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One of our desires at BASIC is to be relevant and connect you with content that is going to best help you as you serve your campus and ministry context! In an effort to bring in fresh perspective and new ideas, we have asked a few student leaders and advisors to share their voice! We’ll get to hear from one of them each month. This week, we have the honor of hearing from our BASIC intern, Taylor Plourde.
Hey BASIC! I’m a coffee loving college student who still reads for fun. Originally from Maine, I have moved to go to school in Rochester. I am a student leader at the Roberts Wesleyan College BASIC and will be the social media intern at BASIC in the Spring 2017 semester. My goal in life is to encourage those who are lost, lonely, or feel forgotten.
There’s a lot that goes into a successful BASIC meeting: the posters, pre-meeting planning, set up, the meeting itself, and tear down. There’s also something else that every meeting has, and some without even knowing it: a particular atmosphere.
Whether through a string of conscious decisions or simply by accident, every meeting will have a particular atmosphere. It’s important to be conscious of the atmosphere you are setting at the meetings because if you want people to come back you have to appeal to how they want the meeting to feel. If you are having a hard time understanding what I mean, think about your church. When you walk into the doors on Sunday, how do you feel looking around? Do you feel welcomed by the greeters? Do you feel relaxed by the decor? Do you feel excited to start the week because of the high energy people running around?
Those feelings that just happen in a person when they enter a space are indicators of the atmosphere. Setting up a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere may seem like chump change compared to the speaker or worship leader, but if the atmosphere isn’t consistent with your group’s message then everyone will know. Atmosphere is important.
So as you prepare for your next meeting consider some of the following ways you can improve your atmosphere at your BASIC meetings:
First Impressions Matter
Think about the meeting from a first timer’s perspective. They are coming to a meeting where they know one or two people, if any. They essentially feel like an outsider from the moment they walk into the room. It’s important to catch them early on and connect. It can be as easy as introducing yourself and asking their name. A simple, personal greeting may seem small, but it really does help promote a welcoming atmosphere.
Pro Tip– Try to ask first timers about their major and interests and connect them with other members who have similar majors or interests.
Lighting Matters
Odds are you’re in a classroom, so that may make it a little hard, but if you can dim the lights, do it. Everyone has been sitting under fluorescent lights all day in classes, try to set BASIC apart from just another block of time in your group’s schedule. Changing the lighting, whether it means dimming the lights, opening the shades, bringing in lamps , or even christmas lights will help to distinguish your meetings as intimate gatherings for friends.
Pro Tip– Christmas lights are a great portable light source that is not only trendy, but helps make a more relaxed atmosphere.
Have Snacks
Everyone loves food. Most college students love coffee (or tea). If you have one of those two things there, odds are you can spark conversation between members of the group over their favorite drinks/ foods. Food and drink have this ability to spark conversation and nurture community. So give your group a chance to commune together, even if it’s over a bag of chips and some lemonade.
Pro Tip– If you bring coffee to every meeting, your members might post artsy coffee pics on social media, promoting your meetings without you having to do anything other than bringing a coffee pot to the meetings.
Decorate Your Space
Odds are you’re in a classroom… blah. It’s not only important to change up the lighting to make your meeting stand out in your members minds from the same old- same old, try changing up the setup of the room. Move some chairs around and bring in some cozy things like tapestries, blankets, pillows, bulletin boards with announcements, and maybe even some ceramic mugs for coffee. Bring in little bits of “home” to help make the meeting feel like home, even if it is in a classroom.
Pro Tip– Tapestries may seem a little girly, but a few on the ground or on a table really help to make the room more aesthetically pleasing.
Be Excited to Be There
As leaders it’s easy to bogged down by all the tasks to do before, during, and after meetings but you can’t let that show when you’re addressing the group. Always be genuinely happy when you’re talking to the group, an easy way to do that is to make a joke or use some humor. Humor is hard to do, but when done well it really helps the group relax and connect with you and your speaker.
Pro Tip– Start the night of with a game every once and a while to keep your members on their toes and to help them connect with each other, that way you don’t have to do all the talking.
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