Active Community Involvement Strengthens the Church

Church members who participate in community activities create a positive presence within their community. Through its generosity and compassion, the church shows every person it helps what it means to live a life for Christ. People remember and appreciate these random acts of kindness more than direct mail flyers or strangers extending open invitations to attend their church. In fact, a person who has been personally impacted by a church feels a sense of gratitude and is more likely to want to visit the church. They want to be a part of something they feel is good. More members help to build and strengthen a church. This is why it is important for churches to build strong community ties. Not only does it bring awareness to the church, but it helps the church build a solid reputation within its community.

There are so many ways that churches can be active participants in its community. For starters, members can volunteer at local shelters, senior citizens’ homes and jails. Often times, these are the people that need compassion the most. They have gone through hard times and sometimes do not have a strong support system in place. When church members take the time to visit these places, they have an opportunity to influence these individuals and teach them about Christ. The church can also sponsor or volunteer at community events such as health fairs, fundraisers for humane organizations, and blood drives. Volunteering at events like these is a great way to positively impact their community; by supporting wellness and helping organizations who are actively helping the people in the community. Finally, the church can adopt a school or family during the holidays and encourage members to donate services or resources to assist them.

Members who participate in community activities not only help build awareness of their church, but also strengthen the bond with each other as they all work together for a common cause. In addition, the church will create opportunities for press and media coverage as they learn of the different things the church is doing within the community. While a church can provide multiple opportunities for its members to participate in community activities, the key to increasing participation is appropriately marketing these events and opportunities to its members.

Church bulletins or programs are a perfect venue to market community activities. Depending on the frequency of community activities will determine how often church programs should be distributed. Events should be captured in the same section of the program for easy reference. Church program covers should have a static design so that members know immediately what they are and what content to expect. Church program covers should also adequately reflect who the church is. This can be done through use of a representative symbol or picture, or use of a slogan that the church actively follows and practices. As the active community involvement of the church brings more and more visitors, church bulletins are a great way for visitors to quickly see who the church is and what they are doing.