The time for focusing inward has passed, you need to turn your church loose on the community and be seen as a force for good in a time of darkness. How you respond as a church will determine your future. Don’t wait any longer; here are 10 things you can do this week to reach out to your community.
1. Do Grocery/prescription Pick up & Delivery
Assemble a team and get the word out on social media with a single email or phone number that people can call if they would like to access that service. Have a coordinator handle all the information and add an invitation to an online church or mini gospel of John to the order.
2. Write Cards for Health CareWorkers and Their Families and Drop Them off with Treats
Have members in your church hand write heartfelt thank-you notes to the health care workers in your local care facility. Gather them up and drop them off with a gift basked (wrapped) from your church.
3. Write Chalk Messages of Hope on your Church Sidewalks and your own Houses
Get members to write messages of hope on their sidewalks and on the church property. Things like “There is Hope” and “Jesus Loves You” and “Don’t Fear”. Show your community what faith over fear looks like.
4. Get a Prayer Line for People to call to Pray with or just to talk to
Use your church phone or a service like Open Phone to set up a prayer line where people can call in for prayer or just to talk. Make that number known on all of your social media and web site. Set up a prayer team that can pray for these requests as well.
5. Make Professional-looking Encouraging Cards and Drop them off to 50 Homes.
You may want to consider door hangers or postcards and have teams of 2 go around neighborhoods to drop off these encouraging cards with the information on how your church can serve their community. You can get professional cards at Vista Print.
6. Organize Drive-thru Communion and Prayer
Set up a time in the day where people can drive their cars to your church and receive communion and prayer while they are in their car. Wear gloves and maintain all the appropriate health standards but you’ll have an opportunity to visit with and lead them in communion.
7. Host Community Chat Nights or Alpha Online or the Marriage Course Online or the Parenting Course Online via Zoom
Use zoom to host alpha, the marriage course or a parenting course. You can have people register and lead them through a 3-6 week course online. Follow security protocols if you are using zoom so you don’t get “zoom bombed”. Get the word out using your social media.
8. Offer Prepared Frozen Meals to those who are Self-Isolating
Have members cook up meals for 4, put them in “to go” containers and freeze them. Once you have several on hand, make it available to people who are self-isolating.
9. Have Members of the Congregation Donate $10 Skip the Dishes or Uber eats coupons and make them available for those in need.
Get church members to each donate $10 and purchase Skip The Dishes coupons that you can use to give to people that need a hand or to health care workers to bless them.
10. Assemble Care Packages for the Local Shelter.
Contact your local shelter or food bank and ask them how you as a church can serve them at this time. Be a blessing to those who have no place to go.
What else can you do to serve your community?
Jeremiah works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.