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Find ideas to help facilitate connection points and learn how to create community in your small church outreach events this year!
We learn time and time again the reason people return to a church is not because of the music or the programs but the relationships they find with the people. Are you giving your small church family opportunities to connect and build relationships with those people in your community?
Find ideas to help as you read about ministry events that can facilitate those connection points. You may have heard people in the Small Church Ministry communities mention The Ministry Funnel. The Ministry Funnel is a great tool to help visualize the key elements of connection in ministry. As we create these ‘top of the funnel’ events, we are creating a way for the community to connect with our small churches, see who we are, and what we’re about, and just spend some time with us. It’s a ‘getting to know you’ time.
These ‘top of the funnel’ ideas are the exact kinds of events that allow us to have conversations, find connections, and start to build those relationships that will, we pray, eventually lead to a deeper connection to God. It’s exciting to think how God can work through these kinds of events and how He can use the people in your small church to serve and show love to those around them!!
As you begin your church outreach, remember these 3 Core Values For A Successful Event At Your Small Church when planning.
Choose Events That Best Fit Your Church
Read ten top ideas for ‘top of the ministry funnel’ events. You don’t have to do all of them, but read them over. Then pick the one that best fits your area, your small church family, and your resources.
These Events Give Connection Points With Guests
1. Coins & Conversation
A team of people from your church, equipped with bags of quarters, spreads out to laundromats in your town, apartment complexes, etc. The idea is simple. Show love by paying for washers and dryers to run! Use the time to have casual conversations with the people, get to know them, hear their stories, and pray for them if they’re comfortable with it. See the joy God can bring through a load of laundry!!
Read about other ideas in A One-Day Event to Widen Your Outreach that can bless the people in your community and help to develop relationships within your own small church family.
2. Barn Quilt Class
Is the farmhouse style popular in your community? Do people enjoy making crafts and gathering together? Then capitalize on that by inviting them to a unique class where they learn how to Make Barn Quilts. Your reach into your community can be broad with how-to classes. Many people who might never go to a church service are willing to go to a casual, fun class where they’ll be able to bring something home they’ve created!
How-to events are great ways to start conversations and make connections. Check out this list of 9 How-To Events To Build Deeper Connections In Women’s Ministry.
3. Seniors Safety Fair
An outing based upon a common need is a great way to connect to your community. It shows that you care about them and that you are paying attention to who is within your small church’s reach. This is a great event to host to get your own seniors involved in the service aspect, they can be greeters, liaisons to the various organizations that are represented, and help with hospitality needs. Have a church information table and ask them to be the hosts there to answer any questions, hand out brochures, etc.
Inviting local groups and organizations to participate in your fair is also a way to build connections. Networking is a wonderful way to introduce people to your church and to your vision for serving others.
Consider These Ideas For Your Local Senior Fair
- Self-Defense Classes for Seniors
Check with your local Senior Center or Police Department, as well as the YMCA
- Wills, Estate & Future Planners (Those who are Elder Care Attorneys)
- Home Health Agencies, Adult Day Cares, Respite Workers, Assisted Living Reps
All of these may be happy to host a table with information and answer questions.
- Security Awareness Seminar from your local Police Dept
A brief 15-20 minute time where everyone gathers together to hear this presentation is beneficial. While you have everyone together, let them know that the church is a resource for them as well, for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship. Make sure to invite them to any classes or small groups that would be appropriate for seniors.
- Time of Refreshments
Whether you offer a continental breakfast or a simple luncheon, time around the tables is time to encourage conversation and connection!
Our seniors are a vital part of our small church family. Many times we are not using them to their fullest potential. Many of them love serving and reaching out to others. Learn more about small church senior adults in Strengthen Your Small Church With Your Senior Adults.
Check out Keep Your Senior Adults Connected for other church outreach ideas to seniors and with seniors.
4. Painting Class For Kids Or Adults
As previously mentioned, how-to classes are a fantastic connection point for people of all ages. Whether you decide to host a painting class for kids or adults, if you don’t have a “teacher,” do it with ease with the availability of online step-by-step videos.
Also, check with a local crafts store to see if they have a connection with a teacher. You may be surprised to find that someone in your own small church is a closet artist or knows someone who is.
Host A Women’s Ministry Paint Party gives a step-by-step on how to host one of these parties at your small church.
5. Cooking & Caring Class
The thought behind this event is to host a class to instruct guests on how to make certain dishes and delights. The class has an added layer of connection because the foods made in this class are used to make baskets to deliver to seniors or shut-ins in your community.
This class is easily offered as a multi-age class, like family groups. Or provide separate classes for teens, adults, and kids. This class is fun because not only do they learn to cook a dish or a baked good, but they also practice caring for others around them.
Cooking and prepping items in the kitchen offers great opportunities for interaction and connection. The basket deliveries also offer a great time to connect with others who may have a limited amount of support available to them.
Read #5 in Easy Outreach Ideas For New Church Plants for similar children’s church outreach events during the summer months.
6. Christmas Craft-A-Thon Event
This event is an evening of hands-on instructional teaching where guests (both church members and guests) create a variety of Christmas crafts. Each guest leaves the event with several completed projects and, hopefully, the skills to reproduce these projects to use for gift-giving. The term craft-a-thon is used because it is a full schedule of teaching, creating, and extras, just for fun!
This event takes a team to help plan, prep, and prepare, but it is one that can make a huge impact on your guests and have them looking forward to this event year after year.
The Christmas Craft-A-Thon event is normally held in late October or early November as a Holiday kick-off event for women. We have written a step-by-step how-to, with all the details and information you need to plan your own great event!
