Suggest BIG IDEAS, Get BIG IDEAS and Win Coffee!

We are in the process of pulling together our team to plan our BIG IDEAS for 2009-2010.  A BIG IDEA is a teaching theme for a series.  It can be topical or exegetical.  We have already had a couple of brainstorming sessions with our whole team and I also solicited the input of our Kids City Champion, Student Community Champion and Adult Ministry Champion.  I want to make sure that we have the very best BIG IDEAS for the coming year. 

That is where I need your help!  Our BIG IDEA yearly planning meeting is coming up in a little over a week and I would love to hear from you the best BIG IDEA series you have ever done or have ever come across. It can be your idea or somebody else's ideas that you really like.

I will make you a deal - if you leave me a comment suggesting a BIG IDEA series I will make sure that we e-mail you our complete list of possible BIG IDEAS.  Deal?  And to sweeten the pot, if we use a BIG IDEA that you suggest I will send you a $25 Starbucks gift certificate as a thank you. Or if you live in the Naperville area I will send you a $25 Ground Level Cafe gift certificate, which is even better than Starbucks!  So suggest BIG IDEAS and get BIG IDEAS back!

If you want to learn more about how to create your own BIG IDEA process, then you should click HERE and get a copy of our book, The BIG IDEA

Comments

[Jerry McQuay]

Big idea: God uses ordinary people to accomplish great things.

We used the "Heroes" theme (TV show graphics, etc.) and did a great series using little-known Bible characters who became 'heroes' by allowing God to use them to make a difference in their world.

Our list included: "Workplace Heroes" (the midwives who spared the Hebrew boys when Moses was born; Tabitha in Acts; the little maid who informed Naaman's wife about healing through the God of Israel)

"The 300" who followed Gideon's lead to deliver Israel. (focus on them, not on Gideon)

The Hebrews 11 list of those who were unnamed yet who died in faith.

Joseph of Cyprus (nicknamed 'Barnabas') whose ministry of encouragement was incredibly essential to the growth of the first-century church.

There were others, but your team will have fun coming up with other little-known characters.

[Michael Deutsch]

Do a series called "Hedging your Bets."

The focus is on relationship with God as seen through the eyes of Job, his wife and friends. Our society still has the view of God as being retributional; and God puts a hedge of protection around us if we love Him.

[Chris Edmondson]

Unfaithful (Hosea)

Series Big Idea: Idolatry is when we substitute God for something or someone.

Hosea 1 Big Idea: God has every right to be angry when we substitute Him.
Hosea 2 Big Idea: Substitutes Don’t Satisfy.
Hosea 3 Big Idea: Substitutes Enslave

[Chris Edmondson]

Habakkuk (Flip the Dip)

Habakkuk 1 Big Idea: What do you do when you’re disappointed with God? You hold on.
Habakkuk 2 Big Idea: Fear is an Emotional Outburst of Unbelief. Faith is choosing to believe God.
Habakkuk 3 Big Idea: When you focus on big God, problems become small.
Habakkuk 3:19 Big Idea: God has things for your life that will only happen if you are brave.

[Chris Edmondson]

Galatians (Losing My Religion)

Galatians 1 Big Idea: Religion is spelled DO, but Christianity is spelled DONE.
Galatians 2 Big Idea: Character/Integrity is being the same person in different situations.
Galatians 3 Big Idea: Following the law sucks the life from you and brings you death. Following Jesus brings you life because of His death.
Galatians 4 Big Idea: Religion makes you a slave, but a Relationship makes you a child of God.
Galatians 5 Big Idea: The way to be perfect and have a relationship with God is to let Jesus be perfect for you.
Galatians 6:1-3 Big Idea: If you don’t want to be alone, you have to make room for others.
Galatians 6:7-9 Big Idea: The Input determines the Outcome.

[David Israel]

Anger Management (an older movie I know, but the topic is still fresh) A single sermon on the subject has sparked so much response that we'll be doing an eventual series on it.
Big Idea: Anger is not sin, what you do with it may be. How to live out anger in God-Righteous ways.

[Chris Edmondson]

Say Ahh (Controlling the Tongue)
Series Big Idea: Control your tongue, control your life!

[Chris Edmondson]

The Day I Got An “F” (Forgiveness)

Sermon # 1: The Day I Got An “F”
Big Idea: To be forgiven, you recognize who Jesus is, realize who you are, and ask forgiveness.

Sermon #2: Why We Forgive
Big Idea: We don’t forgive because they deserve to be forgiven. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

Sermon #3: The Day I Got Fired
Big Idea: Giving forgiveness frees the one who has been hurt more than the ones who hurt us.

Sermon #4: Forgiveness is Final
Big Idea: God’s forgiveness is eternal not based upon our actions, but on Jesus act on the cross.

[Chris Edmondson]

Got Purpose? (New Year's Sermon)

Big Idea: Everyone ends up somewhere, but few people end up somewhere on purpose.

[Joann]

Galatians 5:22 tells us the fruit of the Spirit. We sometimes neglect Galatians 5:19-21 warning of the acts of the sinful nature. I think a spoof of the "What Not To Wear" TLC show would be good to show the things Christ Followers should NOT wear and how the fruit of the Spirit are the best makeover.

[Chris Edmondson]

At the Movies

The Dark Knight Big Idea: Breaking points will become break through points if you don’t give up.
The Incredible Hulk: We are filled and controlled by God through the Bible, prayer, service and community.
WallE Big Idea: You were created for more than stuff—you were created for relationships. Relationships are Eternal.

