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Community fairs, festivals, and events are excellent opportunities for your small church to connect with people in your town and increase your church’s visibility. Events like these are a perfect place to show the love of Jesus in practical and fun ways!
Whether your church sets up a booth every year at a town event or you’re exploring if your church should try one this year, keep reading. We’ll be talking about why it’s a great way to build your visibility, giving our best tips for getting the most out of a town festival, and talking about why you might not want to give out your church flyer.
Booths & Visibility
If you’re familiar with the Ministry Funnel, it puts these events at the top of the funnel with the purpose of building relationships. Relationships on their own are the foundation of all ministry.
Being ‘visible’ in our communities not only builds your church’s reputation, but it’s a great way to initiate relationships. Many times people in your own town may not be familiar with your small church, and by participating in community events and festivals, you have a great opportunity to let them know who you are and to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Best Tips For Getting Involved In Town Events
Discover The Events Held In Your Area
Check the local Chamber of Commerce, business associations, or town council for a great list of regularly scheduled events. Start asking around about how they handle booth setups or vendors.
Know The Expense & Determine A Budget
Check ahead of time to find out if you need to pay for a booth or spot. Some events let churches & non-profits have a booth for free. Figure in the cost of your materials, giveaways, etc.
Increase Your Visibility & Team Unity
It is very helpful for all your volunteers to wear church t-shirts. If you don’t have church shirts on hand, ask your volunteers to wear the same colored shirts. This will help clearly identify your church, making it easy to recognize who you are.
Train Your Volunteers
Have a team meeting prior to the event. Go over your purpose, encourage smiles, and connection with conversation. Pray together.
Read #2 in 3 Core Values For A Successful Event At Your Small Church for ideas on what your volunteers need for success.
5 Creative Ways To Show Up & Make An Impact At A Local Fair
While giving away free stuff can be great, check out our other service ideas below too. If your purpose is to build relationships, ideas 2 through 4 below generally welcome people to spend a little more time at your table and flow into natural conversation a little easier.
1. Give Away Free Stuff
- Popcorn: It’s economical, easy to make, and always goes over well with all ages. Try using colorful popcorn bags.
- Water Bottles: For added impact, add a label with a blessing on it.
- Hand Sanitizer: Print labels for personal-sized bottles with clips to put on backpacks.
- Children’s Toy: Pre-make pinwheels or glow-in-the-dark bracelets.
- Pens & Notepads: Order ahead of time with church information printed on them.
2. Host An Activity
- Face Painting: This is always fun and popular. Use face crayons or stencils for easy use.
- Kids Craft Tables: These are family favorites. Choose crafts with simple supplies.
- Photo Backdrop: At the Christmas festival in town, we set up a winter-themed backdrop and had someone in a Frosty the Snowman costume pose with people. It is super popular!
3. Offer A Rest Stop Area
- Set up tables and chairs for people to sit and rest. Festivals can require a lot of walking, and people appreciate having a clean space to sit and relax.
- Offer handheld fans or paper-folding fans at summer festivals for extra thoughtfulness.
- If you have the budget, provide mini hand sanitizers.
4. Be The Servant
- Pick up trash. Have gloves, bags, and grabbers available and monitor the event and walkways
- Do a shuttle. If your church is close to a large event and you have a church van or bus, offer to let people park at your lot and provide a shuttle every hour to and from the event.
- Provide parking. If your church happens to be across the street from a large gathering, offer free additional parking. This is a great service!
- Offer a restroom/porta potty patrol. This one is truly humbling, but will have people talking about your level of service! Monitor and clean restrooms or porta potties throughout the day or stand in the area and hand out wet wipes and hand sanitizer for those in need.
5. Provide A First Aid Station
If you have nurses, doctors, or EMTs in your church, offer to do a simple First Aid Station.
- If it’s a summer event, have water available for hydration.
- Blood pressure checks?
It’s Not Over Yet: Celebrate Your Volunteers & Share Pics
Remember after the event to have a time of celebrating your volunteers. Recap the event and ask everyone to share why they are glad they came to serve at the event. Also, take notes on action steps for next time to do it even better.
Take pictures and share them with us on our Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Page. We’d love to see what you do!
Be A Blessing, Not An Advertisement
One last thought: Because many organizations use community fairs and events for marketing gimmicks, your church will stand out in your community if your primary motivation is to be a blessing instead.
Of course, you may want your church information available for those who ask questions about your church, but this doesn’t need to be the main focus of your presence. Churches that serve with no strings attached tend to build a more positive reputation in their communities.
Read More:
Host A Community Yard Sale To Serve Your Neighbors
3 Core Values For A Successful Event At Your Small Church
