How to Take Your Church to the Community?

In the 1950’s, church growth experts would say, “Build it and they’ll come to you.”  Today, this is not the case!  The church must go beyond the doors of the church and get into the community.  Churches that are growing go into the community and find ways the community is hurting and then they deal with the hurt.  Churches who want to grow need to find new ways of taking the gospel to the people.  Churches need to expand their thinking to the community as their mission field.

Make sure you really know your community.  Know the demographics.  Get to know the elected officials. When there is a calamity in your community – react.  Serve the people who are affected.

I lived in Portsmouth once, and we had a downtown church that experienced significant drug traffic on the sidewalks around the church.  We got together as a group and walked the church.  We talked to people on the street and we got to know the neighbors.  It wasn’t long before the drug traffic moved.  In this case, it was as simple as walking and meeting.

If you meet and greet with only one goal and that is to get them to come to your church, they will see through that instantly.  If you are truly concerned, they will know.  If you take the time to listen, they will tell you what their needs are and together you will discover how to help.

Turn your existing ministries outward.  How?

• Take the choir to a Nursing Home.
• Support a neighborhood clean-up.
• Advertise outside of the church.
• If you need choir members, put an ad in the newspaper or on a billboard. You never know who might be looking for a place to sing.
• If you’re having a Bible study, make the title something attractive – not the Book of John – but rather “How to treat you neighbor” or “How to be kind to one another” or react to a shooting or serious condition by saying “What the Bible says…”
• Encourage members to have meals or parties at their homes where they invite neighbors and ones who do not attend church.
• Take Bible Studies to public places like restaurants and invite people to special worship services in the park.
• Use your imagination!

Reach out to local media.  Invite them to your functions and go by and see them at their work place. Use Facebook and other social media to spread the word.  Put your name in so many places that people will naturally use it.

These kinds of things could go on and on.  Make the culture of your church a place where all are welcome and find out as much about your community as you can.  Make everyone feel welcome and make a “Community Impact”.