Why Easter Egg Hunts and Trunk-Or-Treats Don't Work (and what to do about it).

Hello Church,

Question:  Why should a church get connected with other organizations?

This is a question I have asked myself many times as we have refocused our attention on connectional ministries this calendar year.  It has been a shift away from stand-alone, annual Emmanuel events.  Some of you will note that past seasonal, stand-alone events haven't been implemented this year (trunk-or-treat being an example).  Instead, we have invested our energy into connecting with an elementary school, an animal shelter and are working on other partnerships with groups such as Eastern Stars, Camp Allen and Cub Scouts.

Outreach events sponsored by Emmanuel and only Emmanuel can certainly have a lot of value.  People can come to the church building and meet us.  We have had great and not-so-great turnouts for these events.  We've had as many as 400 community people and as few as just a handful.  It's exciting to hold a well-attended event.  It makes us feel good.  But here is what we have learned over the years in terms of our task of 'making Disciples of Jesus Christ':  they are not effective.

Annual, stand-alone or seasonal events don't work.  Baptisms, new members, worship attendance, small group attendance, Youth ministry and Childrens ministries (all measurements of spiritual and numeric growth in 'making disciples of Jesus') are not affected positively or negatively because of stand-alone annual or seasonal events.

Why?

In my conversations with other Pastors and church leaders, large stand-alone outreach events (Easter Egg hunts, Halloween, Christmas events, car shows, special meals, etc) don't work because the key to making disciples is establishing long-term, consistent relationships.  It's extremely difficult to establish relationships when you see someone only 1 or 2 or 3 times a year (I would say 'impossible').  There isn't enough consistency of contact to gain trust, garner interest, make friends and invite to worship.

So what is the solution?  The solution is to put ourselves in a position to make consistent contact with a group of people so that relationships can be built over time.  This can lead to gaining trust, garnering interest, making friends and inviting people to worship or youth group or a study group... now we have the foundation for Disciple-Making.

Now... why should Emmanuel get connected with other organizations?  Answer:  to establish consistent contacts with people to establish relationships, build trust, garner interest and eventually to extend invitations to be a part of the church.

I understand this is a major shift.  It demands more commitment of time and energy and money.  However, Jesus sets the example.  He invested in the same people over and over again until some of them committed themselves to His purpose.... then the Church was born.

Yes, sometimes the Gospels suggest that Jesus had some magical touch...that He asked a person once and they dropped everything and followed Him.  Well we aren't Jesus and people are perhaps living in a much more cynical world-view today.  Combine the two and we have to work much harder to make disciples.

If we are serious about making disciples and will not exist only to entertain the community a few times a year, then we need to reflect that attitude in how we plan and implement ministry.  Otherwise we will find ourselves doing the same ineffective events over and over again, expecting different results.  That's literally an insane Church.

Instead, let's work hard to be the vital, growing church that Christ calls us to be.  Let's get into position to be a trusted, friendly, inviting and welcoming church with whom others will feel connected.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe