Creative Ideas From The Community
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Been Fishing!
To recognize those who have served on a weekend team, the Orange County community gives each team member a speci
 al memory of the weekend, a small fish-shaped charm to be worn on a bracelet or necklace. Each charm has the weekend number and rector’s name on the reverse side. The charm uses the fish shape widely recognized as a pictorial representation of the Greek word Ichthys, acronym for the Greek words meaning “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” So, the necklace or bracelet carries more than just weekend memories. It reminds the wearers of their relationship with the Lord, and His request that they become “pescadores”–fishers of men. |
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Finding Inspiration at Trail-side
If you had been walking on one of the winding trails surrounding the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, AK, this spring, you might have discovered a painted rock at the side of the path. If you picked it up, you would have found a Facebook logo and address on the reverse side. And if you visited the site, you would have been invited to post a picture
 of yourself with your rock and a description of where you found it. In addition, there would be a description of Tres Dias and a link to the NorthWest Arkansas Tres Dias website. The woman who placed the rock, Rhonda Pattison, a member of NorthWest Arkansas TD, states that she doesn’t know where the idea of painting and placing rocks started, but she was inspired to expand it far beyond creating awareness of Tres Dias. In our next issue, we’ll tell the full story–how other TD communities have latched onto the idea, and how painted rocks are showing up on gas pumps, ATM machines, and barber shop windows as groups of friends, families, and whole neighborhoods join in the fun. For now, check out the website at
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Measuring Effectiveness
Many service businesses–banks, airlines, hotels–routinely do a short telephone or email survey to check on how well they are serving their customers. Lehigh Valley Tres Dias has given this standard market-research practice a new twist by using a brief telephone interview to find out how well Tres Dias is fulfilling its mission–are new pescadores living closer to Christ and serving more actively in their churches?
Using a prepared script, the interviewer asks the respondent to use a ten-point scale to rate the impact the weekend has had on his or her life, to indicate if church attendance has increased, decreased, or stayed the same, and to say if they are in a reunion group. Two open-ended questions invite the respondent to provide more detail on their spiritual life and church service since the weekend.
A final question asks for the respondent’s permission to use his or her comments as a testimonial to be posted on the community’s website. The interview takes about five minutes.
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