Evangelism Brainstorms, 20 October 2018

Here are 82 ideas written on Post-It notes during SsAM’s brainstorming sessions at the “Invite, Welcome, Connect” conference on Saturday, October 20, 2018. Twenty-three members of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew participated, throwing out ideas, their imaginations sometimes going wild!

How can we Christians best invite others to join us, welcome them when they arrive, and connect to them when they return? As you can see, we spent most of our time on the first question, how to better invite people to SsAM.

INVITE IDEAS

1. Business card or postcard on website to print at home
2. Brochures at local hotels
3. Prayer Walk around neighborhood
4. Community organ concerts
5. Use Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn
6. Moo Cards
7. Business cards with service times given to all members to hand out
8. Reach out to mid-town residences
9. Be more than a venue
10. What is our brand?
11. Good Friday walk
12. Car magnet
13. Friendly community
14. Laundry night
15. Coffee hour Facebook video
16. Sarbucks meetings
17. “Soul of the City” tag line
18. Formation class about Episcopal Church and our traditions
19. Facebook Sunday service
20. Smart phone app with SsAM brand
21. Community meetings at SsAM for local civic association
22. Liaison to city government
23. Combine forces with Trinity/Old Swede’s and Emmanuel Highlands. Find leadership and keep in contact.
24. Welcome committee, ambassadors, pair extroverts and introverts
25. Communicate what we are already doing with intentionality using unified media teams
26. Welcome postcards with SsAM brand
27. Embed videos in website
28. Videos of how parishioners first came to SsAM and why they have stayed
29. Take coffee to our new neighbors
30. Mess church
31. Review mission to City of Wilmington, healing service, 5-mile radius, “beat the bounds”, procession, parade, blessing, make more of Good Friday
32. City Hall meetings
33. Need to know what organizations and leadership positions our members already are already involved in
34. Service on the Riverfront
35. Frig magnet with photo of church, website, address, phone: “Draw you to our church”
36. T-shirts with QR code on back
37. Advertisement Coffee mugs, fabric shopping bags, car magnets
38. Facebook Live welcome video
39. Car decal with just QR code
40. Potluck dinners with discussions: Saints, Sinners & Skeptics
41. Specified people assigned to welcome visitors
42. Rolls of nametags; nametags in pews
43. Manual or booklet that shows what ministries the church is involved in such as Planned Parenthood, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Network
    Delaware
44. “Walking The Word” slogan
45. Spanish-speaking church
46. Who We Are posters with Pacem in Terris, Delaware Futures, Racial Justice Coalition, Delaware Middle East
47. People with welcome cards at all events
48. Encourage members to go to city council meetings
49. Ask Me! buttons for ushers and others
50. Do You Know? meetings with congregation
51. Community financial workshops
52. Postcards with photos of pipe organ, windows, congregation, Carnival Sunday
53. Merton Musings, Study of Paul
54. Welcome pins for ushers and/or greeters “Ask Me!”

WELCOME AND CONNECT IDEAS

1. We like to see Fr. David out in front of the church, vested and welcoming.
2. Have members of the New Member Ministry (or anyone from our church) visit other churches to see what kind of welcome ministry (or lack of
   welcome) they experience and find out what it felt like and what would have helped.
3. Get Welcome Packets prepared like those for All Souls.
4. Have a retreat for all ministries.
5. Let each group present at announcements.
6. Assign members of the vestry to call new members as well.
7. Process map (flow diagram).
8. Handwritten note from rector to visitors.
9. Communication.
10. Develop Welcome Team and staff connection to connect.
11. Process Map for Best Welcome Practices.
12. Sign-up Genius for coffee and healthy food.
13. Parking Lot Greeter.
14. Welcome Team: say “Hi”, take to coffee, visit/call/text
15. Process Map (flow map).
16. Groom your replacement.
17. What does the Welcome Team do?
18. Greeters need to be on same page.
19. A church is a community, not a building.
20. “Ask Me!” shirts / nametags.
21. Who is on the Welcome Team?
22. Guest parking.
23. Kids bags for the young children.
24. Ministry contact information.
25. Retreat for the ministries with the vestry.
26. Leadership development.
27. Transparency and flow between ministries.
28. Vestry represents all at SsAM.

Other Invite-Welcome-Connect Posts

Click here to see all the posts on this website about Invite-Welcome-Connect.