[Mike Filicicchia]

This year my churh did a series called Portrait of a Revolutionary and went week-by-week through six characteristics:

1) Walks in Grace
2) Is Devoted to their first love
3) Walks in moral purity
4) Is committed to authentic community
5) Has a heart for the needy (physical and spiritual)
6) Has a vision for the world

[DAREn neely]

1)" weirdos" this would talk about some of the weird characters Jesus it himse around
2) "cookies and red kool aid" this would cover what true fellowship looks like-more than cookies and red kool aid.
3) "run away from the guy in the hockey mask" if we would flee from our desires like we would run from a crazy guy in a hockey mask, we'd probably save ourselves lots of pain.

[Sam Middlebrook]

Prayer. We so often to pray to a supreme God to do things that we can humanly do - only we're asking Him to do it so we don't have to. Why?

[Jon Porter]

HOW TO BE HONEST WITHOUT BEING BRUTAL - Ephesians 4:14-16

Big Idea: We can build someone up without tearing them down so violently. How do we love someone in truth without coming off as judgmental or condemning?

[mike]

Our students recently "stole" the theme of Coffeehouse Theology by Ed Cyzewski.

While our series has almost nothing to do with the actual book, we've been focusing on a different theological term/concept each week.

We set up the space to reflect a coffeeshop and we give time for answering questions. We've also encouraged students to start "coffeehouse theologizing" outside of the church. Basically starting an informal small group where they can ask each other questions and read the Bible together.

[Dan Ghramm]

Dave, I met you down at Exponential. I'm getting ready to launch a new campus of Gateway Cleveland this fall. We're going to start doing Big Idea with the downtown campus once I launch. We're trying it out this summer with me preaching at the downtown campus. Here's our series.

Leadership Lessons from Joshua
(especially for those who might not feel like one)

1. Following Before Leading: A great leader follows Jesus first. (Joshua 1, 5)
2. 2nd Chair Leadership: A great leader learns from others. (Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
3. Survey Says: A great leader trusts and obeys even when it’s not popular. (Numbers 13-14)
4. Tough Assignment: A great leader deals with sin without hesitation. (Joshua 5, 7)
5. Lasting Legacy: A great leader impacts generations beyond his own (Joshua 23-24)

[Dan Richardson]

"Poison" - Take a look at the various things that creep into our lives that seem good at the time but are actually poison in the end. It's an easy series to do a lot of creative elements for - A gothic table set with green "poison" in the cups, coffin, viles of poison as invites. etc. Or you could go down the path of a half eaten apple - might go well with Adam and Eve eating the fruit as well.

"Sexy Christianity" - Uncover what true Christianity is and debunk the myth that says that Christianity is sexy. You could use the paradox statements in the bible (Die to get life, to be greater you must become a servant, etc)

[Tim Britton]

How about taking a look at the Lords prayer in a series called "Up There Down Here". You could reinforce the whole concept of "Thy Kingdom COME Thy will be done on EARTH as it is In HEAVEN. I think the stole the Up there Down here lingo from GRANGER.

We just finished a series with our students called FREQUENCY in which we took the call numbers from all their favorite radio stations in the Chicago area and used that as a springboard for some important spiritual truths. This enabled us to have an easy tie in with lots of music and media.

Just a couple of quick ideas.

[David Mehrle]

Echo - a look at the book of acts and how Christ is ECHOed. An echo is a reflection, our lives are to be a reflection of Christ in them.

Prison Stories - i will email the big picture to you. This was a great series on how the disciples responded when tough time came.

David Mehrle
www.studentministry101.com

[@lorindahayes]

@Jesus--If Jesus tweeted, what would he say? Would you follow him? Would he follow your tweets? How is an eternal God relevant in an instant society?

[Jenn Pedley]

Ok Dave....Starbucks is the one small luxury I have here in MI. Remember that when you are choosing your winner.....

I am not a pastor, I didn't steal this idea or use this idea somewhere else first....It is a purely caffiene-induced random Thursday morning thought.... (apropos given the prize don't you think?)

Ok...here goes.

"242 - 24/7"

3-4 weeks outlining the Acts church and what that should look like in the world today. I love the Randy Frazee thing and wish more people lived in that kind of community. How about...

"Bread AND Life" - The lost art of sharing a meal.

"Greeting, Meeting and Succeeding Your Needing" - What qualifies to God as a need, how did the early church meet other's needs (can you really imagine that? One snowblower for every 6 houses?) and how can meeting other's needs actually meet your own too.

Day Two - You're No Longer New.

- Verse 47 says that their numbers were added to daily. This means that no one was the "new guy" for very long! Tomorrow there will be someone more newly reconciled to God than you.....how should we as a modern church recognize this momentum that God intended his church to have and help equip people to live servent lives much sooner than we do.

I could go on and on....but you get the idea. (the big idea that is).
In fact, there is so much here you could name an entire chuch after it. (Oh yeah, I already did that....:-)

[Doug Foltz]

Small is the New Big.
The idea is to unpack a series around Jesus and the disciples. Jesus focused primarily on his small group. When Jesus spoke to a crowd there was the time after where he unpacked life lessons for the disciples. He intentionally asks the Twelve to follow him rather than invite the crowd. Jesus intentionally kept his focus small (even with the crowd he only focused on Israel) but his vision was big. His small focus unleashed a history changing movement we call the Church. This would focus on the value you have of Reproducing Leaders. Most people get lost in a big vision, but they can wrap their minds around a small group of people that they can invest in. You guys provide the big vision, let the people have the small focus and let God unleash a movement.

[David Mehrle]

Dave,

I sent you two big ideas sheets by email as it looks like my thoughts did not get posted for some reason.

David
www.studentminsitry101.com

[Eric Hash]

Dave,

In his book Searching For God Knows Whats Donald Miller talks about going through through the Gospels and listing all the characteristics of Jesus that he read. How about a series on What is Jesus really Like.