There are so many ideas out there during the summer and spring time when it comes to having outreach within your community. Not too many people want to get out when it is cold outside. It is hard to get a church involved when there is snow on the ground or down here, when it is a mere 60 degrees out. Well whatever the reason, there are still things that you can do to reach your community during the cold winter months.
Recently we had a soup dinner to celebrate fall at our church. Needless to say I absolutely loved it. A member of our church had this huge cooking pot and we all brought canned veggies to add to the soup. I personally thought that this was an excellent way to have outreach for the community as well. Why not do this every other week. Invite the community to a soup dinner on Saturday afternoon. Advertise it. You don’t have to pressure anyone with church. This is just a way that you can bring people together and talk about the Lord and get to know other members of the community. Show the love of Christ and talk to the hurting and needy. Not to mention, this is an excellent way to find out the needs of the community so that the church will know.
it isn’t that expensive either because the members of the church can pitch in and bring about 3 cans of food. Then you may consider having this every other week, because it gives people something to look forward to as well. Eventually you can gain the trust of community members and the love of Christ will shine through you so that you can witness to them and give them a Bible study. This is how Jesus was. He befriended everyone from the drunkard to the weary; from the sick to the wicked. Anyone who desires a shoulder to lean on and has a desire to learn more about the Lord, should always feel welcomed at your church.
Sure many of us still go door to door and witness to others. It can be hard for those who live in snowy areas, but there are things that you can do to bring warmth to others. Have a hot cocoa and baked good outting. Usually the roads are cleared of snow, so why not make thermases of hot cocoa and homemade baked goods to hand out to the community. Get members of the church to make baked goods and then distribute them throughout the community. Pile up in the church van and go out together. The less vehicles the better because of the cold weather.
You may even consider doing this at the church as well. Announce it on your church site. Many newspapers allow church announcements free, so ask your local newspaper if they can announce it for you.
We have had a balloon release before. This is where we released a bunch of balloons with our church information and Salvation tract. We also announced that there would be a drawing for a gift if they came to church on a given Sunday. This is feasible for the winter months as long as it isn’t rainy or snowing out.
The most important thing to remember is to get out into the community and talk to people. Whether you believe it or not there are people that are looking for someone to talk to them about the Lord. There are people that are looking for someone to show them the love of Christ. There are people that are willing to hear what you have to say. Reaching the community during the winter doesn’t have to be difficult, just know that your smile can truely bring warmth to someone’s heart.
