Keeping up with Diana
 What's Diana's been up to lately?
- She's working on her next book project!
'09 Speaking Highlights
- North Central States Rally, Indy
- Tennessee Baptist's women's conference, Gatlinburg - Indiana Baptist statewide women’s retreats, Indy & Columbus - Ladies banquets in Anderson & Hobart IN - Retreats in Indiana, Texas and Illinois for women, pastor wives and deacon wives -“Metamorphosis” Indiana mom/teen daughter event co-led w/daughter, Autumn! - Live teleconference, Leadership Attitudes
Indiana - Diana's husband, Steve, leads the Indiana Baptist Convention. In '09 she's accompanied him to 22 church events, and meetings in VA, IL & TX. Pray for Indiana's 430 Baptist churches.
Special News - Diana became a mother-in-law in January as Autumn married Yale Wall in Waco, Texas. See photos on Facebook.
 A glance at '08 Highlights
-Fresh Ideas for Women's Ministry (B&H Publishing), Diana’s 2nd book released
- Diana earned a Masters of Theological Studies degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating cum laude.
- 74 published articles during '08--in Rick Warren's Pastor Toolbox, Facts & Trends, Baptist Press, LifeWayPastors, On Mission Magazine, Let’s Worship magazine, Deacon Magazine, LifeWay website and Baptist papers of 16 states.
- Spoke at 32 events, including statewide conferences in IN, FL & OH, 5 assoc'l events & church events in IN, KA, KY and Hawaii. National events included North American Mission Board Summer State Leadership spouse conference in GA, Ridgecrest National Discipleship Week deacon wives track in NC and breakouts at national WMU convention. - Vice President, Southern Baptist Convention Minister Wives Luncheon. - Mission trip to Cuba. Upcoming Dates:
INDIANA - 9/12/09 Associational retreat/pastor wives, Risen Savior, Paris Crossing
9/25/09 Associational deacon/wives retreat, FBC Griffith IN
ALABAMA - 9/16/09 Talladega Southside Baptist
PENNSYLVANIA - 11/13 Shippensburg First Church of God Women’s retreat
KENTUCKY - 2/29-30/2010 Kentucky Baptist Deacon/Pastor/Wives retreat
WEST VIRGINIA – 4/24/10 American Baptist Women’s Ministry Leaders retreat
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Diana Davis' Newest Book Releases June 1st
A Note from Diana about the book
Dear Friends,
As a long-time pastor’s wife in a small, medium & large church, I’ve seen the value of deacons and their wives first-hand. As a denominational leader’s wife, I’ve watched hundreds more. I’ve come to an important conclusion: deacons and deacon wives radically impact a church’s harmony, ministry, effectiveness and growth. My new book, Deacon Wives, provides fresh ideas for those leaders, challenging them to new levels of commitment and joy. It’s chock-full of practical tips for ministering to church members, Christian growth & prioritizing God’s work within a busy life. Emphasizing 1 Tim. 3:11, it demonstrates the seriousness of words, attitudes and actions. The book includes a lesson plan for a six-week study or retreat for deacon wives.
Take a look at the great endorsements written by Dr. Johnny Hunt, Debbie Hammond, and a few of my favorite deacon wives. Please pray with me that this book will ignite deacon wives across the nation. Deacon Wives will hit the bookstore shelves June 1st, but you can preorder it today.
I hope you'll get one for each of your favorite deacon wives. They're going to love it.
Keep on shining!
Diana
www.keeponshining.com
Can't wait for June 1st? No problem!
Fresh Ideas
Ten Tiny Tweaks
to Enliven Worship By Diana Davis If someone snuck into your church and replaced Sunday’s bulletins with last year’s bulletins, would anyone notice? Need a few simple, fresh ideas to keep your Sunday service from predictable sameness?
1) Fill prime seating. Challenge your church’s most vibrant age group to help lead worship by filling the front and center seats weekly.
2) Set the mood. Set a relaxed, worshipful pre-service tone with live or recorded music, along with pre-service audiovisuals of announcements and Scriptures.
3) Light matters. Use quality lighting during the pastor’s sermon. To add variety, dim light for the Lord’s Supper, backlight a musician, uplight a theme banner, shine colored lights on a focal wall, or spotlight a dramatic scene in the center aisle.
4) Theme enthusiasm. Plan ahead to visually reinforce a sermon series. Make banners for the worship center or exterior. Plan a serial skit or unique handout. Create a distinctive display for the foyer or stage.
5) Ushers can rope rear seating to help seat worshippers toward the front. They should graciously seat latecomers at an appropriate time and take care of interruptions and needs during worship.
6) Quality music with variety. Try adding a different instrument such as bagpipe, zither, violin or a person whistling. Try an echo duet from the balcony or worshipful solo from the audience.
7) Smooth transition. Intentional silence can be worshipful; “dead spots” are not. Does it take ninety seconds to arrange the children’s choir or wait for someone to stroll to the mike? Plan carefully to use every scheduled moment wisely.
8) Intentional interaction. Invite worshippers to reverently stand for Scripture reading. Offer a fill-in-the-blank sermon outline listening sheet. Quote 1 Chronicles 29:13-14 in unison before offertory.
9) See with fresh eyes. Ask a decorator to assess your church platform area. Inexpensive changes may make a huge impact—plants, rugs, paint colors, polished pulpit, rearranged seating, reupholstered furniture.
10)Small adjustments create interest. Rearrange choir seating or praise team placement. Vary the Scripture reader. Add seasonal flowers or banners. Slightly tweak the order of worship—baptism at the beginning, offertory last, or sing after the sermon. As you plan worship for our great God, create anticipation with a fresh, updated plan every Sunday. Oh, and there might be an additional benefit: less snoring in church.
© Diana Davis 2009
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