\u201cEvents don\u2019t work.\u201d Maybe you\u2019ve heard this one or twice. Maybe you\u2019ve even said it yourself a time or two.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve bought into this line of thinking, let me share three reasons you may want to reconsider event-focused engagement:<\/p>\n
1. Events can still be effective<\/strong><\/p>\n At First Baptist Church of Alamogordo, New Mexico, we would hold three big events throughout the year: Vacation Bible School in June, Back-to-School Bash in mid-August and Fall Festival around Halloween. Fall Festival drew the biggest crowd of anything we did (typically 500-600 people), but Vacation Bible School provided us with the most opportunity for meaningful impact. After VBS each year, we had VBS Family Sunday, in which the kids performed a couple of songs they learned during the week and we would hand out certificates. This may seem like a small thing, but this was our highest attended Sunday for several years \u2014 higher than both Easter and Christmas!<\/p>\n In August, we would invite the families who were a part of our Vacation Bible School to the Back-to-School Bash. This provided a way to follow up a couple of months after VBS had ended.<\/p>\n If you can provide a free, fun event for the whole family, you still will draw a crowd in many places. Folks who would not come to a worship service will come to a Fall Festival in the parking lot or a Back-to-School Bash at a local park.<\/p>\n 2. Less may be more<\/strong><\/p>\n Notice I said we only did a few big events each year. While these were not the only ways we engaged our community, they were some of the biggest. When it comes to engaging your community through events, you do not have to fill the calendar. In fact, I believe two or three well-planned, well-executed events throughout the year are more effective than many events that fill the calendar and drain your congregation\u2019s energy. If you\u2019re in a replant or revitalization setting, chances are you have a limited number of volunteers to share the load. You don\u2019t want to stretch their time and energy thin. I would advise you to plan three or four big events throughout the year, then be sure to follow up with those who attend, especially with those who do not have a church home.<\/p>\n