When it comes to outreach, churches often only think of reaching out to their community during the summer. While summer outreach is great, there are many fall and winter outreach ideas that can give your church and community a boost.
Outreach Magazine ran an article (special addition 2009) on 100 Ideas for Outreach Year Round containing several great ideas. I have chosen a few from the article, plus a couple I have firsthand positive experience with to share with you.
Fall/Winter Outreach Ideas:
1. Home game Pizza – Before a home football game, host a pizza feed at your church for high school students.
2. After School Tutoring – Start an after school tutoring service at your church, offering individual attention in subjects like reading, science and math.
3. Thanksgiving for Internationals – Work with area colleges to host international students at either a large Thanksgiving church celebration or through families who sign up to host students in their home.
4. Adopt a Family for Thanksgiving – Contact your local schools and see if they will give you a name of a family that they know are struggling during these economic times (most schools will have a list of families they know need assistance). Then as a church, put together a complete Thanksgiving Dinner Basket and take it to that family.
5. Winterizing Homes – Provide a home-winterizing service for the elderly and single moms. Repair broken gutters, seal windows and give away bags of salt for slippery walkways.
6. Snow Removal – Enlist a crew of young men (and women) and clear driveways for free after a big snow.
7. Hot-Drink Service – On a wintry morning, pass out hot chocolate and coffee with a connection card at your local grocery store or area place of business.
8. Finals-Week Breakfast – The mornings of finals week, head for a high school or college campus (with permission from the school) and hand out free orange juice and Pop tarts to tired and hungry students.
9. Military Presents – Receive a special offering to send gift boxes to deployed men and women. Consult a soldier to learn which items to buy. If you live close to a military base, adopt a family for Christmas whose husband or wife is deployed.
10. On your Own – Become a neighborhood secret Santa. Pick a family in your neighborhood to send baked treats to throughout December. Reveal yourself the week before Christmas with an invitation to a worship service.
There are many other great ideas (free babysitting, Cinematic Christmas, food drive, etc..), but the important thing is, as Christ followers we all do something on a regular basis to share this gift we freely received.
Partners for the Cross
I think it’s great that you support the military (idea #9), not that your other ideas aren’t great too! I love the idea of adopting a family near bases. Well done!
was browsing the web looking for winter outreach ideas we could do as a youth group and came across your blog. good info. thanks for sharing!