An easy and fun way for your church to reach out is to set up a table or stall at a fete, market—or even the local car boot sale. Events like these often draw big crowds and the even your very presence can help raise the profile of the church in your village, town, or suburb.
We spoke to Geoff Naylor from Discovery Church in Wroughton. For several years they have had a stall in the annual village carnival. We asked Geoff about their vision in this: he explained that the main goal was quite low key; the first priority was that people in the community would know the church existed. Taking part in and being in the midst of this key event in village life was a great step toward that.
The practicalities were really simple, Geoff explained. You simply book a space, turn up with a collapsible gazebo, some folding seats, and a mixture of leaflets, gospel books and resources, along with some free snacks and see what happens! Activities like face painting are also a huge draw—you can offer that for free and whilst youngsters get painted you get to talk to the parents. The free drinks and face painting really draw people.
We asked Geoff about the fruit of this and he replied that as a relatively new church plant in the village, what Discovery Church wanted was presence, profile, and relationships. Having a stall did all of this so Geoff would strongly encourage other churches to try it!
Another church we spoke to was using the annual town fete to reach out, in their case using puppets. Every 30 minutes, they would put on a puppet show, telling a story from the Bible. Kids love puppets, parents love a free cold drink and as the pastor said, “The puppets can say things quite directly about faith, God, and Jesus and there’s no pushback, because ‘the puppet said it’.” After each performance, they give out Bible booklets with the story that was in the show. There have been some amazing conversations over the years, along with opportunities to pray with people.
So, give it a try—take a stand!
Pray: Lord, please lead us to those local community events where we can be a presence; and help us use them to build connections and sow gospel seeds. Amen.
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Previously: Launch Pad #46 The Power of Dialogue
Next: Launch Pad #48 Run A Creative Outreach Event
