How to Amplify Church Outreach for Serving God
If you are looking for ways to amplify church outreach, you don’t need to look very far. Technology has made it easy for pastors to be more connected with their churches more than ever.
You probably already have a church website and are asking yourself if having a blog really matters. The fact is, if you want to reach a great level of membership, outreach, or even just spread your message, you need to go where folks are hanging out: online.
Tapping into online communities or even social networks is great. As you get used to smart tech, you will have a better handle on how to connect wisely with people. But having a blog gives you your own platform to inspire others. It means you don’t have to wait for Sunday to speak what is on your heart. It means you don’t have to pay for a venue to preach to others.
And, it means you don’t have to force-feed your message to anyone. People can choose whether they want to read your blog or not.
If you are going to create something, you may as well make it worth their time. Here are six basic things to know about starting a blog, and using it as a positive component in church outreach.
1. All You Need is (Divine!) Inspiration to Amplify Church Outreach
Writing a blog post may seem daunting at first. But the truth is that it’s not that much different than writing a weekly sermon. Gather inspiration from your own experiences that week, or scour other pastor’s blogs whom you admire. Do some research on what your members are interested in reading or learning. And then, let God guide you to write the message your congregation needs to hear. Often, it is the simplest most heartfelt words that resound the most, and make people share your post.
2. Knowing Your Purpose Will Guide Your Strategy
If writer’s block is still an issue when you sit down in front of your computer, let’s break it down with a simple strategy. Think about your purpose. Go back to your original mission and vision, the one that inspired you to serve others. Let your “voice” be guided by these deep foundational beliefs as you write. Do you see to educate with this post? Teach a lesson? Remind your readers of a Bible verse? Or simply inspire them with a thought the Lord had given you as you walked on the street this morning or played with your children? Knowing your purpose will set the pace an tone for the rest of your blog article to follow.
3. To Source Relevant Topics, Showcase Your Ministry
Your church and fellowship may have particular ministries that involve many on your congregation. For example, if you are running a homeless shelter, you could use this theme as a starting point. Talk about statistics, highlight the activities you have been working on, tell folks what they can expect in the future. Maybe you are planning a fundraiser. Use the blog to speak from your heart about why this particular cause is important to you. Make it personal. Speak to the reader as if he or she were one person—not an entire congregation. Showcasing your ministry and writing about it lets folks know you are personally involved and not just on call once a week.
4. Grow Your Readership by Getting the Audience Involved
You don’t have to look much further than your own church for content that will give you authentic sources and stories to write about. Why not do interviews with professionals in your congregation? If there is a need to address the topic of family, for example, talk to teachers who attend your church—get their opinion on important and timey matters. Ask questions in your post and encourage the comments section. This will start more dialogue, and help you realize which topics are meaningful to your readers, and what you could build more quality content around. Ask your church members which topics they want you to cover, which issues do they think need a pastor’s focus. You will find that there is no end to the possibilities you can explore, if you ask around.
5. Schedule the Blog to Coincide with Relevant Holidays and Themes
Making a schedule for your blogs will hep you be productive and stick to your commitments. If you find it a challenge to plan the blog posts in advance, you can always check the calendar to see which important dates and events are happening in the new future. For example, in November, you might want to talk about Thanksgiving. Ask what people have been most grateful for recently, or to list three things they can praise about in the comments section. You want to keep your content both relevant and interesting.
6. Include Modern Media to Amplify Church Outreach
Nowadays, people consume so much in their digital feed. So you need content that captivates and attracts their attention, while leading them back to your main message and vision. A few seconds of video or audio can speak volumes. Don’t underestimate the power of visual media. You could even spend a day conducting interviews with church members, filming a fundraiser activity, or fellowship. Videos will attract more audience, instantly. Think of it as fast food, when you are short on time to produce written blog content.
7. Don’t Forget Keywords and SEO for Searchable Content
SEO stands for, “Search Engine Optimization”. You want to optimize your blog posts so that they are discovered by as many people as possible. You never know who may be needing the message you share. It’s so important, when marketing your message, to not forget these technical details as well. There are ways to make sure your content is found by people looking for these topics on search engines like Google.
The most important thing to remember is that blogging is the modern way to reach the masses and inspire them. If your goal is to help people spiritually, you must first reach them where they are physically. Tune in to the needs of your church members, and seek to write blog articles that will inspire, motivate, and encourage them.
And if you need help on using this all to increase donations so you can amplify church outreach, Schedule a Discovery Call with the folks at DonorWerx today.
