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You are here: Home / Archives for Outreach

Outreach

6 Ways to Welcome Visitors at Your Church This Christmas Eve

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Welcoming visitors effectively to church on Christmas Eve takes a good deal of forethought and a multi-faceted approach. Here’s our list to help you!

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During the holidays more visitors come through the doors of the church than any other time of the year. It’s a great opportunity to welcome them with greater intention.

We’ve put together a list of five easy ways to help newcomers feel cared for and acknowledged.

We hope our ideas help to create a culture of welcome and hospitality within your community this season and throughout the year.

How are you welcoming newcomers this Christmas Eve? Tell us in the comments below!

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Have name tags. On a table near the entrance to the sanctuary, set out name tags and markers. Calling each other by name creates a sense of community and belonging. This helps visitors as well as those who’ve been in the pew for decades.

Make clear what your church stands for. Put in writing what your mission statement is and how your church includes the marginalized. This is important in order for all of us to feel safe and know if we’re a part of the faith family.

Say hello, Pastor. If a personal greeting from the pastor isn’t possible, create a team of leaders who keep an eye out for those who are new. Don’t assume it’s someone’s first time; it might not be. If you say something to indicate you think it’s their first time when it isn’t, things get awkward for you and them. Say hello, tell them you’re happy to see them.

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Have quality refreshments. This goes for any worship service, in my opinion. If you have yummy stuff out, make it good. Most people have become familiar with boutique coffee and high-quality bakes. So, throw out the coffee in a giant can that goes beyond earthiness into muddiness. Also, offer tasty allergy-free options, too.

Additionally, think of families who would rather not have their kid on their way down from a sugar high as they drive home. Perhaps put out some festive cranberry granola instead of sugar cookies, for example.

Provide information for biblical passages. When reading scripture, describe where the text is located in the Bible. Additionally, give context for the passage. Consequently, people are more likely to feel there isn’t insider knowledge they don’t have. This is helpful for all of us, whether newcomers or long-time members.

Leaders, introduce yourselves up front. Have those who are up front speaking in any capacity give their name and role in the church. Do this whether the person is giving announcements, singing, or preaching. This helps visitors get to know who’s who. And it makes getting involved easier for them, too.

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Hospitality as Community Culture

Welcoming visitors to church is more than checking boxes. Hospitality is for all of us. When we live out our faith through care with intention, we actually help those who are already regular attendees feel more connected, too.

Furthermore, we communicate our common humanity, our personhood as individuals, and worthiness as children of Creation. We hope you discover ways to welcome visitors to church this Christmas Eve as an expression of your unique faith community and continue them the whole year through.

Do you have more ideas? How are you welcoming visitors this Christmas Eve? Don’t forget to share with us in the comments!

Unearth God’s Calling for Your Ministry’s Purpose in the World

Alissa Ellett 1 Comment

So, what is God’s calling? And how does your ministry fit into it here and now? Read on for a few helpful steps that will guide you in your discovery for the upcoming program year.

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Where do your ministry’s gladness and the world’s hunger intersect these days? Tell us in the comments below! We can’t wait to hear!

DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS POST RIGHT NOW? Download a PDF copy of this blog post to read later, or to share with friends or colleagues. Click here to access the downloadable PDF.

Assessing Health

Just like in our personal lives, before we move ahead with something new we must first address our present state of health. Our bodies can perform the work of pouring into something else when we are filled up. As a result, we will have the energy to spare, time to invest, space for more, and the resources at hand.

In the same way, we must evaluate our church body’s state of health before moving in a new direction. It is, of course, possible that God’s call is to heal, replenish, and restore if that’s what the season calls for. If your church has gone through a particularly trying period, spend time resting before catapulting into anything new.

So, how is your church doing? What has happened in the last few years? Has it been taxing? Is this a season of rest? Is it a time for grief? Or is the time right for new and exciting ventures? This is the first indicator of the type of work into which God is calling you and your church.

No matter the nature of the work your community is called to, it is good. Simply be wise and honest about that which you have the spiritual, emotional and physical resources for at this particular time in your story. Take an inventory and spend time reflecting.

If your church is ready for the work of heading into new territory, keep reading!

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Paying Attention to Passions

Consider where your passions lie. If you can’t get excited about something, it’s going to be challenging to lead a group in bringing it to be. Your ministry needs you to be passionate about what’s happening. They look to you and they draw on your energy. Once you’ve made progress here, widen the scope.

What has come up in conversation with ministry leaders and volunteers? What have people been excited about in recent months? Avoid thinking back too far into the past here. What gave life and energy five years ago may be what does so now. But, it’s possible that this has shifted. Stay alert.

You’ve reflected on where passions lie within you and your congregation. Now, search for any overlap that may exist. What excitement do you share with those in your church? Keep these areas in the front of your mind and pray over them as you discern God’s call.

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Taking Inventory of Gifts

It’s crucial that you know what you’re particularly good at when looking ahead to new possibilities. Take stock of where gifts lie within you. If you haven’t already, explore your spiritual gifts with this assessment from the United Methodist Church. Also, consider what comes easily and energizes you based on your personality and temperament.

Then, once you’re familiar with your gifts, think about what gifts lie in your faith family. We often plan a cool, new program, and then try to find people to serve in it. It works better to build the new venture around gifts and talents already present within your community. So, ideally, start with the areas of ability in your church at present and go from there.

Don’t get caught in the trap of assuming that your church’s gifts are what they always have been. For example, it’s possible that fifteen years ago there was a group of men who were fabulous at woodworking. Are they still attending and able? Are they still invested in the craft and in using it to serve?

Sometimes, without realizing, we lose track of the ways the landscape has changed. In paying attention to the present you may discover people and their talents you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. And this can open new doors to God’s calling.

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Locating a Need

Consider your local community. What needs exist in your neighborhood? Perhaps an area of strain within your city or county comes to mind instead. Alternatively, the need may be as close as your own faith family.

Or maybe there’s something farther from your context that calls for addressing. Consider a broader need in the country or world that presses on your heart and the hearts of your congregation. Presbyterian pastor Jan Edmiston shares an important question in this blog post: What breaks God’s heart?

God’s calling for the Church and your particular church is always attached and motivated by need. There is so much need. And we can’t minister to all of it. But, we can change things together, and we are together changed by serving. So, simply pay attention to what’s compelling and follow the path that unfolds toward it.

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Considering Resources

Now, you’ve evaluated the health of your congregation. You have taken inventory of your shared passions and gifts. And you’re clear on where particular needs lie. This will all begin to guide you toward your ministry’s sense of God’s calling.

Now, go over what resources you have available to your ministry efforts already. In your assessment of these resources, be sure to look ahead to what your other projected expenses you have in the coming year. Then, once you have a handle on those, figure out what you have available for a possible new calling.

If there is little free for use, stay hopeful. There is so much money that individuals, organizations, and denominations are hoping to give for just the kind of thing that God’s inviting you to do.

So, if funds are short but all the other pieces are there and ready, then ask for a specific donation amount from the congregation. Next, search for financial support from outside the church. Do not let a lack of money hold your ministry back from saying yes to God’s calling.

We hope this helps you feel inspired to live out that to which God is beckoning you and your ministry. Don’t forget to share in the comments below what that is. We’d all love to hear!

13 Foolproof Ways of Welcoming Visitors to Church This Holiday Season

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Welcoming visitors to church can feel like a no-brainer. Just be friendly, right? I’ve worked in churches for over ten years. And all of that time was spent building ministries and communities from the ground up. And I went to seminary, where you sit around talking about this stuff. Welcoming visitors to church effectively takes a good deal of forethought and a multi-faceted approach. During the holidays more visitors come through the doors of the church. It’s a great time to begin welcoming them with greater intention. We hope our ideas help to create a culture of welcome and hospitality within your community this season and throughout the year.

FREE DOWNLOADABLE PDF: Grab a free 2-page PDF that you can share at your next staff meeting by clicking here.

Welcoming Visitors to Church During Worship

Make info easily available on Sundays. Make it easy for people to find information about the church. In a beautiful and consistently branded way, make it simple for people to understand how to get connected. Make the website obvious in slides and on marketing materials. Perhaps place a welcome booth at the entrance to the sanctuary. Alternatively, create a kiosk with flyers for each ministry.

Provide something for people to do. Visitors heading to a new church often carry with them some anxiety. And looking new with nothing to do can make that even worse. One way this is solved is having paper bulletins available during worship; reading it offers them a way to fill their time before worship. Additionally, having a coloring poster or coloring sheets out makes for a great activity.

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Have name tags. On a table near the entrance to the sanctuary, set out name tags and markers. Calling each other by name creates a sense of community and belonging. This helps visitors as well as those who’ve been in the pew for decades.

Provide information for biblical passages. When reading scripture, describe where the text is located in the Bible. Additionally, give context for the passage. Consequently, people are more likely to feel there isn’t insider knowledge they don’t have. This is helpful for all of us, whether new or long-time members.

Welcoming Visitors to Church through Relationships

Plan a January event. Give visitors a reason to return to the church after the holidays. Make this an event that doesn’t require any responsibility from those who may be new. For example, plan a soup and bread night. Or perhaps do a service project. Alternatively, host a pub theology night at a local brewery or family play date at a neighborhood park. Providing childcare for some of these events is a must to remove a common barrier for families.

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Leaders, introduce yourselves up front. Have those who are up front speaking on Sunday give their name and role in the church. This helps visitors get to know who’s who. And it makes getting involved easier for them.

Say hello, Pastor. A pastor saying hello can help a visitor feel important. If a greeting from the pastor isn’t possible, create a team of leaders who will keep an eye out for those who are new. Say hello, tell them you’re happy they came. And tell them to feel free to find you if they have any questions.

Train children’s ministry leaders. Often parents feel frazzled when they arrive at church. Whether volunteers or staff, make sure to train nursery and Sunday school leaders to be patient and friendly. Specifically, remember children’s names and what they like, even if it means taking note to reference. Furthermore, if parents drop their kids off, try having coffee and tasty treats available at the sign-in table. Small efforts go a long way.

Welcoming Visitors to Church on Sundays and Beyond

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Make clear what your church stands for. Put in writing what your mission statement is and how your church includes the marginalized. This is important in order for all of us to feel safe and know if we’re a part of the faith family.

Have a plan. Decide what to do the first three times a person visits your church. For example, take a loaf of bread with a note to the visitor’s home. Include the website and pastor’s phone number. Then, have the pastor call and invite them out for coffee or lunch. Next, have someone in their neighborhood invite them to check out their small group. This follow-up makes a big difference and rarely happens at churches.

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Be present online. Keep the church’s website up to date. Be sure to post holiday service times prominently on the homepage. Post regularly on social media. Moreover, bring someone on to be in charge of maintaining the church’s online presence, whether an employee or volunteer.

Provide clear signage. Make clear on church grounds where people need to go. For example, include things like the nursery and Sunday school, the sanctuary entrance, adult Sunday school and coffee.  Also, create small signs at the refreshments area that are welcoming and beautiful. Details with intention make a large impact.

Offer good quality refreshments. Imagine how we treat guests when they come to our home. We give them some of our favorites, some of the best. Do the same in welcoming visitors to church. For example, buy high-quality coffee and perhaps delicious locally-made pastries. We feel cared for and important when someone invests in us in this way, and it’s no different for those who are new to a church.

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Hospitality as Community Culture

Welcoming visitors to church is more than checking boxes. Hospitality is for all of us. When we live out our faith through care with intention, we actually help those who are already regular attendees feel more connected, too. Furthermore, we communicate our common humanity, our personhood as individuals and worthiness as children of Creation. We hope you discover ways to welcome visitors to church this holiday season as an expression of your unique faith community and the whole year through.

Do you have more ideas? Share below in the comments!

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