Click here to read comments from those who served at the Popcorn Festival.  Then, leave a comment and share about your own experience!

I want to personally say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who served this past weekend at the Children’s Area. The numbers are in and we sold more than 33,000 tickets. That’s up from last year which is quite astounding considering the rain on Saturday (wasn’t THAT fun?) In addition to that, we handed out (I’m guessing) at least 800 BCC and POLC Brochures through our little goodie bags! Be in prayer for those to reach the right people.

Sunday morning, the Prayer Breakfast Cart Walk crew was able to serve breakfast to 109 vendors.  They collected 11 prayer requests which they and the BCC Staff prayed for!  What a cool way to serve our community!

From the Set-Up and Tear-Down crews to games and inflatable workers, to the ticket tent, and everyone in between – this kind of event only works when everyone is working together.  That is indeed what we did. Whether you chipped in a little or worked double shifts (or triple!) to fill our holes, your part contributed to a successful display of God’s love to our community!

Post A Comment

Do you have any positive stories to share? Any God Stories that you got to be a part of? Overhear any conversations?  Leave a comment on this post for everyone to see! If you have any ideas that will help make our Children’s Area better next year, send them to me (ben@beavercreekchristian.org)

We have reason to celebrate what God has done through us.  Thank you for doing your part to demonstrate God’s love to families in Beavercreek and beyond!

P.S. – Make sure you make it on time to this weekend’s services so you can catch our 2010 Highlight Video from the festival!  They will begin at 9:30 and 11:00

Come Rain or Shine

Yes, there are thunderstorms in the forecast. If it looks like rain, or IS raining when your shift is about to start, please plan to come anyway. The festival will only be closed in the even of extreme or dangerous weather.

Don’t be generous! (PLEASE READ)

I wrote that heading so you would read this. Every year (including this year) a group of people spend a lot of time thinking hard, estimating, ordering and organizing the prizes. This year we’ve ordered around 40,000 prizes!! That may sound like a lot, but every year we’ve run short. You will be tempted to be generous when handing out prizes because hey, what a better way to show that Christians are nice and generous by handing out extra prizes. The prizes have been hand-picked for each game and carefully thought out.

To insure that the kids on Sunday afternoon get the same great experience as kids on Saturday morning, please follow the clear specific instructions on your prize container.

The generosity is already built-in because of our extremely low ticket prices.

Again, please be flexible

In our final push this week to fill slots, we still have been left with a good 40 holes. Please be willing to be moved around to work somewhere you weren’t signed up for if that will make the Children’s Area better. We inevitably will have to do that and your shift supervisors might ask you to help somewhere else.

You should be contacted by tomorrow with a reminder for your shift. Some emails have been sent and phone messages left, so check for messages there as well.

Could Use Set-Up Help Saturday AM

There have been a few people on our Set-Up crew who for various reason are unable to help.  If you are able, we could use help setting up the Children’s Area.  We meet at 6am on Saturday at the Children’s Area.  If you can help, please contact me so I know who I can count on. (ben@beavercreekchristian.org)

Watch for God Stories

Finally, be on the lookout for God stories. What is a God story? It’s a story you tell about God and something He did or was a part of. You may engage in a conversation with someone where God makes some sort of impact. You may overhear or directly receive a positive comment about the Children’s Area. You may step out of your comfort zone to serve someone this weekend. Whether big or small, if you have a story to tell of how God did something, we want to know and possibly share it with everyone. Send your God stories to me at ben@beavercreekchristian.org.

SEE YOU THERE!

Colossians 4:5-6 says

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

The shirts we wear in the Children’s Area serve several purposes. First they set the workers apart and make us visible and very easy to find. The most important purpose, however, is that the shirts create opportunities. As you work and as you walk around the festival, people may read your shirt and wonder what “just add salt” means. They may even remember the phrase from past years. If you are asked, you now have a great opportunity to give an answer that is seasoned with salt. Here are some things to think about.

Generally, people add salt to food to improve the taste. Our goal at the Children’s Area is to provide a fun and safe place for kids and families to have fun. It’s a way for us to share God’s love with our community with no strings attached – with no hidden agenda. We hope a visit to the Children’s Area improves everyone’s visit to the Popcorn Festival. So when someone asks you what “just add salt” means in stead of saying it has to do with popcorn, you can explain how it’s all about offering them a great experience at the Children’s Area. Just like salt makes popcorn better.

Let Colossians 4:5-6 govern your behavior while at the festival. Remember, whether you’re working or just walking around enjoying the festival, we are representing not only Beavercreek Christian Church and Christians, but we represent Jesus.

So, make the most of every opportunity you have to interact with people. Be full of grace – show them God’s love through your actions. Know how to answer everyone – just before you get out of the car, say a prayer that God will speak his love through you. Surprise them with genuine kindness! Look for opportunities to help people in small ways.

WHAT ABOUT THE T-SHIRT I ORDERED?

For those who ordered T-shirts, they can be picked up:

• Thursday evening from 6:30 – 9 in the BCC gym.
• Friday from 9am – 3pm in the BCC Main Office.

