Reach YOUR Community for Christ

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Three things are required to make an event evangelistic: 

• Lost people need to be present.
• Proclaim the gospel.
• Extend a clear invitation to accept Jesus Christ.

1. Harvest Sunday Set aside one Sunday to create a welcoming environment for a special evangelistic presentation. Plan for an event during or after the service to draw lost people. Ask church members to start praying for their lost friends weeks in advance before they are invited. Prepare people to help with the invitation, decision counseling, and follow-up.

2. Door-to-door Evangelism Mobilize your congregation to visit select neighborhoods within your community to knock on doors and pray for people and present the gospel. It is ideal to go in a mixed-gender group of three. If you can only do two per group, consider a man and woman team. (A woman might feel unsafe answering the door with three men on the doorstep.)

3. Concert Book a Christian musical artist or band to perform for the community at your church. Conducting the show outside can feel less intimidating for first-timers walking onto church property. You will want to select a Christian music genre (hip-hop, R&B, country, rock, etc.) relevant to your community context instead of your church’s musical preference. Invite your community and set aside time during the concert to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

4. Comedy Show Book a Christian comedian(s) to do a show at your church for the community. Having the show outside can be less intimating for first-timers on church property. Invite residents from your community and set aside time during the show to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

5. Christian Illusionist Show Book a Christian illusionist to do a show at your church for the community. Some illusionists are skilled at puppetry, ventriloquism, clowning, juggling, balloon sculpturing and other visual arts. Have the show outside, so first-timers feel less intimated walking onto the church property. Invite people from the community to attend and set aside time during the show to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

6. Talent Show Invite people from the community to showcase their talents. Select members from your congregation to serve as judges and award the winner. Set aside time during the show to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

7. Community Picnic Invite the community to a picnic at your church or a local park. Mobilize your congregation to bring meals to share with the community or fire up the grill so volunteers can cook on-site. Be sure to set up games like a sack race, horseshoe toss, cornhole, tug of war, kickball, jump rope, Nerf war, flag football, water balloon toss, hopscotch, four square and basketball. Stage church members at each game to officiate. Schedule a break to present the gospel and allow time for prayer and response.

8. Block Party The block party is a big celebration on your church property or a block within your community. Make sure you research city policies for block parties. It typically involves music, food, games, bounce houses, face painting, giveaways, etc. It is a fun family event, so invite your community to attend at no cost. Set aside time during the block party to present the gospel and invite people to respond. Again, you could also set up a prayer booth with equipped members to pray and share the gospel.

9. Summer Festival Host a festival as an excellent way to strengthen relationships with the people within your community. A festival consists of musical performances, plays, food, activities, games, rides, etc. You could include a dramatization of the passion narrative in the Bible. Invite residents from the community to attend for free. Set aside time during the festival to present the gospel and invite people to respond. A prayer booth is another good option where your equipped members can both pray and share the gospel with people.

10. Sports Clinic Arrange for a former standout athlete or a local coach (e.g., middle or high school) to teach the fundamentals of a popular sport within your community such as baseball, softball, football, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, golf, etc. Invite parents to bring their kids to the clinic and then schedule a break where you present the gospel. You could also set up a prayer booth where your equipped members can both pray and present the gospel.

11. Movie Night Rent an outdoor movie projector and screen to show a family movie free to the community. Invite people from the community to attend and bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Consider providing popcorn and drinks. Set aside time during the event to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

12. Free Car Wash Mobilize your congregation to wash cars for community residents. Set up car wash stations on your church property and stage members at each location. Designate church members to hold “Free Car Wash” signs alongside the road to attract passing vehicles and to direct traffic to the stations. Have church members engage car owners to present the gospel as other church members wash their cars. Again, you could also set up a prayer booth where your equipped members can both pray and share the gospel.

13. Basketball Tournament Plan for a 3-on-3 on a half-court, so you only need one full basketball court and four volunteer referees (two assigned to each half of the court) from your church membership to execute the tournament. Invite the community to submit teams to develop 8 to 16 teams. Create a bracket from the proposed teams. Plan to give a nice award to the winners. Schedule breaks during games to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

14. Fishing Tournament For churches located near water (ocean, lake, pond), a fishing tournament is a good option. Plan a contest where individuals or teams compete for prizes by catching the most significant weight of fish in a specific amount of time. Invite the community to sign-up. Set aside time during the tournament to present the gospel, perhaps during the presentation of the prizes.

