8 posters to engage with people new to church

July 12, 2011 in Outreach

On Saturday afternoon before church, a woman walked past. She was interested in coming to church the next day, but wondered if she needed to get a ticket. She also wondered if she could sit anywhere, or if there were reserved seats.

It’s people like this that I want to connect with.

As a church, I want us to engage with people who know very little about church, and answer their questions.

I’ve written some content that is being turned into posters for the church noticeboard, and for the a-frames that we display outside the building. This content might also be used in a new FAQs section on the church website.

Your comments are welcome – on how the wording could be improved, or ideas for other posters that newcomers might find useful.

1. Be comfortable

You don’t need to dress up to come to church. We want you to feel comfortable joining us for a weekend service.

Please just come as you are – church is about the people you’re with, not the clothes you’re wearing.

2. Fly under the radar

We love visitors, and we don’t want visitors to our church to feel uncomfortable. As a visitor, you won’t be singled out or asked to do anything you don’t want to do. You can feel free to arrive      at the last minute, take a seat and listen in. You can leave whenever you like. We want you to remain as anonymous as you want to be, but we encourage you to introduce yourself to us – we’d love to meet you.

3. You’re welcome

Visitors are very welcome at Church by the Bridge.

There’s lots of reasons people visit church. Perhaps you went to church as a child. Perhaps a friend invited you along. Perhaps you’d like to connect with God. Perhaps life’s been tough and you’d like some comfort and support. Perhaps you’re just curious about what happens at church.

Whatever your reasons, you’re very welcome to join us this weekend.

4. Church for adults. Church for kids!

Younger or older – all are welcome at Church by the Bridge.

Kids Church takes place during our services on Saturday at 5.30pm and Sunday at 9.45am.

Kids and adults join us at the start of the service, and then the children go to Kids Church about 20 minutes in. At Kids Church, children are well cared for by trained leaders, who have received child protection qualifications.

Kids Church is lots of fun and involves games, craft, Bible stories and more. Dinner is included at Kids Church on Saturday nights. Kids Church is free, and all primary-age children are welcome. Kids Church finishes at the end of the service.  When your children are in Kids Church, you’re very welcome to come along too.

5. Expected the…expected

You might never have visited church before – that’s ok! We’d love you to join us. We understand that trying anything new can be a daunting experience. So here’s what you can expect if you visit one of our weekend services:

  • We’ll welcome you at the front of the building.
  • There will be a time of singing – usually 5-6 songs (3-4 minutes each) throughout the service. You’re welcome to sing along, or just listen in.
  • There will be a time of prayer (again, you can just listen in as we pray).  • There will be an update with church news and upcoming events.
  • There will be a time to meet others.
  • A couple of passages from the Bible will be read.
  • There will be a Bible talk (about 25 minutes in length).We aim for each service to finish in no more than 90 minutes.
  • After the service there’s morning tea or supper.

We’d love to se you at church this weekend.

6. A place to belong

Church is more than a place to go on the weekend. It’s a community to belong to.

If you’d like to discover what it means to belong to Church by the Bridge, we invite you to sign-up to our 3-week Belonging course. You will discover what we’re on about, what we believe, and how you can be a part of our community.

For more information about Belonging, please visit our website.

7. Why bother with Jesus?

There is no one who has transformed the world more than Jesus Christ.

More songs have been sung to him, more paintings painted of him, and more books written regarding him than anyone who has ever lived in the history of the world.

We invite you to take 5-weeks to explore why Jesus is such a big deal.

Simply Christianity is a free course to explore the basics of Christianity and ask any questions you have. There’s no pressure to say anything or to ‘become a Christian’ – we’d just love to introduce you to Jesus.

8. People like you

Different types of people belong to Church by the Bridge. All are welcome!

  • Teachers.
  • Dentists.
  • Mums and Dads.
  • Students.
  • Accountants.
  • Retirees.
  • Photographers.
  • Grandparents.
  • Cooks.
  • Teenagers.
  • Lawyers.
  • Writers.

Whoever you are and whatever you do, you’ll fit right in at our church.

  • Ian

    Steve, I’m convinced this thinking you are doing is really important. I can remember before I was converted, walking our dog past the local church on a Sunday (I purposely went past it at that time) and trying to see what went on in that building. I am introverted and conservative, and so would not walk into a building where I didn’t know what to expect and whether I’d be embarrassed. So I tried to look in the windows as I walked by. I think a lot of people are like me (especially men–the ones who won’t ask for directions when they are lost!). Taking the mystery out of church would be a big help. If the web was around back then, I definitely would have looked up the church web site to see what it said about what they did. The sorts of things you are saying above are exactly the sorts of things I needed to be told as someone with no experience of church (outside of chapel at school, which I didn’t even equate with church–for good reasons as it turned out!).

    Keep pushing this barrow!!

  • Gary

    This is great stuff.  I am keen for our church in the UK to engage more with the community and like to challenge peoples perception of church.  As a relatively small church of approximately 120 we are keen to see God’s kingdom grow.  Communicate Jesus is doing a fantastic job.  Thanks for all the ideas and keep up the good work

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sandy-Grant/566414210 Sandy Grant

    Steve, thanks for this great work, I am getting more and more motivated to get some people gifted inthis sort of area to do some work for us…

    Now I am a bit late commenting, I know, coming through your latest SydAng blog. But on your number 8 above – people like you – I wonder if you are being overly professional and middle class. And I know your area quite well since my parents live right near by at Lavender Bay. 

    I really like the examples you put on your list (well maybe not the dentists, having a big bill to pay for a family member soon!) 

    But what about the plumbers and electricians and shop assistants who live near by you?

    In fact, theologically, what about the people who aren’t like you, are they welcome at this church? 

    I think if I did that poster for our church, I would have to include 

    * Plumbers.
    * Shop assistants.
    * Unemployed.
    * Homeless. (true around any CBD church, and we have some attend from time to time)

    What do you think?

  • Steven Kryger

    Hi Sandy, you make a good point, and someone else made a similar comment. I agree that the list of peoples needs to be more diverse, and in the next version I will definitely be broadening it out. This is another reason why I love the blogging medium – iron sharpening iron. Thanks for your feedback.

  • 02037000

    I note in your ” All are welcome”part you do not say people with mental health problems or unemployed but go to great pains to have well to do list in the list We read that Jesus spent most of his time with the outcast in jewish society.

  • http://www.communicatejesus.com Steven Kryger

    This is in part a question of demographics, a d seeking to communicate with the large number of professionals in the local area.

    However, all feedback is welcome – all marketing is a work in progress!