8 Foolproof Church Community Outreach Ideas
Are you ready to expand your reach and attract new families to join your kids' ministry? We have compiled a list of the best church community outreach ideas to encourage newcomers to visit to your church and stick around. You may love your tight-knit community, but imagine everything your church could achieve by reaching more people in nearby neighborhoods!
Try these eight outreach ideas for churches and connect with more local families than ever before.
1. Get Creative With Your Name
If you are wondering how to attract young families to church, it might be time to spruce up your ministry branding. You may not think of your kids’ ministry as having a brand, but every little detail about how you present your church will impact the people it draws in. Don’t invite families to bring their children to “Sunday school”, but pick a name with a punch that highlights the fun side of your church. After all, what child really wants to go to school on a Sunday?
2. Invest In Your Online Image
Take it a step beyond your name and fine-tune your online presence to attract people in your local neighborhoods. This includes devising a social media strategy, getting involved in local projects, and sharing images of your kids' endeavors. Show them current families that attend your ministry so they can envision themselves as a part of your community. Update your website to ensure it is user-friendly and appealing, with information about upcoming events.
3. Send a Simple Invitation
Big and small church community outreach ideas can be as obvious as an invitation. Many ministries find they don't draw in new families, yet they aren’t actually inviting them to attend. Remember — from the outside looking in churches can seem like exclusive groups, which puts some people off. Send a friendly (and personalized, if possible) invitation to the homes of local people, extending a warm welcome to come to attend your next service or event. Did you know that 83% of people would come to church if invited by someone they know?
4. Train a Friendly Welcome Team
Offer your volunteers training and empower them to be confident and equipped in their roles. The people on your welcome team should be the first to meet your newcomers, so ensure you carefully select friendly people for the position and assign an enthusiastic leader. An organized welcome procedure, including useful signage for parking and seating, will help newbies feel at ease with your ministry. Don’t let them wander into your church building with questions — guide and support them through.
5. Follow Up With First-Timers
Getting local families to come along to a one-off event is one thing. But if you are wondering how to get new church members and keep them, it is a different ball game entirely. Following up with first-timers is essential to prevent them from slipping through the cracks. This means that you must have a system in place to gather contact details of new people in your church so you can send them a friendly email or text inviting them to future events.
6. Host Exciting Sunday Events
Switch things up to keep Sundays exciting by throwing an interesting event that targets families and kids. Families going to church love something fun for their kids, whether a barbecue potluck with bouncy castles and games or a cozy movie on a cold winter's day. Make it your mission to plan one Sunday a month that appeals to families and encourages kids to bring a friend too. This will provide a day of fun for your little learners and increase awareness of your church.
7. Build Connections Between Kids
Kids are more likely to enjoy their time at church if they have friends in their ministry. Help the new children in your church by creating a buddy system, ensuring no one gets left out. Make everyone feel included by setting up friendship links between kids based on age group and school they attend, and it may even blossom into a beautiful friendship. Connecting children in a meaningful way makes the entire family feel like part of the community, encouraging them all to attend.
8. Ask For an Honest Review
The best way to find out how to improve your church community outreach ideas is by asking. Welcome feedback – both anonymously in a suggestions box and in person at meetings – to better understand how your church appears to an outsider. You could even get a ‘mystery attendee’ to come in anonymously as a faux newcomer and rank various elements of your church services on a scale of 1-10, shining a light on your weaknesses so you know where to focus your efforts.
Conclusion
Of all the families in your local neighborhoods, how many kids attend your ministry? Probably a lower percentage than you would like. It’s time to turn up the heat and transform your ministry into an exciting kids' church that little ones in your neighborhood will be lining up for!
These simple yet effective church engagement ideas will help you expand your reach and multiply your influence. Doing God’s work on earth isn’t always easy, but church leaders must always do what they can to keep on improving and expanding so no one gets left behind.
Maximize your church's reach with a few simple tweaks and become a leading force, connecting youngsters with God.