Christmas Ideas For Outreach And Connection gives more ideas and ways to reach your community during the Holidays.
7. Up, Up & Away! A Rocket Building Class For My ‘Grup’ & Me
Parents are always looking for a project they can do with their children. This is a 3 part-class series for a child and a ‘Grup’ (Grown-up). The first 2 classes are for building and decorating the rockets, learning the safety rules, etc.
The last class is a launch party. Everyone propels their rocket into the sky and cheers each other on! *Make sure you have plenty of room to do this, and the area you use is clear of things that might be damaged when the rockets land. A large open field or lawn area is best!
Each participant purchases a rocket kit. Hand out information on where they can purchase them, with a few different price points. Although most kits include instructions, find someone to instruct the class as well.
Participants also need to purchase a separate engine to propel the rocket. Suggest the church purchase group use items like the wadding and the launch pad system for everyone to use during the Launch Party.
The Launch Party is a great time to invite family and friends to watch the big event. PLUS, it gives your church an opportunity to connect with new people. Show them hospitality with refreshments. At the Launch Party, hand out certificates and send kids home with a small gift to thank them for coming. Include invitations to future children’s ministry activities.
If you enjoyed this idea, check out Your Kids Will Love These Summer Events for more church outreach ideas for kids. Try one or more of these ideas during school breaks, such as summer, fall, Christmas, and spring break.
8. Monday Morning Muffins
If you have people who love to bake in your small church you can make an impact in your community with muffins ‘on the go’.
Once a month or even weekly if you’re ambitious, load up your cars with boxes of muffins, a large pump pot of coffee, or some bottles of water and set up your Happy Monday Smile Station!
The whole premise is to show kindness by giving away a muffin and a beverage with a smile, chatting with people, and demonstrating God’s love! It’s also a great idea to wear your church t-shirts while you are doing this and have business cards available with your church/service information for those who ask.
This is a prime opportunity for multi-generations of folks to get involved, from the baking to the hospitality crew who hands them out.
Suggestions on where to set up (always with permission, of course):
- A local park with picnic tables or a playground
- An apartment complex
- A community center
- An Adult Day Care Center
It’s exciting to see what God can do with a few muffins served with love on a Monday Morning. What a great way to start the week!
If you cannot take your muffins to a location, try hosting a drive-thru event at your church using tips from Reach Your Neighborhood With Drive-Thru Events.
9. Block Parties For The Win
Block Parties are such a great way to create connection points, casual conversations, and shared memories over a table of food!
Host different parties for various holidays or during the summer months. Some like to host these events at your church property, in the parking lot, or on the front lawn. Other churches send families from their small churches out to Block Parties in their own neighborhoods. Have 2 or 3 families team up and do it together as a team!
Summer Outreach Block Party BBQ gives details and some step-by-step help to host this church outreach in your own town.
If you live in a rural area, host a Community Corn Roast. Invite the whole town! Or, try a Pie Baking contest, where everyone benefits from the pies! Rural & Small Town Ministry Ideas gives the reader great ideas and thoughts specific to small rural churches and how they can reach out to their communities.
10. Toddler Time Ministry
Toddler Time ministries can build personal connections. This ministry can be set up in 3 different ways, depending on your volunteers:
- A monthly gathering
- A series of 4 gatherings spread over 1 month
- A weekly session
This ministry is a fun class based upon a different theme for each class and is strictly for fun and connecting with the toddlers and their families. The class has a set pattern for each session and includes:
- Free Play Time At Arrival
- Circle Time for Getting to Know Each Other
- Learning Skills (with activities like magnets, songs, matching, etc.)
- Storytime (invite an older person to get involved with the reading)
- Craft Time (simple crafts that their adult can help with)
- Snack Time (Of course, no kid’s time can be complete without it!)
The parents/caregivers can benefit by having an activity that keeps their child engaged and promotes preschool learning skills and socialization. The church benefits while getting the chance to meet and develop relationships and care for these families. Your community can take notice and may bring you more connections.
Run this ministry during a school year calendar since many toddlers may have older siblings parents need to watch during school breaks. Always make sure to have a wrap-up party before your summer break. It shows the children how much you appreciate your time with them and makes them excited for the next season of Toddler Time!
One Year of Monthly Saturday Children’s Events gives a whole year’s worth of weekly events to reach out to children and their families.
Events Are Tools To Create Connection Points
Lives are transformed by relationships. Events are just tools to create connection points. Jesus gave us everything we need to know about life and how to thrive in our Christian walk. He led by example in all areas of His earthly ministry. He was great at teaching us about the importance of relationships –– between He and His Father, between us and God, and us with each other.
So, let’s change our mindset from just planning events to fill our calendars to creating moments of ministry, service, and relationship! That sounds so much more exciting and life-giving, doesn’t it?
Whether it’s a church outreach, a class, a party, or a neighborhood gathering, they are all opportunities to create connection points. Connection points are the tools to help us truly see and support others.
Remember, for some of the people in your small church family, your event offers the perfect time to invite a neighbor or co-worker to join them. For those who are being invited, it may be a way to check out what your church is all about. Perhaps to fill a lonely space with friendships and support, even a source of hope. As you build these relationships and develop connections it can allow you to have the opportunity to share the message of Jesus!
We can’t wait to see what God can do in your neighborhoods and how excited your church family can be to join in to serve!
Let us know how it goes, and share some pictures in our Facebook community, Creative Solutions for Small Churches.
Looking for more on church outreach? Read more here:
Why Churchgoers Hang In The Church Hallway