If you can’t make it at that time we will have them available at the Children’s area – with your name on them. Stop by the supply tent (near the building) to pick up your t-shirt upon arrival. You can pay then. It’s $5 per shirt with a max of $15 per family. We will have a few extras for sale while they last.

Where do I park and when should I arrive?

The best place to park is across the street in the Kroger parking lot. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your shift. When you arrive, you’ll need to check in with the shift supervisor. If you’re not sure who that is, ask the folks at the ticket tent. When you get to your game or inflatable, the volunteer there will show you what to do. When you’ve got it down, they can be relieved

and you can take over. When the next shift arrives, you will need to show them what to do.

What should I bring with me?

Wear your orange “Just Add Salt” T-shirt. It’s usually fairly hot during the festival so hats, sunglasses and suntan lotion can be helpful. We do out best to provide shade and cold water to volunteers. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. We also encourage you to leave personal and valuable items in your car or at home during your shift.

What if something comes up I can’t work my shift?

If you can’t work the shift you signed up for, please do your best to find a replacement. If you are unable to get a substitute, contact the church office as soon as possible so we can make sure your spot is covered. You’ll be called or emailed THIS WEEK to be reminded of your scheduled time. If it’s the day of, call the on call cell phone at 681-2569 and they will help you out.

Can I invite others to help me work if they weren’t signed up?

By all means, yes! We encourage you and your family to work together or even to invite friends or neighbors you are investing in. Just keep in mind that children 12 and under may not run a game without an adult helper. Also keep in mind that we are here to provide a service to the community, not to socialize with our friends.

Please be flexible.

The shift supervisors reserve the right to move people around to cover games. Since we don’t have all the slots full, we ask that you be flexible and willing to change games if needed.

Watch for more answers and information tomorrow!

Now, I want to talk about  a very important part in the Children’s Area that I want to get our minds and hearts prepared for.  This one thing is something we’ll all be a part of and will be the determining factor of whether or not we are successful at the festival.

This one thing is:  The interaction you have with our guest.

Remember everything we do matters – every detail.  And we only get that one short interchange to make a positive impression.  We are representing our church, Christians, and God – so no pressure!!  My good friend Howard Brammer gave me good advice one time I’ll never forget.  ”Make sure you’re prayed up”.  So that’s my advice to you.  Start today.  Pray for those interactions you’ll have.  Pray you’ll be attentive to the Holy Spirit who may nudge you to actually engage someone in conversation!  Pray in the car on the way to your shift.  All of our acts of hospitality will add up to provide an unforgettable experience for those who come in the Children’s Area.

Here are a few other hospitality tips:

• Make eye contact and smile
• Greet every guest
• Ask them if they’re having a good time
• Be present and engaged with each guest – The most important person is the one standing right in front of you!
• If they talk to you – Listen
• Pick up trash if you see it
• Keep things neat and organized
• Watch for ways to improve someone’s experience. Get them a bottle of water, a place to sit, a bag to hold their prizes.  Maybe someone just needs to be noticed and greeted.
• If you see a problem, correct it yourself if you can – or find a Shift Supervisor for help.
• If you feel it’d be a welcomed invitation, invite them to BCC (they’ll have information in their goodie bag about BCC)
• As people leave, thank them for stopping by
• Be real with people and genuinely care about them.  People notice authenticity – not only in how we treat them, but how we interact with each other.
• Don’t let socializing with your friends be more important than giving attention to your guest.
• Smile – a lot.

NEXT WEEK – I know some of you have questions.  You’ll receive all the practical tips you need to succeed next weekend in the Children’s Area at the Popcorn Festival!

Click here to see all the Popcorn Festival updates!

In this video, I lead you through a time of prayer so that God will arrive ahead of us at the Children’s Area.

Here are 4 things to pray for when preparing for the big weekend:

1. Pray for the interactions YOU will have with those who come into the Children’s Area
2. Pray for God’s Presence to rest on the parking lot where the Children’s Area will be
3. Pray for each little girl, boy, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and anyone else who will stop in to the Children’s Area, wherever they may be at this moment, pray for them.
4. Pray for the interchanges that will occur between our Sunday morning breakfast crew and the venders they will be serving and praying for.

In all things, let us pray that God’s glory will be revealed to all!  This is a very important weekend for us – where we go in a unique way to meet our community on their turf.  Let us hope that God uses us as His means to reach and rescue some of His children.

If for whatever reason the video isn’t showing up, here’s the direct link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7_QyzEFfY

Congratulations!

You are the recipient of the first ever BCC news blog RSS Feed Email Subscription Update.  Huh?  Don’t worry about it.  The important thing is you are getting this update and as the Popcorn Festival quickly approaches it’d be good to make a habit of checking for these updates.

If you are seeing this update, you have already done 2 of the most important tasks.  You have…

1. Signed up to serve and you have…
2. Joined the update list.

If you already have your t-shirt then all you have left is to sit back, pray for the success of the event, and watch for Popcorn Festival updates in your email inbox.  If you know someone who is serving, make sure you remind them to leave their email at the display table and then click on the all important confirmation email link.

There are only a few of you who will be getting this update when it’s fresh.  Others will be1 reading it much later.  So for now, I`1′ll leave you with the most important bit of information – the date of the festival!

Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
September 11-12, 2010