EPISODE 31: Ideas for your Global Sunday or Global Series
What's Inside
It's Global Sunday season. Most churches here in the U.S. set aside one Sunday, or sometimes a whole series, to highlight the nations and get the congregation thinking about their neighbors and the nations, both across the street and around the world.
I'm speaking this Sunday (or by the time this airs, I already will have) at a church running a series called Go Across the Street and Around the World, based on my book. So I wanted to hand you a whole episode of ideas, some of my own and some I've picked up from other churches, for how to make your Global Sunday, series, or even a whole Global Month memorable.
Here's what I cover:
Start with what you're already doing. Look at your church's current global and local work, refugees, international students, short-term trips, and build your message and worship around it. This one Sunday isn't the only thing you do all year. It's a chance to shine a light on it.
Build it around a book. A book gives you a built-in outline, and it gives people something to take home and keep growing with. I share the story of a church that went all out with my book, yellow and blue everywhere, even marshmallow peeps and a wrapped mini bus, and I mention my free sermon series outlines (one Sunday, four Sundays, and eight Sundays) on my website.
Move it into small groups. A book series works best when it becomes a small group study afterward. I talk about the free book series guide I created for Across the Street and Around the World, simple enough that a group doesn't even need a designated leader.
Do something creative and interactive during the service. Get people out of their seats, interview a cross-cultural worker or someone heading overseas, or bring in a family from a refugee or immigrant background to share their story. I tell you about interviewing an Iraqi refugee family on video, and about interviewing a short-term trip team live over Zoom during a service.
Get the whole church involved with a challenge. I talk about my Refugee Rations Challenge, Prayer Pathways, and Discover by Doing resources, all free on my website.
Use scripture you haven't already used ten times. If you want a fresh angle, go listen to last week's episode on Joseph. I don't think I've ever heard a Global Sunday message built around him, and there's a lot there.
Eat together. Potlucks are back, even in big churches. Our church did an international potluck last year, and it was one of the best parts of the day.
Host a nations night of worship. Give people space to emotionally connect with the three billion people who have the least access to Jesus, with resources like Joshua Project's videos and maps.
Don't forget who's already in your city. I tell the story of my dad discovering a Bengali family in a small town in Kansas, and Bengalis are the largest unreached people group in the world. I also tell you about calling a faith-based international student ministry at ASU years ago and inviting our whole church to host students for Thanksgiving. Suddenly they weren't statistics anymore. They were people.
A personal note: the next few episodes are recorded ahead of time, because my husband and I are headed to Italy soon to celebrate our 35th anniversary (we Travel Hack)! If you don't hear a new episode right away, that's why. And if this episode was helpful, I would love it if you left a review wherever you listen. It helps people find the show.
Resources Mentioned:
Across the Street and Around the World:
www.jeanniemarieacademy.com/book
Free Sermon Series Outlines (1, 4, and 8 Sunday versions):
www.jeannie-marie.com/sermon-leads
Free Small Group and Book Series Guides:
www.jeanniemarieacademy.com/smallgroupguides
Global Challenges (Refugee Rations Challenge, Prayer Pathways, Discover by Doing):
www.jeannie-marie.com/global-challenges
Joshua Project:
www.joshuaproject.net
Connect with Jeannie Marie
Website: www.jeanniemarieacademy.com
Instagram: @jeanniemmarie
Email: [email protected]