15. Men’s Breakfast Invite men from your community to a complimentary breakfast at your church. Include some giveaways and arrange for a male communicator to present the gospel and invite them to respond.

16. Women’s Tea Invite women from your community to a free tea party at your church where they also do a craft together. Arrange for a woman communicator to present the gospel and invite them to respond.

17. Senior Adult Luncheon Invite senior adults from your community to a free luncheon at your church to play games (bingo, Scrabble, name that tune, etc.). Arrange for a senior adult communicator to present the gospel and invite them to respond.

18. Free Hot Dog and Hamburger Lunch Buy some hamburgers and hot dogs and throw them on the grill. Appoint church members to hold “Free Hot Dogs” and “Free Hamburger” signs alongside the road to attract people in the area and others to direct traffic to the parking lot and lunch pick-up stations. Set up a prayer booth with equipped church members to pray and present the gospel.

19. Food Competition Invite people from the community to participate in a food competition at your church. The competition could be on a popular meal from your context (e.g., gumbo in Louisiana or crabcakes in Maryland). You could do two contests to include a main course and a dessert with simultaneous baking and barbecuing contests. Select members from your church to serve as judges and provide a prize for the winner. Also, be sure to set aside time to present the gospel and give people the opportunity to respond.

20. Parents’ Date Night Bless the young couples in your community by providing free care for their children for a few hours while they go out on the town for a date. Mobilize the people within your church with a heart for children to provide this service and invite couples to sign up. Make sure your volunteers are background checked and trained and communicate this to parents. Plan an evening of food, fun-filled games for the kids and a gospel presentation. You could have the parents report back just before dismissal so they can also hear the gospel presentation.

21. Single Parent’s PTO (Personal Time Off) Bless the single parents in your community by offering free care for their children for a few hours while they run errands, rest or just relax. You could even provide some free services at your church (necessities and a meal). Mobilize the folks within your congregation who have a heart for children to watch the kids and then invite single parents to register. Make sure your volunteers are background checked and trained and communicate this to parents. Plan to feed, have some fun with the kids and share the hope of the gospel. You could have the parents report back before dismissal to hear the gospel.

22. Prenatal Class Arrange for a prenatal care practitioner to offer a class to expectant moms and dads on the best practices for a successful pregnancy, labor and delivery and newborn care. Invite the community to attend and set aside time during the class to present the gospel and allow them to respond.

23. Self-Defense Class Arrange for a self-defense specialist to offer a class on the skills, strategies and physical techniques to help people within your community successfully escape, resist and survive possible violent attacks. Invite the community to attend and set aside time during the show to present the gospel and allow them to respond.

24. Relational Seminars Depending on the needs within your community, you could offer a seminar on marriage, parenting, grandparenting, grief, finances, etc. You could schedule an expert with a Christian worldview to speak on one or more of these relevant topics to help the residents within your community. Invite the community to attend. Set aside time during the seminar to present the gospel and allow them to respond.

25. Job Preparation Seminar Arrange for a career counselor to offer a seminar on writing a resume and how to prepare to have an effective job interview. Invite people from your community to attend and set aside time during the seminar to present the gospel. Provide refreshments and allow people to respond.

26. Arts and Crafts Day Invite people from the community to participate in painting, drawing, ceramics, etc. Provide all the materials along with light food and refreshments. Set aside time during the day to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

27. Knitting, Quilting and Crocheting Workshop Invite people from the community to a beginner class on knitting, quilting or crocheting. You may already have some people in your church skilled in these areas to volunteer and serve as instructors. Set aside time during the workshop to present the gospel and invite people to respond.

28. Health Fair Arrange for dietitians, physical trainers and health professionals to offer health education and resources to help the residents within your community adopt a healthy lifestyle. You may have some professionals within your church who would be willing to help with this initiative. Invite people from the community to attend and set aside time during the health fair to present the gospel and allow them to respond.

29. Health Screening Arrange for health professionals (i.e., eye doctors, dentists, medical doctors, etc.) to do pro bono health screenings for the community at your church. Maybe you have some health professionals in your congregation willing to offer this service. Invite people residents from your community to attend, and plan to present the gospel at the check-in or checkout point or a prayer booth.

30. First Responders Appreciation Meal Invite the first responders (i.e., law enforcement, fire personnel, etc.) in your community for a special appreciation meal at your church. Arrange for a Christian first responder or hospital chaplain to speak, present the gospel and allow participants to respond.