BIG DAY – Script Out and Role Play ALL the Details (Or Something Might Embarrass You)
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The exact schedule of our Preaching Rally varies from year to year, but the general layout stays the same. We have certain things that we have repeated since the beginning–three sessions, skits in each session, snack break first, lunch break second,–but we have altered the schedule at times to try new things–men’s and ladies’ split sessions, games/slideshow/video/songs as openers, various little tweaks. In a long-running conference like the Preaching Rally, we constantly try to balance innovation with stability. If we innovate every year, people will not learn to trust the rally and may not keep coming. But if we never innovate, we grow stagnant and predictable. Stability is great. Crumbling over time is not.
The schedule below was taken from a standard year. After our first Preaching Rally, we added 30 minutes to the schedule and have kept the same basic time frames ever since. The goal of the schedule is to keep things moving, and to highlight the preaching. We have just enough fun built into the schedule so that it is still an enjoyable conference without dragging on too long.
The schedule is listed below, with my comments in the bullet points beneath each schedule line. I role play through each script in detail on my Friday run-through, and make sure each item is in its place, including game pieces, music, microphones and megaphones. One year, I was so focused on a practical joke (the frozen mayonnaise gag) that I completely missed some key details in the game. Because I did not think the game through to the end, I forgot one of the most important parts of the game–paper towels to clean up (I still feel bad about that one)! See below for the schedule and all my scripts.
Preaching Rally Schedule
10:40 Music begins (HBBC background) – Ryan B.
Churches arrive and register
Greeters greet each guest, distributing the booklets, bookmarks and pens
10:55 “5 min.” announce – Bro. Ryan
If the services will be starting late, I announce it here so that people know I will start late intentionally, rather than because we lost track of time.
11:00 Goofy music begins – Ryan B.
This signals the start of something new without my having to wave my arms or yell
11:00 Session 1 (1 hr. 20 min.)
11:00 Game – Rock/Paper/Scissors CHEER – Bro. Ryan
A game was chosen as the opener this year because it allows the late churches to show up without missing anything important. We now schedule at least 15 minutes of dead space (like games or silly music) at the beginning of each year, whereas in the past we had started with a video or something too important to miss.
This game in particular was a bad opening game, because people had to leave their seats to play. Some churches entered during the game, and did not know which pews were available.
See pulpit script below
11:10 Opening & Welcome – Bro. Ryan
See script below
Pastor prayer
I like having our pastor welcome the people and open in prayer, showing that he is interested and involved in young people’s lives.
The very first event of the 2014 Preaching Rally is this: PAIR UP
Good ol’ rock paper scissors
Got this idea at Winter Camp
Bro. Ryan from Lighthouse LaVerne
Working at Canyon Ridge
Many of you may have done this before
Once you LOSE
You become the biggest cheerleader for your victor!
You CHEER your head off as your opponent faces off against someone else
Whoever wins, gets ALL the fans
So by the end
We’ll have a MASSIVE group of people cheering for you
When it gets down to the end
You’ll come up on the platform
Battle it out in front of everyone
Cheer like crazy for your champion
Ready? Set… GO!
WINNER receives… leftovers.
If you were here last year,
You may remember the theme was TIMELESS
We haven’t even talked about this year’s theme yet
You get a TShirt from last year
As well as last year’s book
Combined the three minibooks into one
Now it’s got a shiny new cover
Also available as an audiobook and ebook on Amazon
Congratulations
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our FOURTH annual Preaching Rally
Some of you have been to ALL THREE before this
How many of you
First time here?
Welcome!
Today is all about one thing: our theme
PURE LOVE
The decorations will make sense here in a little bit
But since it was the day after Valentine’s Day
I wanted to focus on this topic of DATING
Oh that makes everyone nervous
Your church has its own rules
Your youth group has its preferences
Your rules allow you to
Touch or not touch
Date or not date
I’m not here to overstep your church
We’re here to just look at what the Bible has to say about dating
There’s not that much
It has a lot to say about
Marriage
Purity
And loving God
So that is really what our focus is going to be on today
Overall, do you love God more than you love your boyfriend or girlfriend?
Is God in it?
What’s your goal?
Where are you going with this relationship?
Is it pure?
Or is it selfish?
I hope today we’ll be able to help you with some of that
Whether you’re dating or not right now
I hope you came today thinking
“God, I want your best for my life.”
He’s got it for you
In his time.
So, today’s all about preaching
It IS the Preaching Rally, after all.
Pastor Rench
Our Pastor has been here almost 25 years
My mentor and my father
He will open us in prayer.
Pastor—opening prayer
Song – Micah 6:8 – Bro. Ryan
I often choose Scripture songs with catchy tunes like this one. It teaches new songs, helps them memorize a Bible verse and is fun to sing.
1 Sam. 12:24 (Only Fear the Lord) – Bro. Ryan
Youth Pastor Giveaway (Bible College Book) – Bro. Ryan
Each youth pastor stood and our ushers gave each one our book A Case For Bible College, a book about 1) why our church encourages our high school graduates to attend a year of Bible college and 2) how the student can prepare for Bible college.
11:20 Skit 1
See the various skit scripts at ryanrench.com/pr-skits
Only fear the Lord and serve Him with all your heart,
Serve Him with all your heart, serve Him with all you heart.
