Did you know that three of the top ten New Year's resolutions for 2017 had to do with making self-improvements, spending more time with family, and doing more good deeds for others? While these resolutions might not seem to have anything to do with church, think again! Getting involved in church can help people make positive changes in their life. Many churches have outreaches where they do random acts of kindness and go out into their communities to pray for people. Doing these types of things are certainly considered good deeds. For those who have family or close friends who attend the same church, it's a great way to spend extra time with each other.
In other words, the New Year is a great time for members to get more involved.
If you have people in your congregation who have made these types of resolutions (and you probably do!), now is the time to help them. You can do this by providing opportunities to help your congregation be more involved in the upcoming year (And as an added bonus, you will be helping them stick to their resolutions). Even if your members don't have specific resolutions, here are 3 ways your congregation can join your mission, and not just show up on Sunday.
Church isn't just about having a mission field, it's about having a mission. Having a specific mission can help foster unity between members of the congregation. It can also help leadership know which types of programs, small group studies, and ministries to focus on. Knowing the mission can even make it easier for those involved in the church to share with others what their church is all about. In order to have potential visitors come to your church, it's usually not enough to say, "I just love my church - everyone's so nice." Your members should be able to succinctly tell others what your church has to offer.
Not only is it important for your leadership to know and talk about your church's specific mission, it's also helpful to have a mission statement. This statement should be found on your church website, your homepage on social media, the church bulletin, a wall of your church, and anywhere else it can act as a visual reminder for you, your leadership, and your members.
You always want to be building up your congregation and providing chances for them to grow in their faith. One great way to get them excited about spiritual growth and church involvement is to offer small groups and studies that center on your church mission statement. This can be done by encouraging all your small groups to do a study through the same book or video series, and then try to inspire them as a group to apply the things they have learned either within the church or outside of it. Another fun idea is to get some healthy competition going among small groups - like which one can raise the most money for the current mission project.
It's great that your congregation shows up for church most Sundays, but getting them to join your mission shouldn't be rocket science. Some of the simplest things, like caring for a neighbor who doesn't go to church, can go a long way when it comes to spreading your mission. You can tell your congregation that simple things like this are opportunities for them to get involved. And remember, for those members who made resolutions to do more good deeds, this is the perfect time to talk about doing random acts of kindness. If you need some ideas, here are 102 of them!
Not only does volunteering for a nonprofit organization, inviting someone to church, doing a random act of kindness, or making meals for a family in need provide simple ways to share the mission, they are things most anyone can do.