Church Engagement Ideas – Church members are the backbone of any congregation. They help fulfill so many roles, from ushering to volunteering in the nursery. But there’s a lot more that they can do! In this article, we will explore five ways you can unleash the power of your church members and engage them in fulfilling their purpose.
- Lead
- Engagement
- Involvement
- Motivate
- Serve
- Rinse and Repeat
Table of Contents
Church Engagement Ideas
A new survey by Barna Group has revealed that church engagement is not just about how often people attend services. They found that a person’s level of commitment to the faith may be more important than whether they show up at all-too-frequent Sunday services, or barely make it for major holidays and special occasions. The study focused on what it means to be a committed Christian or church member and found that “committed Christians” are less likely than those who consider themselves just members of their faith tradition to say they have strong ties to people in the congregation (62% vs. 80%), attend services at least monthly (34% vs. 65%) and pray privately on a daily basis (33% vs. 72%).
The survey also found that “committed Christians” are more likely to say they have a strong relationship with God and feel like their faith is important in shaping the way they live, even if it doesn’t always inform every decision. The data reveals key differences between people who consider themselves committed members of their faith and those who consider themselves just members of their faith tradition.
How do you Engage Church Members?
There are various ways to engage church members. One way is by preaching the gospel in a relevant, biblical manner and having an engaging worship service that does not become routine or boring. Another way is by hosting community events such as clubs for children’s ministry, Bible studies, volleyball tournaments, and more. Churches should also focus on relationships. These can be church members or other people in the church’s community who might not know Christ as their Savior.
Engaging people in a mission higher than themselves, help them give purpose to their lives and greatly help those who they serve.
What is Church Involvement?
It is usually viewed from a personal level, how can we be involved in Church we can be involved in
-Teaching Class
- Helping in Nursey
- Helping in Children Church
- Reading Scripture in Worship
- Leading Singing in Worship
- Mission Work
- Helping Giving Food to Those in Need
- Offering Help to your community
- Distributing Bibles
- Helping your church in streaming their service
- Visiting those who are in Hospital
- Visiting those who are shut-in
- Helping people with transportation for Groceries, Doctor Visits?
How do I Motivate my Church?
It’s hard to motivate your church. It takes a lot of time, motivation, and innovation. There are several ways you can do that but what works for one may not work well with others so it is important to find out what motivates the members in your congregation first before implementing any new changes or ideas.
-There are many ways to motivate members of your church. Some methods include giving them a voice in the decision-making process, letting them know what they mean to you, and having fun with it.
-A successful motivation technique could be one that was already tried and tested by someone else but doesn’t feel intimidated because if other people have succeeded with it, then you can too.
-There are many ways to get motivation from your church and the best way is often different for each person so find what works for you first before implementing any changes or new ideas.
– The most important thing about motivation is that it has to be genuine in order for it to work well; you can’t fake motivation.
– You should also never attempt to motivate your church by pushing them into things they are not comfortable with because it will backfire and actually make people less motivated instead of more.
– It is important for leaders to set a good example so that their members can see how fun being in the church is, which will result in motivation.
– The best way to determine what will motivate your church is to have a conversation with the members or ask them about their favorite activities, which can be used as motivation for future events you plan.
What are some Church Activities?
Church engagement means that it’s time to get involved at your church – to sing, serve and help the congregation feel more connected.
– Music nights
– Bible studies or group discussions on topics relevant to your church’s mission
– Fasting and prayer days where people can take a rest from social media and spend time in worshiping God together.
– Allowing members of the congregation a greater chance
Church Activities are structured for it to bring spiritual growth from the person serving, and those being served.
How would you Encourage Church Members to be Active?
-Be friendly, welcoming, and supportive of new people
-Help those who are struggling by giving them the motivation they need to keep going.
-Share how your life has been better because you have taken risks in following Jesus Christ.
When we take these small steps, it can make a big difference not only for ourselves but also for our church.
-Invite people to take ownership of tasks in your ministry, whether it be teaching a class or serving the food on Sunday morning.
-Create spaces where they can serve together and feel comfortable being themselves.”
Also sometimes simply asking someone to serve will inspire Christians to take up Jesus’ cross. One of the signs of a good leader is that they strive to encourage and involve others. A Christian Leader could do everything themselves. But a Wise leader will share God’s Work and use it as an opportunity to mentor younger Christians.
How do I Reach out to Inactive Church Members?
-It’s important to remember not only what brought them into the church, but also their motivation for leaving it.
-As much as we want people to come back and worship with us, God wants our attention more than anything.
-Is an inactive member still receiving God’s blessings?
-God is always with us, even when we are away from the church. He never leaves our side.
-We should be more concerned about the motivation of a person who chooses to not participate in Church instead of what brought them there or why they left it.
-Many times, the motivation of an inactive member is to escape from something that is causing them pain.
-We need to have a relationship with each person on their terms and in their environment.”
How can Church Engagements be Improved Online?
– Church engagement has been an issue for a while and is only getting worse. Churches need to start looking towards other ways of motivation that can help them see more success in the future.
– One-way churches are starting to improve their online church engagements is by adding inspirational paragraphs onto their homepage so they stay up at all times. People are not seeing as many great things, but these paragraphs will help to show them more motivation.
– Another way churches are starting to improve their online church engagement is by creating a blog where they have posts with short and long-form content for people that want a variety of information. The goal should be optimizing the user experience so users can get what they want and need quickly.
– The motivation doesn’t stop there though, because churches are also starting to use videos on their website that show short clips of people being motivated by the scriptures or other inspirational messages. This will help them with church engagements a lot in the future!
- Offer Lessons and classes online – people can grow at their own pace
- Stream Sunday Morning Classes and Worship
- Set up Prayer Lines that stretch beyond your physical doors
- Set up Online small Groups
- Set up online giving – so people can share and give
- Open Your arms to people worldwide
- Younger people have been raised on tech – Brainstorm on how Churches can use it to Spread the Gospel
- Leadership studying Hybrid church Models
How do you Encourage Church Members to Serve?
As a pastor, I’ve encountered motivation in many different ways. Sometimes it is as simple as the words of encouragement from another person on staff or an individual member that can spur someone into action. Other times motivation comes in the form of stories about people who have served before us and what they accomplished with their service. Yet other times motivation is rooted in the idea that we all have a role to play and without everyone’s involvement, the work of God can never be done. Regardless of how motivation arrives, it will always make an impact Some important points
- God’s Children want to make a difference
- Christians are willing to sacrifice
- God’s Children Partner with God and nothing is impossible to God
Pew Research Center – Church Involvement in Most of the Religious Faiths
How do I get involved in a New Church? Take the Initiative
-If you’re just looking for a place to go, visit the church during one of their services and see if it feels like somewhere that could be your home.
-Ask someone within the congregation what ministry opportunities are available. Most churches have some sort of volunteer opportunity or small group study program that can help introduce you to different people in the congregation, and get your feet wet as a new member.
-Ask the pastor what he/she would like to see from someone who shares their faith with others—maybe you can be that person!
- Contact Ministry Leaders On The Ministry that God is putting on your heart
- Ask for opportunities from Church Information Booth
- Take the initiative – Approach someone in that ministry
- Ask for a meeting with the pastor to either help and serve in an existing ministry
- Ask to start a new ministry ( Check to make sure it aligns with the churches direction)
- Check out opportunities in Bulletin
- Begin attending the church’s services, classes, and growth functions
How can I Encourage my Church to Volunteer?
Church engagement is about encouraging your church members to volunteer in their local community. It helps the congregation grow closer together and show love through service. Not only does it strengthen bonds with people outside of worship, but it also strengthens them internally between members too.
-The best way to begin this journey as a leader is to display your own commitment by volunteering in the community. As you go and show a servant’s heart, it will encourage others to take action too.
-There are many opportunities for service outside of worship services that can help churches engage with their local communities:
o creating care packages for those who have been displaced
o providing holiday gifts for families in need o creating service projects that benefit your local community (e.g., painting a mural)
-For churches, one of the most effective ways to encourage volunteerism is by hosting an event where members are able to participate and engage with their communities. For example, you can host a “tea and talk” event that encourages members to invite their neighbors over for tea or coffee. Or, your church could simply have a food truck outside of it one day during the week where people are encouraged to volunteer on staff as they order.
-In general, churches who engage in this type of service usually find that members are more invested in the church and its mission.
