What If We Had Church Media Days Like the BIG 10?

The Big 10 football coaches and top players of each team will be participating in the conference annual "Media Days" in Chicago over the next few days. Every college football fan looks forward to hearing from the coaches and players of their favorite team about the upcoming season.

It's not like we don't already know that Ohio State will be the early favorite to win the conference this year or that Purdue will probably not make it to a bowl game this year. The Big 10 College Football Media Days reminds us that Saturday afternoons will soon have something meaningful to offer besides ho-hum baseball games.

Recently, I was part of a pre-fall Sunday School planning meeting at my church. We discussed our strengths, weaknesses, and what we might do differently this year to help our congregation grow deeper in our faith. There was a sense of excitement as we thought about the approaching new season. This has led me to wonder if churches should participate in a conference wide "Media Days" event around this time of year that is similar to the Big Ten gathering that will be meeting in Chicago. 

What would that look like? Maybe something like this...

Pastor Jones: "Our starting nursery helper from last year had to have foot surgery and won't be ready for our September Kick-Off. We're a little thin in this area, but like I always say, our motto around here is, 'Next volunteer up!'"

Pastor Thompson: "We had a really productive VBS this past summer that brought in a lot of kids, so we are entering the new season with some positive momentum. We're expecting a big crowd when we begin the new season in September. Barring any unexpected vacations next month, there's no reason why we shouldn't fill our pews after Labor Day weekend."

Pastor Smith: "There are a lot of strong churches in our town, so we will have our work cut our for us this year. We are going to need some of our younger members to really step it up if we want to have a decent year."

Pastor Hughes: "We are a senior laden team this year. Several of our members have been around here for over 50 years. There's no reason why we can't be one of the better churches in our conference when it's all said and done. I'd be disappointed if we don't see a lot of new families join the church."

Pastor Lowe: "Our focus is on that first Sunday after Labor Day Weekend, but we also want to be ready for Christmas when we will be putting together a big children's musical this year. We need to begin strong and finish strong. I keep preaching to my flock that we need to be patient and focus on one Sunday at a time."

If we had church "Media Days," what would you be able to share about your church for the upcoming Fall season? What signs of optimism is God offering you during this season of "new beginnings?"

"O God, bless each church in our conference as we plan for our fall season of ministry. May this be a year of new opportunities as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen."