Top Ten Ways to Connect to Your Community

When I first stepped on the mission field as a church planter, I had starry-eyed dreams of building a church that would impact the region, nation, and (hopefully) the world. Even before we had our first informational meeting, I envisioned a large worship center; thousands of people listening with attentive hearts; hundreds of small groups; life-changing worship services; missions sponsored by us all around the world; and an infinite number of baptisms each week. To say that the “wonder dust” of church planting had clouded the facts is an understatement. Reality soon set in, and I realized that people were not going to just come to church because of a cool logo, a rocking band, or because they could wear jeans and drink Starbucks coffee. People needed Christ, and I had to learn not only the missional code of the community, but I also needed to find what was most effective in reaching the people of that area.

After starting two churches, I’ve developed a “Top 10” list of how church planters can engage their communities. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does reflect lessons learned the hard way in two church plants.

1) Be specific and strategic with your contacts. One of the biggest mistakes that a church planter can make when he arrives on the field is to lack specific and strategic contacts. There is a tendency to cast a wide net; however, the better method is to be precise in how you “bait” your hook and deliberate about “where” you fish. This does not mean that the planter should only target one area, but it does mean that a few areas of intentional development will produce more fruit over the long haul. Pray for the wisdom found in James 1 to discern where to invest your time and resources.

2) Take advantage of “plain-view” opportunities. Many times as planters, we try to “invent” strategies to reach people, when we should be investing in the lives of the people who are already in the church. We should be working through them as our points of connection. It is important to invest in person-to-person relationships as a means to connect with those who already have a point of contact with other people. The growth of the church will be enhanced when this strategy is used. One of the greatest tools in the evangelism arsenal of any church planter is the relationships he develops.

3) Don’t be afraid of the “big event”. Do “big events” throughout the course of the year to attract and connect with the community. While block parties and cookouts are great, you will get more “bang for your buck” by publicizing sermon series and ministries that are happening through the church itself. When doing a big event, advertise to the community, assimilate into the church, and activate them back into the community for points of connection. Look for ways to best advertise. In our church plant, we’ve found that an ad in the paper is a waste of money, but a “free” article regarding something about our church brings in a lot of visitors.

4) Be a servant. Find ways to serve your community. Many times, this will not be the “hand out free coffee” or “rake leaves” type of serving. Many planters will plant in affluent and middle class areas that don’t want or need those acts of service, but organizing a way for those people to serve is a very practical way to introduce them to your church. Publicize ways that the community can serve through your church.

5) Become a person of influence. Make it a point to get to know the leaders of the community. Many times, these people will already be tied to a church, but maintaining a level of credibility in their eyes is paramount for reaching the community where that individual has influence. Our church currently meets in a state-of-the-art facility with childcare and plenty of room to expand—for free! All because we networked with leaders.

6) Be original. Many church planters tend to copy a method that was successful in other churches, or simply do the same thing another church is doing down the street. Find areas of need specific to your community, and find a way to minister to that specific need. The need may be very simple (such as counseling ministry) or very complex (such as different “style” of worship music). The idea here is that other churches provide connection points, and while they may or may not be successful, there is still a huge percentage of the population that is unreached—so be different.

7) Develop a Web site. Invest as much as you can in a Web site—a good Web site. Have the Web site up and running before the launch of the church, and use it as a tool for outreach. Post sermons, worship services, and areas of involvement. Make sure that the Web site clearly spells out where you meet, when you meet, how to dress, what to expect, and how the kids will be taken care of. If these areas aren’t easy to find, then it doesn’t matter how flashy the Web site is. (SBC Church Planters have an opportunity to have a free Web site through an agreement between ChurchWebsites and NAMB. Click here to learn more.) Also, take advantage of online communities such as MySpace and Facebook, as well as YouTube and other popular, free online sources.

8) Value the values. Find out what the community values and tap into those opportunities—even plan your sermons around it. For instance, while planting a church in Louisiana, the community valued Mardi Gras. So I made sure that I was at a parade during Mardi Gras. Planting a church in Georgia is different. I have learned to expect low numbers after a night game for the University of Georgia, so we don’t plan big events on those weekends. These issues can be something that the planter resents, or something that is taken advantage of; but if you don’t value what the town values, then you will struggle.

9) Be assertive with the vision. Most church planters will deal with the onslaught of criticism from other Christians, as well as those who are church “shopping.” This may be because of the fear of losing members, a realization that the church plant is different, a misunderstanding, or many other reasons. There will be the temptation to change the “vision” in order to reach the masses—of Christians. If God has given the vision, then the planter must be assertive with that vision. People will follow the vision if the message behind it is Jesus.

10) Find your “Cheers.” If you remember the old sitcom “Cheers”, the theme music has a line that says: “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” One of the most important avenues for a church planter (or any pastor) to reach his community is to establish a place for relational development and connectivity. This place can be a coffee shop, restaurant, or gym—places where people congregate and have a chance to talk, a place where everybody knows your name. There are also places like banks, post offices, and schools, where you might not spend a lot of time but are places where people see you as familiar. Spending time in these places will not only build credibility with the community, but it will also allow you to understand how the community works. I’ve spent hours in a coffee shop meeting with people, praying as people walked by, listening to people talk, and connecting with those who are unchurched.

Church planters are the missional thrust of this generation. They have the vision, the know-how, and the passion to stretch evangelism to the ends of the earth; but if that church plant (or any other church, for that matter) doesn’t reach and take care of their “Jerusalem”, the Acts 1:8 challenge will only be a fading dream and not a reality. Treat your context as the mission field and learn to navigate through the waters of lostness to a place where you bring truth and people together.

Written by Chip Wheeler. Chip is a church planter in Bethlehem, Ga.