Connection strategies: Outreach events & practices

Here's my last post on connection strategies, a series in which we discuss the way that you can solidify connections and a sense of community between people in your Sunday School or life group.  As mentioned in previous posts, a true community of believers is "sticky"-- it makes people feel loved, wanted, needed, and cared for.  It's more than a social club or a Sunday event; it is the body of Christ in action, meeting needs and growing the Kingdom.  By the same token, outreach is about more than numbers (reaching X number of people, growing by X percent, etc.).  It is about fulfilling the Great Commission and finding more people who need the love and care of Christ.

While your church may have some larger evangelism and outreach strategies in place, your Sunday School or life group can implement its own complementary practices for growth.  Here are some suggestions:

• Have an outreach coordinator.  If you can find a diligent volunteer who enjoys talking to people, this is a great way to keep in touch with visitors and absentees.  Two or three times a month, this volunteer can call, email, or text people letting them know they are missed and just touching base on life.  This volunteer can also work with your church's Evangelism Minister.
• Have outreach events.  With the help of your outreach coordinator, set up a quarterly party with several volunteers to write postcards or letters to absentees and/or call them on the phone.  A fun, social atmosphere makes this job a joy.   
• Consistently encourage members to invite someone.  We all have friends, neighbors, and co-workers who are unchurched and/or unsaved.  Frequently let your class know that visitors are welcome and encourage them to invite someone.  In fact, the Rainer Survey (The Unchurched Next Door: Understanding Faith Stages as Keys to Sharing Your Faith) indicated that a majority of unchurched people would be willing to attend if someone simply invited them!  So a "Sure, I'll come" response may only be an ask away.
• Be dynamic.  Having some fun social events, helping out in your community, and caring for each other's needs speaks volumes.  When someone comes to visit your class on Sunday and is quickly introduced to many others, made to feel welcome, and engaged in conversation or invitations for future events, that is a lot of reasons to say yes to coming again.
• Get out in the community.  If your church does a food drive or service event, let the people you meet during the event know what you are doing and why.  If they are interested, you can share more about your church and offer a personal invitation for them to attend.

Outreach has played an interesting role in my own life, since I met my husband while we were both volunteering at an outreach event, and personal invitations from friend to attend Youth Group helped keep my faith alive during long periods when my family did not attend church.  However, I have to say that my best experience with an outreach-primed, Christ-centered, dynamic, and well-organized group has been my current church's MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) ministry.  This group does everything right-- and that's saying a lot from me, who is a pretty particular person.  They communicate well and regularly.  Although our group is quite large, we have assigned tables as small discussion groups with facilitation leaders and name tags for everyone.  The space is comfortably large, and it's easy to hear each other talk. There are fun crafts, service activities, special speakers, play dates, and social events.  Everything is very Christ-centered and glorifying, while acknowledging the struggles we sometimes encounter as moms and wives.  It's also very affordable (including the child care), which I have greatly appreciated while living in a very expensive city.  Overall, MOPs has been one of the best experiences of my life as a mom and I have found it very easy share with other moms that I meet because I can't imagine who wouldn't want to be a part of this wonderful group!

Isn't that how everyone should feel about the body of Christ-- that it's so wonderful, you can't imagine why other people wouldn't want to join it?  

In closing, I hope that my posts on church life and Sunday School have given you some tools to help your group operate well and reach others for Jesus.  As I begin to move on to other topics, please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section.