A ministry is often comprised of a lot of big and little events!

Ministry events involve both sides of the same coin to be successful: the head and the heart. This week, we’re looking at the heart!

For churches and nonprofits who want to provide a service or ministry, they often host a community event tied to the ministry. There are three key things to consider: offer what is needed, find ways to give back, and build relationships.

Offer What’s Needed:

• If you are having trouble brainstorming on a ministry opportunity, look at your community. Assess what exists, and create an event or ministry that fills the void.
• For example, if there’s already a soup kitchen ministry in your town, don’t create a second or third one because that creates competition. Rather, look for ways to partner with an existing ministry.
• Better yet, if there is a soup kitchen but no community clothes closet, see if your church has the resources to start that ministry if there’s a need.
• Once the ministry is established, you have the reason for your event. Then you can begin to plan what you want to do, how to do it, etc.
• Practical example: if your town needs a community clothes closet, consider a a shoe drive, coat drive, or fashion show to bring in the materials to meet the need.

Find Ways to Give Back:

• Find ways to offer value to your community.
• Find nonprofit groups that are doing good work and partner with them.
• The non-christian community takes notice of churches that give back, versus churches that consistently make community requests. If you attend community events, the community is more likely to take notice of yours!
• Partnering with the community helps to establish your church as a church that cares about the community.
• Consider offering your youth group as volunteer labor for events. This does two things:
• 1. It fills a major need for many people who do events = free labor!! A nonprofit doing an event is often doing a fundraiser. If they are doing a fundraiser they don’t have the funds to hire event help. Offering your youth group meets this very practical need!
• 2. It benefits your youth group in several ways: your kids learn to work together, they do something bigger than themselves, they meet and interact (aka: witness) to people in the community, and they can advertise your church at no cost to the church. When offering volunteer labor, ask the organization if you can wear your church shirts with the youth group name or if your church can be listed on promo material. A shout-out is always free – don’t be afraid to ask for this.

Build Relationships:

• Get into your community and get to know people. You can stand on the street corner and preach, or you can purposefully eat with your church staff once a week at a locally owned business and tip well. You can volunteer as a church staff or as clergy with other nonprofit groups. Your staff or church can join non-Christian sports leagues. There are as many ways to build relationships as there are individuals who live in your town!!

Are you a church that does service related events well? Let us know! Facebook or Tweet us and let us know what tips and tricks you have for doing ministry events!

In taking a look at “the heart” aspect of offering ministry events, next week we will look at “the head” – or the Business of Events!