Only fear the Lord and serve Him with all your heart,
Serve Him in truth with all your heart.
For consider how great things He hath done for you,
He hath done for you, He hath done for you.
For consider how great things He hath done for you
So serve Him in truth with all your heart.
A CASE FOR BIBLE COLLEGE Youth Pastor giveaway (END 11:20)
Appreciate all the youth directors and pastors in here
Want to give you a book that we produced here at our church
A Case For Bible College
First half – some of the reasons our church encourages graduates to attend perhaps a year of Bible College
Written to the parent
Or to the person who’s not really convinced of WHY people go to Bible College
Second half – written to the prospective student
Written generally
Applies to any Bible college
How to prepare
Academically
Spiritually
Financially, etc
Written for our teens, first
Then thought it might be a help
There’s a bonus chapter at the end
Written specifically for the college I graduated from
Heartland Baptist Bible college in OKC
Later versions of the book will have that chapter removed
In case you’re planning on attending another Bible College
Each college has its own little nuances about
Campus life
Professors
The town its in, etc.
So, these are available for sale – $10
But free to all youth directors and pastors right now
Also want one representative from each church (pastor or youth pastor) to introduce your church and where you’re from.
Youth Pastors, please STAND
Ushers will get around and get one to each youth pastor
The rest of you can buy them if you want. ☺
Skit (11:20)
At this time we’re going to have a completely non-spiritual skit
In line with the theme
11:25 Psalm 19:14 (Let the Words of My Mouth) – Bro. Ryan
One of the improvement for this year was to not use so many unfamiliar songs. This was another new one to the crowd, so they could not get into it as much. I typically use Scripture songs or well-known choruses.
Since I was preaching next, I wanted a seamless transition and did not have any special music before the preaching.
Session 1 – “Together…” – Bro. Ryan Rench (40+ min.)
This session was our “Ice Cream Sundae Relationships” sermon, which tied to the theme and decorations. I usually preach one session to introduce the theme, and the guest preacher preaches the other two sessions.
SONG – Psalm 19:14 – Let the Words of My Mouth (song 48)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, (repeat)
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.
While you’re standing, turn to Genesis 2:24
Excellent singing today.
I hope that verse is your prayer. “God, let everything I say, and even what I think be acceptable to you.”
I want you to have complete control of my emotions, my relationship with my boyfriend or girlfriend, or my future boyfriend/girlfriend
I want everything we talk about to be acceptable to you
I want everything I think about her to be acceptable to you
I want all my thoughts about him to be pure and acceptable to you.
Like I said earlier, the Bible doesn’t say a lot about dating.
It talks about AUTHORITY
It talks about PURITY
It talks about MARRIAGE
But not so much about the process!
Today, I hope the Preaching Rally is a help to you.
[preach session]
12:15 Plan page – Bro. Ryan
Each person takes out his pen and booklet and fills out the “My Plan” section of their notes, encouraging them to put specific actions in place rather than vague “I want to follow God” statements.
2 (guy/girl?) – taste test (if girl is brave enough)
“identify the soda”
may not be the common types
It won’t be bugs or anything like that
But you may not want to be someone who gets sick easily
Send ALL out the door to Pastor’s office
CASSI – Set up props
Round 1 – touch
PERSON #1
“There’s 6 items
You have 2 minutes
Identify as many as possible
Or the fastest time wins
First 4 items – hand
Last 2 – face only
I can’t promise these things won’t move or bite or whatever
Ready… GO!
PERSON #2
Same 6 items
WINNER – best time
Gets gift from Bro. Ryan
Round 2 – taste
Setup time
Cassi pours
Garret (quietly) reads labels
Set bottle at front of table visible to audience
PERSON #3
“There are 6 cups
2 minutes
Identify the flavor
Don’t have to swallow if you don’t want to
If you hate it, there’s a big cup to spit into
Ready… GO!
PERSON #4
6 NEW cups
2 minutes
ID flavor
Swallow or spit
Breakdown – don’t throw bottles away
Keep for maybe another dare round?
Extra points?
WINNER – See Bro. Ryan
Round 3 and 4
Youth leader edition!
Round 3 – Any man/wife brave enough?
Round 4 – Need 2 youth pastors (bravest of all!)
No sissies, please
CASSI – Set up props
ROUND 3 – Husband/wife [*SKIPPED]
WIFE
“Same as round one
6 items
identify 4 – hands
identify 2 – face
2 minutes
Ready… GO!
HUSBAND
Same items as she had
Winner – See Bro. Ryan
ROUND 4 (final) – Youth Pastors
Bravest of all
YOUTH PASTOR #1
Same as round one
I can’t promise it won’t bite, move, or whatever…
YOUTH PASTOR #2
Winner – See Bro. Ryan
Now lets enjoy the concluding SKIT.
SKIT 3.
2:25 Raise pulpit
Thank You Lord – Bro. Ryan
Intro Mixed Trio/Pastor Hetzer – Bro. Ryan
See script below
2:30 Mixed Trio – “My Tribute”
My wife, my sister and I sang this trio. Sometimes we use all teens, and other times we use adults for the special music. One year, the wife of the preacher came along and sang two of the specials.
Session 3 – “…love God.” – Pastor Hetzer (45 min.)