IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR PROMOTING THE MEETINGS WITH EVANGELIST KEN LYNCH
Evangelist Ken Lynch
309 Pebble Springs Drive, Taylors, SC 29687
(864) 752-8261
Email: evangelistkenlynch@juno.com
PASTOR: Even if I have been with you for previous meetings, PLEASE review ALL of the enclosed material as there may have been some changes since I was last with you.
Introduction
I sincerely appreciate the interest you have expressed in my ministry by inviting me to conduct a series of meetings in your church. I am eagerly looking forward to our time of ministry together coming up shortly.
This packet of information is designed to help you as you pray, plan and prepare for the meetings. Please read through ALL of the enclosed material. Even though I may have been with you in previous meetings, I would respectfully request that you take the time to review all of the enclosed material. The time you invest will greatly aid the success of the meetings.
POLICIES & PROVISIONS
I. PERSONAL
A. LODGING
The Lord has provided me with a Class C Winnebego motorhome for lodging during a meeting. It is completely self-contained and can be parked anywhere along side of the church on as level a spot as possible. Water and electrical outlets are best if located within fifty feet of the RV. A 50 amp is ideal. However, a 30-amp outlet is also workable. They can be fairly easily installed, usually at minimum expense. If that is not available, a regular three-pronged outlet will do if it is on a circuit with at least a 20-amp breaker (or fuse), and that does not have a lot of lights and other equipment on it. Please check your circuit breaker box to make sure that the circuit is sufficient for our motorhome.
Diagram of a 50 Amp receptacle
NOTE: If I am to be with you in the heat of summer, it will be necessary to have a minimum 30-amp circuit available in order to run the A/C in the motorhome. A 20-amp circuit trips too easily in the hot weather. Without A/C, the motorhome becomes like an oven. In the above case, we would suggest allowing us to park at a nearby campground with 30-50 amp service.
Should your town (A) have a zoning ordinance that does not allow for RV parking, or (B) if you are located in a city where parking a large RV is either not possible or not safe, you may wish to try one of several other options. In the case of “A”, see if special permission or variance can be obtained for an RV for the brief period of time it will be there. Sometimes special permission can be obtained if requested in reasonable time. If not, or in the case of “B”, you may wish to see if a family in the church who has ample parking would allow us to park at their place (if it is not too far from the church). A sister church may also be contacted, again, if within a reasonable distance. There is also the option of making arrangements at a local campground, if one is available within a reasonable distance from the church. If this option is chosen, sewer hookups should also be available.
At this time I am towing a car behind my motorhome that provides us with transportation during the meetings.
B. MEALS
While I greatly enjoy taking meals in the homes of your people and enjoy the fellowship with them in a more informal setting, I would request that not more than one meal per day be scheduled, Sundays excepted. On Sundays I am available for both the noon meal as well as a light luncheon type meal after the evening service.
Either noon or evening is acceptable for meals. Meals may also be provided at the motorhome if that is preferred. While by no means a requirement, a small grocery allowance to help with breakfast and lunch would be appreciated.
IMPORTANT: Please note the attached list of dietary needs. Copies may be made and given to each hostess. Thank you for your help in this area.
NOTE: Since it is necessary for last minute tunings of the various instruments (in addition to warming up), please allow enough time for me to get back to the church at least 30 minutes before the service is scheduled to begin.
C. FINANCIAL
1. Believing God’s promise that He will “supply all the needs according to His riches in glory,” I have made it a firm policy to not set a “fee” or “financial minimum” of any kind for meetings. Assuming that the church will cover the necessary expenses of a meeting, including travel (see item “B” below), each meeting is a faith ministry as I trust the Lord and the Lord’s people for whatever love-offering is received, however large or small it may be.
Prayerful consideration should be given, however, to the fact that an evangelist can not physically be preaching fifty-two weeks a year. A well-scheduled evangelist will usually schedule between thirty and thirty-five meetings a year; hence only that number of “paychecks” per year, although he necessarily incurs the same living expenses anyone else may have (mortgage, taxes, etc.) in addition to having to pay his own retirement, hospitalization, etc.
