In recent years, study after study has noted the number of people who attend weekly church services continues to decline. However, this does not mean you cannot have a church that is growing and thriving in these difficult times. In fact, because so many people are struggling with financial and mental health issues, becoming part of a church family can become a very positive part of many lives. If you want to see more people filling the pews each Sunday, here are five effective ways to advertise your church.
Have an Online Presence
To attract new church members, especially young families, your church needs to have a strong online presence. When people look for anything these days, they pull out their smartphone and start trying to find what they need. To advertise your church effectively, plan on having both a website and pages on all popular social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram.
Posts could include photos of your service, video clips, or updates related to your sermon series. When creating posts, also try to think of ways to engage your church members. This can involve asking questions and taking polls. An engaged online community is a great way to promote your church.
Make Great Signage
When people are driving by your church, having a good-looking sign that is very visible will catch their attention. Monument signs are especially good for churches, since they are very prominent and can fit in well with your church’s architecture. Make sure to list meeting times on the sign, as well as your church website. This is one of the best ways to let your community know that you welcome visitors.
Participate in Community Events
To get out and about so that more and more people know about your church, make sure you and plenty of other members of your church family participate in numerous community events. These can include Christmas parades, festivals held throughout the year, and other important community events.
Community events are a great way to set up a table with brochures and freebies. This allows you to have conversations with residents and develop future relationships. People are more likely to visit your service when they know someone else in attendance. By creating those connections, you’re likely to see an increase in visitors.
Emphasize the Holidays
During the holiday season, most people find themselves thinking more about attending church services. Your church can capitalize on this by doing plenty of special things over the holidays, such as having Christmas plays and musical programs. By putting up a few notices on community bulletin boards, using word-of-mouth, and posting information online, you can wind up with a huge crowd for your holiday services. Make sure you have all hands on deck for these events, and plan ahead! The more time you spend in preparation, the less stressful it will be on your church members. Holidays should be a time of joy, not anxiety!
The Power of Television
Finally, don’t discount the power of television advertising. As advertising revenue has declined in recent years with television stations, many now actively seek out churches and other local community businesses and organizations to advertise on their stations. Ad time is much cheaper than you may think, and the pros at the station will help you create a great commercial, so you’ve got nothing to lose. This is especially a great idea to promote events.
If you use only one of these methods or combine several of them, you will soon find your church to be one of the fastest-growing places of worship in your town or city.
