26 Innovative Community Outreach Ideas for Pastors 

If you hope to impact your community, you have to take the time to serve your community. Does it sound easier than it looks? These innovative community outreach ideas for pastors looking to engage their community are intensely practical, easy to utilize, and examples from pastors all over the country. Take a look and see what outreach ideas might work for you, your leadership team, and your congregation.

You’ll notice that this post is very brief in terms of explanations. We don’t want our explanations to get in your way. We want to unleash you to take these community outreach ideas for pastors from theory to action…then from action to impact. Take these idea to your leaders and ask a solid coaching question to initiate discussion and action.

26-Innovative-Community-Outreach-ideas-for-Pastors-Brad-Bridges-net

26 Innovative Community Outreach Ideas For Pastors

      1. Serve as a coach or umpire in a youth sports league. Donate any profits to a local food bank, a needy family involved in the league, or donate straight back into the league.
      2. Setup a meeting with a member of the school board.
      3. Create a selfie wall at your church.
      4. Sign-up to be a pastor-for-hire for weddings.
      5. Speak with a local funeral home about offering to help with funerals.
      6. Visit a local grocery store and buy groceries for 10 people a month.
      7. Get a new hobby that involves the community.
      8. Plant a garden and get to know the local home and garden department specialists.
      9. Become a volunteer chaplain at a hospital or nursing home.
      10. Shadow a church member at an event (youth sports, civic service club, etc) or have lunch with them at work.
      11. Ask a few church leaders to do 1-2 things from this list.
      12. Go to Friday night football games and take your family.  (You could also offer to have your church run the concessions for the local booster club.)
      13. Serve in the local food bank. (Don’t let stereotypes about mental health and faith keep you from serving those in need.)
      14. Create welcome home baskets for any new family moving into the community.
      15. Make “It’s a Boy” or “It’s a Girl” ribbons for a local hospital to give new parents.
      16. Listen to people when you meet them in the community. (Listen 3 times more than you talk.)
      17. Take cookies to your local fire department and bring your kids.
      18. Ask your church leaders to take their small group to do one of the ideas on this list.
      19. Join a local gym and only exercise in classes.
      20. Tip well, and never leave your business card or a tract.
      21. Always plan to arrive at events early, so you never arrive late or drive like a lunatic on the way.
      22. Measure your own community outreach before you ask your church to do so. Own the problem.
      23. Take your family (and a few others) to a local park for a cookout and sports.
      24. Organize a parent’s night out with free childcare and a full kids program. (Make the event at least 3-5 hours.)
      25. Ask 2-3 local athletic coaches how you can help a member of their team.
      26. Go to a drive through lane and pay for your car and the next.

What other creative ideas do you have or have you done already? How were they received? If you are looking for a helpful book to read on the topic, pickup a copy of The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside your Door.