By Dave Smith
The Bus Meeting Usually Includes:
A. Songs
1. Led by one of the bus captains
2. Use bus songs to help your people learn them
3. Visual songs are excellent for the bus*
B. Prayer – Requests can be made
C. Blessings – Victories and praises from the bus workers
D. Announcements – Promotions, upcoming events, correction of problems, etc.
E. Motivation – 10-15 minute message from the bus director or designated person
F. Goals – Review your goals once a month to see if routes are progressing
G. Time of the bus meeting
1. If your ministry is fairly large, a Saturday morning meeting would be best on a weekly basis. A breakfast could be served every week or as a special treat for workers once a month
2. An alternate time might be a brief meeting immediately before or after church on a Sunday evening. This would have to be shorter than a Saturday meeting
3. A smaller ministry could very well do with a once a month meeting
4. You could always have special meetings more often, for example during campaigns
H. Don’ts about the bus meeting
1. Don’t have a bus meeting just for the sake of having one
2. Think out your meeting and make it exciting
3. Don’t drag the meeting out; keep it to the point – Your worker time is limited
I. Have all materials for workers to take on visitation
1. Salvation tracts, brochures, record card, baptism tracts, baptism permission cards, lists of salvation decisions for follow-up, and other forms you use
2. Have bus flyers already counted out in stacks (rubber banded), ready for your workers to take
a You may wish to have a flyer 52 weeks each year
b You may choose to have flyers just for special promotion days
c If you choose option B instruct workers to leave a note on a tract or door
hanger so folks know they have been by if they do not catch them on
visitation **
*Visual songs can be ordered
CEF Press 1-800-748-7710
Bible Visuals 1-717-859-1131
BCM Bible Teaching Materials 1-610-352-7177, ext.335
Call and request a free catalog
** Dr. Beebe carries bus ministry door hangers.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
