7 Ways to Get People Involved in Your Church

PRLog (Press Release) - Mar. 29, 2007 - MEMPHIS, TN, March 29, 2007— To reach people and help them grow, you have to get them involved. But the more events that you have, the more potential there is for confusion and frustration, for your staff and your members and visitors. The right system and processes will significantly reduce the time it takes your staff to manage events, registrations, volunteers, etc. The result is more time spent in ministry instead of administration. Here are 7 ways that your church can get more people involved:

1. MAKE YOUR EVENT CALENDAR OPEN TO COMMUNITY
One survey found that 70% of church website visitors were seeking event information. Show the latest event information on your site, instantly and automatically updated to reflect any changes. Each department or ministry should have its own calendar, making it easy for people to find information that matches their interests.

2. USE EVENT TICKETS ONLINE & ON-SITE
People expect convenience everywhere they go. Offer the convenience of ordering tickets to concerts, Christmas programs, Easter services, and more by offering online tickets for church events right on your website. Give your staff the ability to use the same system to take ticket orders in your lobby. Provide the flexibility of paying online with credit cards or virtual checks. Allow online purchasers to print e-tickets, request them by mail, or pick them up at will-call.

3. REACH THEM WITH E-MAIL
Why make people come to your website to get information? Send them an e-mail each week with the exact event information they are interested in. Give each subscriber a list of upcoming events that match personal interests (youth, sports, music, etc.).

4. REGISTER FOR YOUR EVENTS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
Give people the convenience of anytime, anywhere event registration through your website for Bible studies, Retreats, Youth Trips, or any events. Regardless of ministry, people can visit your website anytime day or night and let you know what events they’ll be attending, making it possible to get more accurate numbers for head counts and future planning. You can even take registration fees online.

5. CUSTOMIZE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Let visitors to your site subscribe to your e-newsletter, choosing to receive only information from the ministries that interest them. Automatically send a personalized e-newsletter to each subscriber every week that includes news for each selected department, plus a personalized list of events based on their interests. After the messages are sent, determine which information and events attract the most interest by viewing reports showing which recipients opened their message and which links they clicked.

6. USE RESERVED SEAT TICKETS AS AN OUTREACH TOOL
Tickets can be a powerful tool for outreach; however, a general admission ticket is anonymous. A reserved seat creates a deeper commitment – the person knows that the seat will be empty if he or she does not attend. Reserved seating also eliminates the hassles of finding a seat or meeting a friend.

7. MAKE GIVING CONVENIENT
Some people have jobs or other commitments that keep them from attending church regularly. Let contributors set up and manage their giving through your church website. Enable each person to have total control of his or own giving. Automatically send an e-mail reminder before each contribution is made.

*Tim Whitehorn is the founder and CEO of ServiceU Corporation. Serving churches since 1999, ServiceU (www.serviceu.com) is the leader in online event management software used by churches, schools, ministries and all types of nonprofit organizations. ServiceU’s product line includes three core products:  EventU provides a way to easily manage event scheduling and registration; TransactU allows organizations to accept online payments and donations; TicketU is a solution for online ticketing and box office management. For more information, email info@serviceu.com or call 1-888-638-7439.            

*To reprint article, contact Lauren Hunter at lauren@laurenhunter.net.