Have church leaders ever thought about how a congregation might minister outside the church walls while making an impact in the community? Here are some practical tips and ideas to make it happen.

Devote a Sunday monthly to serving in your community. One church called the event “Second Sunday Impact” and provided a light lunch after the morning worship service for those who wanted to participate. Leaders then described each project, formed groups and church members went out to complete their assignments. The groups shared their experiences later, thanking God for the opportunity to minister in the community.

Sample projects might include:

Prayer-walking or prayer-driving
Plan a route and give suggestions on what to pray for such as:

• Praying for God to give the officers protection, understanding, discernment, etc., at the police station;
• Praying that parents and children might come to know Jesus as their personal Savior at a city park;
• Praying for safety, open minds for the children to learn, Christian teachers who would boldly proclaim the gospel, etc., at local schools

Cookie handout
Bake cookies ahead of time and attractively arrange them in a gift bag along with information about your church and its ministry. Distribute the bags at police and fire stations, laundromats, gas stations, car washes, etc. Explain to those who receive the bag what church you attend and that you are sharing God’s love with the community.

Sack lunch for the homeless
Prepare simple sack lunches and deliver to them to street people or those holding a sign on street corners asking for work. Add a gospel portion or tract to the bag; first-aid items also could be included.

Other places for ministry might include nursing homes, a homeless shelter or park. Spend time surveying the needs of your community and ask God for guidance when deciding on a project to undertake.

The CSBC missions advancement group is available to consult about mission praying, mission giving and mission going. Contact the missions advancement group by calling 559.229.9533 x 252.