Churches around the country are wrestling with the issue of how to re-engage regular churchgoers whose attendance has trailed off during the pandemic. In September, LifeWay Research found most pastors said their congregation had less than 70% of its pre-COVID crowds.
But while a focus on re-engagement with former attenders is needed church leaders believe it’s just as important to be strategic about reaching new faces in the community.
“If there’s ever been a time when people are struggling, it’s now,” said Sergio Arce, a member of First Baptist Church, Madison, Tennessee. “As we do neighborhood outreach, people are telling us God has been trying to get their attention, trying to tell them something.”
Arce believes a pandemic shouldn’t put a pause on outreach. Instead, he insists, it should serve as a catalyst to meet people in responsible ways in times of need.
“Putting up a welcome banner outside the church isn’t enough,” Arce said. “It’s not about ‘y’all come.’ We have to get out and meet people.”
Outreach and church planting during a pandemic
More than 400 miles away, church planting resident Josh Elliff collects pop-up tents from different neighborhoods around The Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The week prior, the church had encouraged members to leverage Halloween for the Gospel by engaging their neighbors who would be out and about with kids. After conducting “3 Circles” evangelism training, the church provided interested church members with tents, folding tables, yard games, prizes and bottled water. They also supplied bags branded with the words, “We’re glad you’re our neighbor,” and stuffed with hand sanitizer, invite cards, king-size candy bars and Bibles from LifeWay Christian Resources.
“The idea with the games and tents was to slow families down enough that kids could play and parents could talk to one another,” said Elliff, a fourth-generation pastor. “The hope was not just to bless people with candy, but to let them know their neighbors are believers who care about them.”
Outreach tips in an overwhelming season
Although only 2% of churches say they’ve had to cut an outreach ministry due to COVID-19, many pastors report pandemic-related difficulties including personal exhaustion and concern about the safety and well-being of members. This has made evangelism harder to prioritize in the church.
While familiar with the challenges, Arce and Elliff offer the following tips to encourage church leaders who long to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission through local outreach.
- Start with prayer and only do God-initiated projects.
- Identify how your church and community are unique and recognize that your church doesn’t have to reach everyone.
- Be consistent and don’t make assumptions.
- Join in where Christ is already working.
Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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