Adopting a Missionary Mindset
Douglas Ruffle, who works with the Path 1 church planting initiative, says the role of church leaders in a culture that is increasingly estranged from…
Browsing: Community Outreach
Articles
Blessing of the Bikes
Pastor Daniel Kerlin’s Pennsylvania congregation wanted to reach people who wouldn’t normally come to church. They came up with a novel idea — a motorcyclist worship…
Does Your Church Need a Disaster Ministry Plan?
Jamie D. Aten and David M. Boan, who head the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, say that you may never have thought about your…
Church Bell Calls Kids to Summer Food and Fun
Pastor Daniel Kerlin’s Pennsylvania church hosts a free summer lunch program. When kids who were on their own or couldn’t tell time were having difficulty…
Building Multicultural Relationships
Mark DeYmaz and Bob Whitesel say that the church must reposition itself to maintain credibility in an increasingly diverse community. They stress the importance of…
Coffee Shop Conversations
Scott Chrostek, pastor of Resurrection Downtown, visited thirty-three coffee shops during his first month in Kansas City with a daily goal of having thirty-five conversations…
Transforming Community: The Wesleyan Way to Missional Congregations
Drawing from the strength of their previous book, Transforming Evangelism, Henry Knight and Douglas Powe show us a Wesleyan way to form missional communities and…
Community Outreach Essential to Launch New Worship Site
Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas, recently launched a new worship service at a second campus in southeast Wichita that became part of…
The Power of Laity in Connecting to the Community
For much of my ministry, I had a recurring fantasy each time I was moving to a new church as pastor. I would imagine myself…
Connecting with “Those People”
For four years, I’ve been the pastor of Women at the Well, a congregation within a women’s prison in Mitchellville, Iowa. I meet some amazing…
Not Safe for Church: Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations
Reaching a new generation requires a new conversation. Congregations say they want to reach new and younger people, many of whom are simply turned off…
50 Ways to Take Church to the Community
Churches can no longer open their doors and expect that people will come in. Effective congregations go into the world to encounter those in need…
Your Community is Your Congregation
One of the greatest challenges to the church in the twenty-first century is its lack of connection to its community. Far too many churches today…
Engaging your Mission Field
Perhaps there was a time when inspiring worship and great music brought people to church. Today, however, in an increasing number of places, the quality…
Connect Community Events to Worship
For years, Harvest Church hosted a community-wide dodgeball event for teenagers. We advertised it well, and hundreds of kids participated. The winners got cool prizes…
Host Bridge Events to Reach New People
One of the disciplines of a disciple of Jesus Christ is to establish relationships with people we do not know — the unconnected — therefore…
The Go-To Church
The church can no longer fling open the doors and expect the crowds to rush in. We are no longer a “come here” organization as…
Getting to Know the “Mayors” of Your Community
Congregational revitalization happens when the community and the church come together to make it happen. But it can’t be the church saying, “This is what…
Fast Forwarding Your Church’s Community Engagement
Many churches today are pioneering a shift in which they are truly engaging their communities in mission. These churches are not only deploying their own…
Key Competencies for a Missional Congregation
The “missional DNA” of Floris United Methodist Church has been one of the keys to our growth and vitality. Fruitfulness in mission has had a…
