With churches all over the country facing issues of whether to have a service or Mass, it’s time to look at ways to get families back and engaged with your church and their faith. But how can you get them to come back and how can you keep them safe?
The answer? Events!
With temperatures dropping it’s a great time of year to be outside. And being in an open space will lessen the likelihood of spreading the virus or the flu when following recommendations. Host an outdoor event at your church. Invite your members or parishioners and have them invite guests!
Host a bonfire to celebrate the crisp fall air.
Have everyone bring a blanket or chair. Serve apple cider and a fall treat like candy or caramel apples, pumpkin, or apple donuts. Or make it a fundraiser and sell hot dogs with proceeds going to your church mission. Add music from your praise band or just have a sing-along led by the church choir members. Being outside and seeing old friends may be just the boost your members and parishioners need.
Host an outdoor movie night.
There are lots of fun family-friendly movies that could be projected onto one of your building’s walls. Have folks bring chairs and blankets so they can spread out on the lawn or parking lot. Or you could set it up with an FM transmitter (under $100) and broadcast the movie to the radios of the nearby cars. Just like a real drive-in! Sell pre-packaged snacks and hot chocolate as a fundraiser and consider making the cost of admission a food donation to stock your church’s pantry for local families in need.
Think about making your events multifaceted as mentioned above. Have your fun element and add in a way to serve the community’s needs. Whether it’s concession revenues, food donations, or even a silent auction that can be viewed at the event and then bid online during the weekend.
We all need to reimagine what the future holds. Part of this is venturing out to safe events where we know and trust people will have our family’s best interest at heart. There should be no place better to start than at your church. Happy Fall!
Read More:
RE-IMAGINING YOUR CHURCH’S TYPICAL FALL EVENTS
OUR EARLY 2020 HOLIDAY PREPARATION GUIDE
HOW TO ESCAPE ENTITLEMENT AND EMBRACE EMPATHY AND GENEROSITY
