Our Jerusalem
An Outreach Campaign
Conduct a six-eight week mailing campaign to friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors of people from your church. In each mailing, include a cover letter written by someone from your church along with a colorful brochure dealing with life issues. Follow up with a phone call and an introduction visit.
Read an account about one church's experience with an Our Jerusalem campaign.
BEST SUITED FOR: Any size congregation; works even for smaller congregations
WHAT'S INVOLVED?
 | Gathering names and addresses of people to whom you will send mailings |
| Selecting colorful brochures to include in mailing |
| Writing cover letters |
| Hand addressing and stuffing envelopes |
| Planning for follow-up visits and/or phone calls |
DO'S AND DON'TS
| DO.....consider presenting a series of messages about outreach leading up to the mailing campaign. |
| DO.....mail to persons who are known by people from your church. The goal is to build on the natural webs of relationships. Encourage persons in your congregation to share the names and addresses of their friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. |
| DO.....mail to people who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or who do not presently attend one of the local churches. |
| DO.....use the Circle of Contacts as one way to gather the names. |
| DO.....invite persons from the congregation to write the cover letters. They will have more impact if written by lay persons. |
| DO.....hand address the envelopes and use first class postage and stamps. Both of these will significantly increase the number of people who open the envelopes. |
| DO.....send some mailings on church letterhead and in church envelopes and others using plain paper. |
| DO.....use colorful brochures that relate to daily life themes and challenges and that include a soft presentation of the message of faith in Jesus Christ. |
| DON'T.....use brochures or "tracts" that are of poor quality or that are too "preachy." |
| DO.....set up appointments by phone for follow-up visits. |
| DO.....ask lay persons to make the follow-up visits, preferably two-by-two. The goal of the visit is not to twist arms or, necessarily, to share the gospel (though it is good to be prepared to do so). Rather, the goal is to develop a friendly relationship, to offer a warm welcome to the church, and to answer any questions that may have arisen. |
| DO.....have an attractive brochure about your church to leave with those you visit. |
| DON'T.....try to mail to too many people at one time. It is better to mail to a more limited number (perhaps up to 50 family units for smaller churches)—the number you feel you can adequately follow up and assimilate. |
| DO.....send several mailings to each person on your list. Consider send 5-6 mailings over a 6-8 week period. |
| DON'T.....add these people to your church newsletter list unless they show some interest in the church. |
| DO.....conduct the campaign multiple times, using different names and addresses each time. |
RESOURCES NEEDED
| #10 envelopes (both plain envelopes and some with the church address), church letterhead, and plain paper |
| Colorful brochures; especially consider the Encounter Brochures from ACTS International |
| First-class postage stamps |
| An informative and attractive brochure about your church |
Submitted by Ronald W. Waters, Hammond Avenue Brethren Church, Waterloo, Iowa
More Ideas That Work