-Overall, this type of engagement is about building relationships with people outside your congregation by demonstrating love through service. Church leaders can encourage their congregations to take part in these events by showing up themselves!
How do Church Members Engage?
The church has always been a place of worship and fellowship for Christians, but nowadays it is also an important part of the lives of many non-Christians because they are looking for ways to connect with other people who have similar values as themselves.
Small Groups
Today small groups are a very effective way church members are engaging with one another. Members can connect over a shared interest, serve together or discuss their faith at church
Many times families meet on a weekday evening for bible study, community, and a meal together. Adults have their own study and then most groups set up a concurring class for the children Alpha is one of those churches that have developed worldwide, in person and online small groups.
How do I Attract New Members to My Church?
- Prayer – ask God to guide you to those that are already seeking him
- Focus the Church on reaching outside to those broken and needing gods healing
- Visit churches that are growing, God is moving there.
- Make sure you are feeding those coming to eat
- Focus your worship on God and not ourselves
- See where God is working and go and be a part of that that he is already doing
- Offer opportunities that people can grow. All ages Children – teens – young adults – seniors
What are Examples of Church Activities?
- Worship
- IT Booth and church technology
- Producing Weekly Church Bulletin
- Adult education
- Children’s Education
- Teens Education
- Children’s church
- Upcoming events
- Ministry teams
- Visitation – Sick – Shutins – elderly – Church can Provide Gas Money to those willing to visit
- Prayer Requests – Prayer Ministry
- Outreach Ministry
- Mission Ministry
- Small-Group – ministry
- Church attendance – tracking – setting up follow-up/strengthening program
- Leadership Team
- Finance Ministry
How do you Engage an Older Church Member?
This is a powerful opportunity to strengthen and involve Christians in a local church’s ministry.
It is wise leadership that utilizes and this vast resource.
First must realize a couple of things, they have an
- An Abundance of Experience – Wisdom
- They are not as young – so the structure needs to take that into account
- They want to Help
- They might have resources and $$ to help
- They have Years worth of contacts – for involvement and church growth
- They might be retired
- They will have doctors appts – to allow for
- Visits to Children and grandchildren
- May take More Vacations
Structure your ministry to account for this. I have seen many successful Ministries led by a retired Titan -0 one we had at one time was called the “Golden Agers”
One of my Friends was a Deacon – His Ministry was to connect the seniors to the Youth – He loved it
He told me, The kids had the energy and desire to work and serve / The Older Christians were able to guide them with wisdom and the Older Christians had Money to help the Kids – It was a perfect matching.
How do you Organize an Engagement Ceremony?
Events, Outreaches, Campaigns all can begin with a Kick-Off event
- Hire a Guest Speaker that is currently working the are you are wanting to engage in
- Visit other congregations that have this type of successful outreach and meet their leaders. Buy Them lunch or coffee
- Set a date in the future and begin praying that God’ will use your efforts
- Always listen for his leading
- Cast a Vision
- Allow God to bring the servants he wants to use
What are some Community Engagement Strategies?
One of the most important things to realize is that
- People want to serve
- People want to Give
- God’s people want to sacrifice
- God’s People want to work
- God’s People want to shine Jesus Light
It is up to the Church Leadership to provide those opportunities
Final Thoughts
To The Wise Leadership that Leads in that manner-
There will be
- Involvement
- commitment
- Sacrifice
- Spiritual Growth
- Expansion of God’s Kingdom.
Best Bible Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Below is a table featuring some highly regarded Bible Encyclopedias and Dictionaries along with their publishers and websites where they can be found or purchased.
| Title | Publisher | Website |
|---|---|---|
| The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia | Eerdmans | Eerdmans |
| Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary | Zondervan | Zondervan |
| Easton’s Bible Dictionary | Thomas Nelson | Thomas Nelson |
| Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary | B&H Publishing Group | B&H Publishing Group |
| The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary | Moody Publishers | Moody Publishers |
| HarperCollins Bible Dictionary | HarperOne | HarperOne |
| Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words | Thomas Nelson | Thomas Nelson |
You can generally find these resources on the publishers’ websites, as well as other online book retailers such as Amazon or Christianbook. It’s always good practice to confirm availability and review additional details on the specific websites or other reliable online bookstores.