NOTE: Should your church receive an unusually large love offering, please do not think that the evangelist is just getting “rich” at your church’s expense. Many times such offerings are the Lord’s way of helping to make up a deficit from several smaller churches that, though perhaps giving sacrificially, simply were unable to meet the many needs of the evangelist and his family. Personally, I have had several churches that were not able to meet even the cost of traveling to the meeting. I have also returned to many of those churches because I believe that finances should never hinder a church’s ability to have a series of special meetings.
2. Since it costs a great deal to travel with an RV (“Revival Vehicle”) today, especially with the cost of fuel in addition to payments, insurance, maintenance, etc., I would ask that prayerful consideration be given to the possibility of helping with our travel expense.
NOTE: This is not a charge, fee, or requirement of any kind as I come to you regardless of whether or not your church is able to help or chooses not to help. It should be remembered, however, that while I am with you, you would not have the expense of airfare, motel, etc. Travel expenses should not be considered as part of the love offering, but as part of the expenses of the meeting along with flyers, publicity, etc.
Please be assured that I try to be good stewards and do my very best to keep expenses at a minimum. Travel expenses shared by each church comes to $275 per church.
If possible, I would appreciate receiving two checks; one marked “Expenses”, and the other marked “Love Offering.” It would be helpful to us if I could receive the expense check earlier in the week. Checks should be made out to “KLEA”. By so doing, the church will not have to file with the IRS.
May I also suggest that you prayerfully consider doing what you can to have as many of the expenses of the meetings taken care of before they actually begin. This can be accomplished in a number of ways.
- Include funds in your annual church budget to be used for special meetings.
- A second offering can be received on two or three Sundays prior to the start of the meetings for this purpose.
You may wish to leave a plate at the door after services for two or three Sundays before the meetings as a retiring offering to be used for the meetings. In this way, several churches have been able to take care of most, if not all, of the expenses before the start of the meetings. The above are offered as suggestions ONLY and not as requirements.
MISCELLANEOUS
Music
Since my ministry includes a wide variety of music on a number of different musical instruments, I would suggest that you not schedule special music other than that which I will provide, with the exception of the Sunday morning service.
Crusade Contest
I have found that the use of a crusade contest can be very effective in getting folks to bring visitors to the services, should you care to use one. Any person who brings with them an accumulated total of _______* different visitors (each visitor counts only once) would receive the choice of one of our music cds, compliments of the church. A visitor is someone who does not regularly attend your church, though they may have visited on occasion previously.
This contest has often resulted in a number of new folks visiting the church who then become prospects for future follow-up.
My CD’s sell for $10 each. It is not likely that you will be awarding more than five or six recordings (depending on the size of your church), although you may be pleasantly surprised at the number of visitors attending.
*You decide the number you think is within reasonable reach, but don’t make it too easy.
Cottage Prayer Meetings
The importance of bathing these meetings in prayer can not be over-emphasized! Do encourage your people to meet together several times, informally in homes, to pray specifically for God’s blessings to be poured out on the services. It would be well to begin these special prayer meetings three to four weeks before we arrive. It will also help to prepare the hearts of those that are praying for the meetings and raise a spirit of real anticipation.
Pastoral Luncheon
If there are other fundamental pastors in your area, may I suggest the possibility of having a pastors and wives covered-dish luncheon during the week. It would give them an opportunity to have some much-needed fellowship together as well as giving me an opportunity of meeting them. I would be glad to present a short musical program and a brief Bible message to encourage them. Should you choose to do this, the luncheon would be in lieu of a scheduled meal in someone’s home.
Suggested Service Format
Opening Song
Prayer
Song (optional and may be deleted if desired)
Special Music
Announcements and Offering (I can play the offertory)
Special Music
Message
Invitation and closing song
NOTE: ** Songs should be lively and have an evangelistic thrust.
** Two verses of each song are suggested. Too many verses of too many songs only lengthens the service unnecessarily since there is plenty of music.
** If you stay within these guidelines, rarely does a service exceed an hour and a half. Every effort is made on my part to stay within that time frame without quenching the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Again, I would like to thank you for the interest you have shown in myministry. It is our sincere prayer that our time of ministry together with you will indeed be a fruitful one. May the Lord richly bless you as you pray, plan and prepare. If there is anything I can do to be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely in Christ,
Ken Lynch, Eph. 6:19