We will be hosting Fall Festivals at 6 of our campuses with an anticipated attendance of 15,000-20,000 people. Many of these people will be unchurched.
We've been strategically thinking of ways to connect with these families and see them return on the weekend for a church service. Here's our strategy for this year.
1. We've been providing invite cards that our church members can use to invite their friends, family members, co-workers, schoolmates, and neighbors to the event.
2. We will be doing a family show during the event. It will be 10-15 minutes long and will include music, puppets, games, and family fun. The show will be held in our children's worship area and will be a soft touch to give kids and parents a feel of what weekends are like. We'll have showtimes throughout the evening.
3. The night of the event we will be giving away several prizes such as iPads, game systems, etc. The way you enter the drawings is by filling out a short contact form. You can fill it out online with your smart phone or on paper.
4. Everyone who enters the drawing will also be given an entry they can bring back for a grand prize drawing that will happen on the weekend. If they register online, it will come by email. If they register by paper, they will be given a paper entry form.
5. The grand prize drawing will be for 4 tickets to Disney World. This drawing will take place after the last service on Sunday. The way you enter this drawing is to bring the entry referenced in #4 with you to a church service.
6. We will also be having special guest parties after each weekend service to meet those who come back.
Beyond the prizes, is a commitment to give our guests a great, welcoming experience at the Fall Festival. If we can get them in the door and love on them, many of them will return.
You see, when you do something nice for a child, you get the attention of the parents. No matter how far a father or mother is from God, they appreciate someone who is kind to their child. Provide their child with a great experience and you have an inroad to invite the family to come back on Sunday.
I'm thinking of a family who came to our Fall Festival last year. It was their first contact with our church. They came back on the weekend, gave their lives to Christ and are now growing in their faith and serving in the ministry.
What a great opportunity all of us have this year. Whether you're hosting a Fall Festival on your church property, participating in a community event off-site, or being a witness in your neighborhood, I'm praying with you for many families to come to Christ.
Would love to hear about your strategies to encourage Fall Festival guests to come back. Feel free to share with us in the comment section below.
