Seven Low-Cost High Impact Outreaches (Fall/Winter Edition)
When we think of church outreach, we tend to think of carnivals or block parties or musicals; events that involve lots of people, lots of planning, and lots of dollars. Although there is a place for such things in a church outreach strategy, I find there is a much higher return when churches are consistently outward bound even on a smaller scale. To do this, you have to be able to organize small teams of people quickly and spend less money for a single outreach.
The name of the game for this type of outreach strategy is “We Are Here!”. Much like “Hortons Hears A Who”, the church must get past the noise to let the community know “we are here” and “we care”. It’s a simple, yet effective strategy to build trust and connection between the church and the community. It won’t necessarily translate into immediate conversions or church attendance, but it will create notoriety, generate goodwill, and increase front of mind awareness amongst the community. All these things will give positive results over time as long as there is consistency.
So, let’s talk about 7 things your church can do that are low in cost and manpower but high in community awareness and impact.
Teacher Appreciation Coffee Break.
Go to Tim Hortons and purchase enough coffee and muffins for all the staff at your local elementary school and bring it (with permission) to the staff room. Set out a card that says, “Thank you for all you do for our children” with your church name and website on it. Take a picture of the spread and post to social media (tag the school) with the caption, “We love our teachers! #teacherappreciation #for(communityname)”.
Total cost = $50-$75.00. Total volunteers 2-3.
Winter Warm-Up.
Collect 30-50 kids coats/boots from your church congregation. Partner with existing organizations (schools, boys and girls club, Family Services) to distribute these jackets on one day over a certain time frame. You can add to the fun of that day by adding some family activities or a pancake breakfast. Take a picture of a few of the items and post to social media (tag your city) with the caption, “Awesome to give away 50 coats to kids for our Winter Warm-Up. #itsgettingcoldoutthere #weelove(communityname)”.
Total cost = Donations. Total Volunteers 4-6.
Professional Development Day Kids Camps.
Run a one-day kids camp at the same time as a professional development day for 20-30 kids. Advertise it in the school and have families register their kids. Run it concurrent to the normal school hours and think through drop-off/send-off. Use the VBS curriculum to keep it fun and engaging. Get donations from your church congregation. You can even charge $10.00 a child to offset costs. You can schedule all of these in advance and have parents register to secure their spots. Taking only a certain number of kids will help you limit your volunteers and create a bit of FOMO. Promoting this via social media on community pages will increase awareness of your church in the community.
Total Cost = Donations + offset registration costs. Total Volunteers 6-8.
Family Movie Nights.
Host movie nights that you know kids and families would want to watch together (not necessarily Christian ones). Offer free popcorn and pop. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. In some cases, you may need to pay for a public viewing licence. This is a great way to have kids in your church invite their friends from school. Give them postcards and invitations to hand out to their friends.
Total Cost = $50-$75. Total Volunteers 4-6.
Light Up Your Church.
During Christmas time, collect donations of Christmas lights and string them up on your church property. Make it look nice and set them on a timer to run from dusk till dawn. Spread some Christmas cheer in your neighbourhood by having a nice light display starting December 1. Your neighbours and those driving by will take notice. This one will take some man-hours to set up the lights but once it’s done, you can leave it until mid-January. This kind of outreach can occur annually so it may be a one-time cost.
Total Cost = donations / $100 - $200. Total Volunteers 2-4.
Hot Chocolate Giveaway.
Whether it’s during Halloween, a community event or on a night where you can find lots of people, set up a hot chocolate giveaway station. The key is to go where there will be people. If you are joining a community event (like a parade or carnival), get permission. You can even set up on a popular toboggan hill and giveaway hot chocolate. If you have a tent or table, add a banner with your church name and website. This would be a one-time cost that you could use multiple times. You can even print out labels for the cups that say, “God loves you and so do we” with your church name and website. Take pictures and post to social media saying, “Who Loves Hot Chocolate? #for(communityname)”. You can even tag the event or location where you handed it out.
Total Cost = $50-$75. Total Volunteers 2-4.
Parents Day Out.
Much like the Pro-D Day kids camps, this is a chance to host a one-day Saturday camp where parents can drop their kids off so they can go Christmas shopping. Use parts of a VBS curriculum to keep it simple on your end and have the parents drop the kids off at 9 AM and pick them up at 3 PM. You can make a big deal over “get your Christmas shopping done” as you promote it to the community. Take registration for as many kids as you can staff for (20-30) and follow up with those who registered to invite them to your Christmas Eve services. You can even charge a nominal fee to offset costs.
Total Cost = donations. Total Volunteers 6-8.
The point is to do things on a smaller scale more consistently versus doing things on a large scale inconsistently. We also want to preserve our volunteers and operate within a budget that the church can afford.
Need more ideas?
https://abnwt.com/articles/15-ways-you-can-be-hope-for-your-city
https://abnwt.com/articles/digital-outreach-for-pennies-on-the-dollar
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.