The Call for Decision
the
outline of
some of our Upward
program
A LOT goes into the invitation! But it flows easily and doesn't take a long time once we're to that point in the program. For the invitation time to go best, we have some suggestions that we find work best to help when the time comes:
Prayers should be lifted up by as many as possible
throughout the season. We ask that you mail or email us a list of
your unchurched players, players you know haven't made a decision and
any other prayer requests for your season so we can be a part of your
prayer team too. We also suggest that you have church
members sign up for the prayer team for this ministry and do at
least 100 days of prayer prior to the closing night as Upward
suggests.
We suggest that you have your coaches and leaders present the gospel 2 or 3 weeks before our program at practice and ask who wants to make that decision to follow Christ for the first time then. We find that you will have some ready to make that decision then AND then you will still have MANY who become ready by the awards night and give their lives to Jesus that night!
Ask coaches to meet together and pray at a certain time before the program. Also, at this time, alert the coaches that we are going to ask kids to raise their hands if they want to make a first time decision to follow Christ--ask the coaches to take note of their team members that raise their hands and be ready to follow-up on those that raised their hands even if they believe that child has already made a commitment. At this time remind coaches that you will give them the names of those who mark on the card that they made a first time decision as well and ask them to follow-up on those as well.
Make an announcement twice starting about 10 minutes before the awards night starts like, "Please if you need to use the restroom, go now...and not after the program starts. Let's especially stay in our seats while our special guests are doing their juggling show...so everyone else can enjoy the show." We like you to announce too--"No flash photography while the Dorrells are juggling. You can feel free to take photos while the program is going on...just not while they are juggling."
We suggest that you use the cards
that Upward suggests, these work,
that's why they've provided them as a
guide. The best use of the cards for the family members is to
have the cards placed in the card pockets in every pew/seat beforehand
and coaches should hold onto the kids cards that already have their
team members names and info until after the invitation. If you
have to pass them out before the program, make an announcement for
parents to wait to fill out the cards...that there will be a time in
the program later for them to be filled out. Then, don't ask to
have them filled out until after the gospel presentation and taken up
AFTER the invitation and people have had time to fill them out.
We find many churches miss the opportunity to follow up because they
take them up before the presentation of the gospel to do
give-a-ways. We suggest that the speaker be one of the first
things that happens during your program so everyone can still give full
attention to the gospel message. A good goal is to have us
starting our presentation within the first 10-15 minutes of the
program--of course earlier is fine too--don't try to make the program
any longer than it has to be.
Use the cards to not only get
decisions registered, but use them to give away some cool prizes.
If you have Kathy and I come, we recommend that you buy a few juggling
toys as give-a-ways as well as some Upward Basketballs, shirts, and
gift certificates for family meals at area restaurants, for a
free pizza party or some cool things like that. We have Giant
Chinese Yo-yo's and juggling things with DVD's that teach how to use
these toys at a reasonable price. If you want to add a few
of these toys to give away to our contract before we get there to make
sure you have them, let us know.
After our juggling presentation, we have demonstrated the condition of the heart stained with sin and the condition of the heart God has cleaned...or we have illustrated the condition of an empty heart and one filled with Jesus. I have everyone close their eyes, and picture their heart the way that God sees it. (I've told them that only God can see the stain or emptiness in a life and heart caused by sin. And I've told them if they've already received God's free forgiveness that God sees a pure heart.) Then I ask them if they need to make a change today...and if they do, while everyone has their eyes closed, I ask that they raise their hands if they want to give their life to Jesus for the very first time so I can pray for them.
Then I pray and thank God for everything that we've experienced together that night and I especially thank him for those who have indicated they want to change their lives that night and I ask God to help them to make that decision public and to share it with someone tonight. I also share a model prayer that they can pray if they want to ask God to change their life right now.
Then one of the church's ministers (or we can do this) can come and tell about the decision card...that they want parents and kids to fill it out. Showing both sides of the card: suggestions to make the league better, volunteer spot for coaching...as well as the decision side. Each decision part should be explained thoroughly, the minister can even pick up some of our equipment to recap the message that was shared about faith, sin and forgiveness. The minister should also let it be known that they have prizes for parents and kids so everyone should turn in the cards for the door prizes.
We trust the Holy Spirit to move, lead and guide the decision making.
Cards should be collected and door prizes should be drawn for. (Make sure you have an efficient plan for the number of door prizes you have. The best way to do this is to just have the winner stand up and have a "runner" run his/her prize to them while the next prize is drawn for. For this to work best you will need 3 or 4 "runners" to take the prizes to the people.)
For several weeks after the church should plan to follow-up on decisions that are made. Each person making a decisions should be invited to join a class at the church for their age group or for new believers or at a church close to where they live. They should be encouraged to continue to attend church, to read their Bible, to pray, to hang out with other Christians etc.
Always give the awards out and recognize the children after the presentation. If they have their prizes already, they will be distracted from the gospel message.