Welcome to the Orange family! I am sure that the road you traveled to launching Orange has been quite the journey for you. You have weathered countless meetings and budget crunches. You have researched and asked the hard questions. You have stepped out in faith to lead kids, students, and families, and you are trusting God with the unknown future of your ministry because you believe that Jesus really can make a difference in a kid’s life, and it is worth it to show up for a child.

My name is Stephanie and I am just one of the OS’ (Orange Specialists) with Orange. As an Orange Specialist, please know that we have walked or are walking in your shoes. We are seasoned in ministry and our passion is helping you win! We are here to help you maximize the Orange Strategy and all of the incredible resources.

Notice I said strategy. Not curriculum. We are a strategy and we have a curriculum. We define strategy as a plan of action with an end in mind. And we believe that it is your strategy, not your mission that determines your success. If you combine the heart of the family (red) with the light of the church (yellow), you will make a greater impact.

Heart of the family + Light of the Church = Orange.

As you continue to dream big and start thinking Orange, we are here to listen to your goals and embrace the vision for your church—and help you develop your best next steps. Take some time to reflect on your ministry’s past, current reality, and future!

Step 1: Connect with your OS

In a recent post on our Facebook groups (yes those are a real thing and we will cover that later), a brand-new-to-ministry and Orange-partner posted: “Hey, I am a newbie, any advice you would offer?” Countless partners from all over the world responded: Call your OS, meet your OS, and leverage your OS. In case you’re wondering what a great first step is… okay, I won’t say it. #CallMe

Step 2: Do your homework. What is your why?

As leaders, we can’t lead others where we ourselves have not yet gone. Keep in mind we really have four lenses to process through: We will ultimately be influencing and leading our staff teams, parents, volunteers, and kids. Grab a cup of coffee and take the time to dive into the training tab that you’ll find in your dashboard when you login. Watch the videos, read the overviews, print things out and put them up in your office. Start becoming an owner of why you will do what you do! As you read, always have a notepad or your notes app open and journal your thoughts and questions. You can circle back with your OS on these or brainstorm with your team! The more often you can invite your leaders in on the journey the more this will be their vision too!

Hungry for more? Pick up a few books from the Orange Store!

Step 3: Size it up. Now that you know why, decide the how!

You absolutely do not have to use every piece all at once or all the time but you do need a plan. And keep in mind your plan will forever be changing. There is no one-size-fits-all and you will learn this as you continue to implement the materials. You will wade through the waters and continually course-correct. What pieces will you use for the first three months? Give yourself a window of time to try things. Where will your small groups meet? What will your large group experience look like? Are there any special tech requirements? What do my small group leaders need to succeed? I recommend that you print out one entire lesson and read it top to bottom. This will help you to start visualizing how we suggest laying things out and then you get to customize it to fit your needs.

Step 4: Get connected and stay connected.

We were never created to be alone. Don’t do ministry that way! We can get you connected with other Orange leaders in your area, and you can join the conversations on our private partners pages for First Look, 252 Basics, and XP3. These groups are for current, paid subscriptions, so you’ll be in good company with leaders who are on the same page as you. Ask a question and learn from the questions that other like-minded leaders are asking. Pictures are worth a thousand words!

EXTRA CREDIT: Get connected with your new personal assistant Orange Membership. This app will help you stay connected with parents and leaders every week!

So don’t forget: connect with your OS, do your homework, size it up, and get connected! We are so glad you have decided to partner with us. We are only getting started and the possibilities are endless! Lead on!