2009

The POWER! in Connection Power...

When you hear the words “connection power” what comes to your mind? Does it grip you with technological fear? Does it leave you confused and bewildered about what to do with it? Does it boggle the mind or seem difficult to master? If you answered yes to any of these you are not alone…in fact I have also been a little confused about how to put this incredible tool to work for the good of connection groups. However, after a little TLC and some personal training on the software I have come to respect and appreciate what it can do for us as leaders to help grow our groups and to effectively shut the proverbial “back door”. This tool in the hands of a leader or volunteer from the group who is committed to a little effort and not afraid of a little accountability can ensure their group a tremendous leap forward in group care and growth for a deeper and more powerful life transforming experience through group life.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

I’m glad you asked. The POWER in Connection Power comes from its ability to track people from the time they enter the doors of CPH until they get connected into group life with a connection group but that’s not all. Once a member or visitor has connected into group life Connection Power gives us the ability to track their attendance and needs allowing the group to effectively care for group members God has entrusted them with. It all begins with the following…

Connection Power Assignments:
In the very near future as a connection group leader you will be receiving e-mails indicating people who are interested in connection groups or the Church at Pinnacle Hills. As a connection group leader YOU are our BEST chance at connecting them to a life transforming experience through group life. Your contact call and subsequent follow up through connection power will be the tools that will best help people find the connection and relationships that so many people are desperate to find. Your touch inviting them to your group or giving them information about another group that fits them better will ensure that connection group ministry not only grows at CPH but thrives as well. It will be very simple to navigate.

1. You will receive an e-mail with a web address included. Simply click on the web address and you will be directed to the page listed with the contact information.

2. Simply click on “enter results” and you will be taken to a page where you can submit information about the call you are making. Enter the info after making the phone call.

3. Simply scroll down to the end of the page and click on the submit button.

This easy phone call gets the ball rolling and puts the interested party on the fast track to connection. It also helps us as leaders stay accountable for who we have been assigned to contact and follow up on for the growth of our groups. However, DO NOT allow this system to become the only opportunity that you or your group members rely upon for the growth of your group. Remember that you and your group engaging in life transformation through a caring group and always sharing your lives with others is the best promotion connection ministry has.

Connection Power Attendance:
The next step is to take your group and make sure that they are all listed in connection power under your group name. Michelle Holden our ministry assistant can help you out with that. Then follow the easy steps that have been included in your Sunday packets from the connection kiosk or call Michelle Holden at 479-271-7799 for a personal walk through. After you have followed through with the previous step simply do the following…

1. After each group meeting or event take 5 min or assign this task to another admin leader in the group and submit your attendance for that particular week or event through connection power. It’s that easy!

This is another step in accountability that allows each group to track their attendance and to see ebbs and flows during particular seasons of life during the year to plan appropriately. It also helps identify members who go MIA and address possible needs in their lives. The attendance component is a powerful tool for each group for the reasons mentioned above but it becomes even more powerful when as a ministry we can track overall ministry attendance to help us as a team plan more effectively and to track our own ebbs and flows of group life. It gives us a marker with which to hold ourselves accountable for growth and effectiveness.

Connection Power Touch:
Power Touch as it is called is the component that up to this stage in our ministry has not been used. This component is a powerful way to reach out and touch your group members through e-mail, personal cards and calls, prayer, alerts, and to record each time a group member is cared for during the month. This is the “slam the back door shut” component of connection power and if used effectively and consistently will do more to keep a group feeling cared for and in touch with one another than just about anything we have tried to this point. Again, this is another way to hold ourselves accountable as leaders for doing what God has called us to do. We will all be trained how to use this component at our August 16th inspiRED Boot Camp training day.

So as you can see Connection Power is not that big scary, mind boggling, creepy, fearful piece of technology out there that I will never be able to master. In fact it is that helpful, useful, easy way to stay connected and accountable for the ministry to which God himself has entrusted to us! So get connected to stay powerful through CONNECTION POWER!

5 comments:

  1. Thanks:Best explanation I have heard

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am excited about what Connection Power can do for our Connections Ministry. Thank you for your awesome leadership Eric!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good Stuff, thx -- jgmiles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. By the way, ... I can not read your post in this blog format. I must copy the text and drop it into a word doc, increase the font size on a white background and then read it. --- must be old age...sigh!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Connection Power can be a huge blessing to the one making these calls. It gives us opportunities to share Christ with people to pray for them to hear what is on there hearts to meet new people. Through this technical comunicator we have many new members and friends. It helps get things in perspective and hear the reality of life. I have had the priviledge to be part of CP since the beginning...it is incredible what God does through communication!!!

    ReplyDelete