6 Ways To Advertise Your Church & Bring Your Community Together

For many towns, cities and neighborhoods, churches are not only places for worship but also places of community. You pour a lot of love, hard work and time into making your church great. However, people are pulled in so many different directions today, it can be hard to bring your community together. Read on to learn how to advertise your church more effectively and bring neighbors together. 

1. Organize Community Events

One of the challenges faced by many churches is a lack of urgency. People have their entire lives to work on their spiritual wellness and the church will be there tomorrow, next week and next year. It can easily become something people put off.

You can address this by organizing special events for the community. Consider organizing a fundraiser that will benefit an important local cause. Use some  custom church banners to attract eyes and draw people to your event. Engage your existing congregation to spread the word. These types of events not only provide an incentive to come today, but they also highlight the value of the church to the community.

2. Create a Livelier Exterior

Many churches are modest by design. It is very easy to pass by and not realize there anything is happening indoors. A livelier exterior is a great way to catch eyes and remind passersby of your church and everything it offers.

Some church feather flags flapping in the wind can be very effective to grab people's attention. This is especially true if you change them regularly or only put them out during services or events. Changing your exterior with simple tools like church flags can be a good way to make things seem a little more energetic.

If you want to go big, you could even consider a giant inflatable cross. Some communities really respond to that type of fun-loving attitude demonstrated by the church.

3. Understand What the Community Wants

Every community is a little different. Some communities will get a kick out of that giant inflatable cross and others will think its too much. Understanding the congregation is important to delivering impactful services. Similarly, it is important to understand the community to successfully engage people.

As you plan your outreach efforts, consider what people want and what problems they are facing. Focus your messaging around your audience's priorities rather than your own. Furthermore, strive to understand what the people who aren't already attending your church want. Hosting a community-oriented event offers a great chance to get some perspectives from some such people.

4. Involve the Congregation

Chances are you already have several dedicated followers who are happy to help your church. Involve these people in your outreach efforts. This serves two purposes: it gives you additional voices for outreach and it further engages your community. People filling seats isn't enough for a successful church; you also need to foster a vital and passionate congregation.

Encourage them to invite friends and family to attend church. Consider preparing and distributing some wording suggestions for people to use. This is a good way to help keep the message positive and engaging.

Another way to involve your congregation is to ask them to put up small church flags or signs on their lawns. It is a simple way for them to highlight their involvement and to broaden your reach.

5. Get Involved in Other Events

If other local events are happening, find ways to get involved. Perhaps you and your congregation could help with organizing. Alternatively, you could set up a table at the event, if appropriate. Look for ways to have a positive impact on the event. For example, you could sell or distribute water and snacks during a hot summer gathering.

Keep in mind that your goal is to engage people who aren't already coming to the church. So, it can be beneficial to find ways to get involved that are more focused on benefiting the community. That way you will engage the people who aren't already familiar with your church and congregation.

6. Support Local Artists

If you want to attract a young crowd, offer some support to local artists. For example, you could host an art show at the church or a concert. This is a great way to build an event that supports the community while also helping out young art creators. You can draw people into your event from the street with the above strategies such as putting out church feather flags that highlight the occasion.

Just keep in mind to avoid only focusing on religious art. While it is fine to disallow anything that would be offensive to your congregation, it is important to build a general appeal. For example, hosting a  Christian rock concert is most likely only going to attract current church attendees.

Remember To Target Your Audience

No matter what strategies you use to attract people from hosting events to putting up church banners, remember to keep your audience in mind. Think about what will be engaging for people who aren't already coming to your church. They are your target audience.