5 Things You Can Do Now To Connect More People This Year
It is not too late to do a few easy things that will help connect a lot more people this year. In fact, there are 5 little things you can do right now that could make a really big difference in the total number you connect by the end of the year. Here they are:
- Take advantage of special days in May and June to launch short-term groups. I’ve already written an article on how to use special days to launch groups. The key is to take action. Don’t let these days slip by. Even if you start one women’s group off of Mother’s Day and one men’s group off of Father’s Day…that could easily add 16 to 20 adults to your list of people who are connected.
- Use a 2 to 3 line blurb in your bulletin, newsletter, or website to troll for interest in special groups (i.e., 20-something singles, single moms, empty nesters, young couples, etc.). Give them a way to tell you they’re interested, collect the names for a month, plan an event to help them meet each other, and launch a 6 week group to cement the deal.
- Start a pilot group (or several) using an easy to use study on an interesting topic. There are a number of new studies that would make good pilot group experiences. John Ortberg’s, “The Me I Want to Be” provides a great 5 week experience. If you’ve got Chip Ingram fans (or at least people who’ve read his books), take a look at r12, his new study based on Romans 12. Or you might want to take a look at Abide, a new 5 session study of the Sermon on the Mount from Threads Media (Lifeway’s young adult line of curriculum). Don’t be scared away by the “young adult” designation. It’s the format that you want to experiment with. I think you’ll like it.
- Plan to capture video testimony from both the leaders and the members of any new group you start in the next 60 days. I’ve explained how to do this here and here. It will be much easier to encourage people to host a group this fall (or join a group this fall) if you’ve already put together the testimonies of some satisfied customers while they’re fresh.
- Begin planning your fall church-wide campaign today. The key is to take advantage of right now to plan and set in motion the process that will maximize the fall. I’ve written a lot on this subject. My article, Planning an Alignment (a Church-Wide Study) is a good overview that will get you thinking today. The Exponential Power of a Church-Wide Campaign is another good place to start.
Bonus: Setting up a 60 minute coaching call is easy, affordable, and will pay for itself. You’ll have clarity on your next steps or your money back. I guarantee it. Find out more right here.
