Easter tends to bring the biggest church event ideas of the year, and rightly so! Chances are the months leading up to Easter Sunday see your church doing lots of careful planning to make sure the big day goes off without a hitch. But, springtime offers up lots of great opportunities for creative outreach that extend beyond Easter themes. Exciting outreach events boost attendance and increase your church’s visibility, which means you’ll have a greater chance of drawing people in to hear about the love of Jesus.
You can start hosting outreach events early in the spring. This helps build momentum so your visitors and members will be enthusiastic about what’s to come. Send out postcards, share on social media, canvas neighborhoods with door hangers – use every tool available to you to keep your church and events top of mind. When you host an event, always announce when the next one is coming so people know what to look forward to.
Here are a few engaging ideas for church events to get you inspired this spring:
Launch a sermon series
Although Easter is the most-attended church event of the year, you don’t have to wait until then to host your first event (especially if Easter falls later in the spring). Instead, plan a series for the weeks leading up to Easter. Look for felt needs in your community and create a series around them (i.e. marriage, finances, parenting).
Invite your larger community to attend your series with an integrated outreach campaign – think postcards, door hangers, banners and signs, and social media updates. And don’t forget your best outreach tool of all – word of mouth! Encourage your congregation to personally invite their friends, coworkers, and neighbors. You can even provide them with invite cards that have information unique to the sermon series.
Have a church movie night
Movie nights are an easy, no-pressure way to invite people to your church. Most people can appreciate an affordable evening of entertainment, and you can provide it right in their community! Choose a film that is high quality and engaging so your guests will be entertained – family, date night, comedy, and faith are all good themes. You can even make the evening extra special by offering refreshments or decorating the venue. Want some great tips for hosting a church movie night? Find them here.
Host a Spring Fling Family Festival
What better way to draw families in your church and community together than a family festival? It offers a fun way for people to get to know each other in a relaxed, casual environment. You could host the festival on a Sunday after your church services. This has two benefits. The first is that your regular church members will already be around for the service, so they’re more likely to attend the festival. The second is that people from your community who are interested in the festival might just come early to check out your service. You potentially increase attendance for your sermon series so more people hear your message!
Fun games and free food are your best bets to draw people in. Share the news about your festival on Facebook, and encourage church members to invite people on their personal Facebook pages. You could also display a large outdoor banner advertising the festival a couple of weeks in advance to attract attention as people pass by your church.
Spring Service Day
One of the best ways to get involved with your community is to actively serve outside your church building. You can partner with other ministries and nonprofits to identify needs your church can meet, then recruit volunteers from your congregation to help. Sending out volunteer teams builds good will in your community and allows your church to demonstrate the love of God in a hands-on way.
This is great to do on a consistent basis, and hosting seasonal service days acts as a reminder to your church to join in. As the weather warms up, hold a designated Spring Service Day where teams from your church go out and help in multiple areas of your community. Provide t-shirts with your church logo and host a small celebration afterwards to thank your volunteers for their hard work.
Schools Out! Ice Cream Social
By the time May rolls around, the kids in your community will be excited about the last day of school. What better way to help them celebrate finishing another school year than by throwing a big party? An ice cream social is a fun way to do this. All you need is a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings and a few volunteers to supervise. Kids will love building their own ice cream sundaes! This is a great opportunity to let parents know if you have VBS, bible camp, or any other fun summer activities planned.
With a little planning, the spring season can be a time of true growth for church. Start preparing in advance so you can promote your events early and often. Your church has a powerful message to offer your community — get creative in the ways you share it!
