Fill your church with community members for whom you can be an effective outreach and ministry.
Making your church's presence known in the community is the start of expanding your ministry and appealing to families and individuals who can benefit from the ministerial and practical resources your congregation has to offer. Reaching out to the communities around your church also helps you to fulfill the command of Jesus recorded in Mark 16:15: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Building lasting relationships with the community is also a matter of meeting the needs that are specific to the part of town where the church is located.
Instructions
1. Research the community where the church is located to determine the numbers of families with young children, the number of senior citizens, and the number of schools.
2. Pray, asking God how you can do your part to improve the relationship between the church and the community. This principle is based on 1 Corinthians 12:4: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord." Ask the Lord to reveal your specific abilities and talents to you, so you'll know if you have the gift of hospitality that will make people feel welcomed in your church, or if you're more of a behind-the-scenes type -- someone who perhaps should be in charge of the activity-planning process.
3. Talk to or email your pastor or appropriate church leaders to inquire about the community outreach projects that are already in place. This will give you an idea of which programs are working, and how you might submit your ideas and suggestions. If you're also a leader in the church, your inquiries will give you more direction about whom to ask for assistance in your community relation efforts.
4. Contact your local government officials to get concrete information on the community where your church exists. For instance, ask the mayor how many married couples reside there, so you have statistical ammunition for talking to family ministry leaders at your church about putting together marriage seminars and inviting non-church members. Ask about the condition and needs of local schools and community centers as well, so your church can donate supplies for improvement projects. Church members may also want to volunteer for minor remodeling -- e.g., painting the walls or purchasing and delivering new furniture.
5. Write down activities and ideas you feel would be effective in connecting the church with the rest of the community. For instance, if summertime is coming up, a family fun day in the church's parking lot with dunking booths and traditional "fair food" can be an ideal event. Or perhaps your church can deliver home-cooked meals to the senior citizens living in the community on a certain day of the week.
6. Schedule a meeting with the church members who can best help you carry out your community-building project. For instance, you can approach fellow members who are educators to ask them to help you host a book-and-school-supplies drive for children in the community at the end of summer. Or talk to some of the teenagers and young adults in the church to get their feedback on hosting a block party sponsored by the church, geared toward community members in their age group. Take everyone's ideas into consideration, and come up with a date, a decision on how often the events will take place (monthly, annually, bi-annually), and a plan for advertise the event.
7. Ask local businesses if you can leave flyers at their establishments to let people know about the church-sponsored community event. Include your church's contact information on the flyer, including service times. Encourage locals to visit the church during the times the congregation worships, a step which will potentially boost membership.
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