• Use every communication vehicle possible to promote the meeting:  bulletins, announcements, letters, personal invitations.
  Insure that the whole congregation or group involved is fully aware of the meeting.
  Take time to clearly and fully describe what is being done, and why.
  Explain why the meeting is being called?
  Clarify the objectives?
  Explain what is to be accomplished.
  Make sure the congregation or group understands that the meeting will be meaningful, that what comes out of it will result in actions that are needed, and that the leadership really wants the congregation's participation.
  Put a Biblical wrapper on the comments or announcement, possibly by preaching on the concept of the body and the need for body parts to be active and to participate for the body to function properly (Rom 12:3ff and Eph4:12-16).
• Produce a humorous flyer asking for full congregational participation .
• Form an agenda that might include some fun event, maybe snacks and refreshments, a "pot luck meal," and devotional period.
  Have a heavy dose of prayer, Scripture reading, & songs during the devotional element of the meeting.
• Get one or two key leaders behind the meeting so they can actively promote the meeting.
  By doing this one broadens the support of the meeting.
• Consider sending personal invitations to homes.
  This requires some effort but it provides an opportunity to involve another group of people to volunteer to promote the meeting.

NAMING THE MEETING

• It is important to effective communication to give the meeting a clear and catchy name.
  The point being that the meeting should be postured as something interesting, challenging, and meaningful.
• It should also be apparent from the naming of the meeting that its purpose and goals are achievable and do not appear to be way out in some esoteric realm!
• The congregation should not be left to guess from the name of the meeting what the meeting concerns.
• The meeting name needs to indicate a focus on plans and strategies involving the congregation.
• It may be advisable to have a group come up with a creative title.  Appoint a group to convene in order to help plan and pull off the meeting.  Naming the meeting could be part of this groups purpose.  Care should be practiced in this regard as sometimes groups tend to be overly creative, but the effort can prove to generate excellent ideas.
• By enlarging the initial planning and implementation of the meeting others are invited to buy into the process before the meeting even occurs.

AGENDA

• Publish a well worded and manageable agenda.
• The agenda may include beginning the meeting with a "pot luck" fellowship meal.
• A brief devotional should be designed in the agenda to include some singing, prayers, and scripture reading.
  Plan to broaden the involvement by inviting different people to lead in the devotional different subject oriented prayers.
• Refreshment breaks should be strategically placed in the agenda to allow time for discussion.
• Discussion opportunities in small groups should be strategically placed in the agenda.
• Have the discussion groups summarize and present their ideas.
• Use NGT (Nominal Group Technique) technique to stimulate ideas and to trigger thoughts.
  Click here to go to a chart on NGT rules and procedure. 
  Do this before or after breaking into work or discussion groups.
• Some vehicle for assessing the success of the meeting must be built into the agenda.
• If strategic planning is the purpose of the meeting, follow strategic planning steps.
  Click here to go to a program outlining the strategic planning process.

PROTOCOLS AND PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES

• Appoint a capable, well informed chair person to lead the meeting.
• The chairman must be well informed as to the purpose of the meeting and the NGT process.
• The chairman must maintain the progress of the meeting according to the agenda - stick to the agenda!
• Appoint a capable meeting secretary who will record the names of those present at the meeting, the decisions and pertinent steps taken during the meeting, and the summaries of groups discussions..
• It should be stressed that no one has bad ideas!  Remember the NGT rules.
• Everyone should be encouraged to participate, comment, and make any observation relevant to the topic.
  Only when everyone feels free to comment will they engage in the process both mentally and actively.
• Divergent points of view are often both correct!
  Problems and solutions are not always clear-cut black & white.
  There are often good rational points of view from different sides of the spectrum, encourage everyone to appreciate and assimilate alternative views.
  Doing so might moderate and enrich the outcome.
• Do not permit anyone to engage in personal remarks or attacks.
  The meeting is to discuss ideas and solutions, not personalities.
• If there is a concern that some might dominate the meeting consider using a time limit for observations for all participants.
  When the time limit expires the chair should pass the discussion on to the next person for comment.
  Should a speaker feel that they have other thoughts to add, encourage them to make notes to comment on when there next turn comes to speak.
  When discussion comes back around they can choose what to say in that time.
  Either they’ll move on or they’ll finish what they “had to say”.
  This process  relates mainly to situations where one or two, or a group seek to dominate the discussion.
• Make sure that everyone, including the women, are encouraged to participate!  Prompt individuals to  comment so they get pulled in.
  Ask individuals "What do you think about the subject or discussion?"
• Seek consensus agreement rather than majority decisions.
   

HANDOUT MATERIALS 

• Prepare copies of the agenda for every participant.
• Prepare a statement of purpose for the meeting which should be made available to all participants.
• If such are pertinent to the purpose of the meeting, provide statistics for review and reflection.
• Use flip charts and handouts related to the purpose of the meting.  Too many handouts may appear that one is manipulating the process.
• Flash process slides periodically in front of the group to focus attention on the purpose of the meeting.
  Do this several times.
• Have a handout that specifically reminds the group of the protocols and rules of discussion.
• If strategic planning is the purpose of the meeting, follow strategic planning steps.
  Click here to go to a program outlining the strategic planning process.

OBJECTIVES, ASSESSMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION

• The meeting participants should already have been advised of the objectives of the meeting.

• The meeting should be recognized only as a planning or strategy meeting.

• Some vehicle for assessing the progress of the meeting should be built into the agenda.
  This could be in the form of reports of summaries form the different groups, if groups are an aspect of the meeting.
  Remember NGT rules and procedures.

• Some form of summarization should conclude the meeting.
  The chair may ask for brief summaries of salient comments or observations.

• Procedures for communicating and implementing the plans must be formulated and carried forward.