The holidays are a great time to invite people to your church. Around big holidays, like Christmas and Easter, many people start thinking about their spiritual journey. If they aren't attending a church, they may be looking for a new one, or if they are dissatisfied with their current church, they may be curious about other options. To grow your membership, consider using your outdoor church signs to invite these people to your church. Here are some tips and ideas to help you get started.
Post Times of Services and Events
People can't come to your church if they don't know when you are having services or events. To draw in new attendees, make sure to share events on your outdoor signs. Post times for church services, but also share events with the community. Let young parents know about your Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meetings, alert teens about upcoming volunteer opportunities, tell the curious about your Bible study for beginner classes, invite the poor in for a free dinner, or share any other activities from your calendar. These events may pique the interest of passersby, and once they get through your doors, you can let them know about the rest of your offerings.
Share Your Story Through Video
If you have a digital LED church sign, consider using your sign to share videos of what is happening in your church. Upload short clips of church members doing community service, praying during church services, singing in the choir, attending youth group meetings, or having fun in other ways. Then, pair those videos with a link to your website or a short statement with more information. As passersby see your fellowship or the good you're contributing to the community, they may stop by to learn more.
Time Your Messages Strategically
To make the biggest splash with your messages, consider timing them strategically. For instance, a lot of people feel lonely during the holidays. If you want to invite these people in for prayer and fellowship, consider holding a special event on near Christmas or New Year's. When advertising the event on your sign, emphasize that everyone is invited. If you have a programmable LED church sign, you can use your sign software to schedule different messages for different times. For example, you may want to pop up messages related to your youth group when school kids are passing your sign at the beginning and end of the school day.
Tie Your Sign to Other Marketing Materials
Outdoor church signs are a great way to reach prospective attendees. To make an even bigger impact, integrate your signage with your other marketing efforts. For instance, use your sign to attract people to your social media account. Then, if they follow you online, they can get even more messages from you. If you are promoting a community event on your sign, consider also sending direct mail to everyone in your area. Similarly, if you send home notifications in your church bulletin, give your parishioners another reminder on your outdoor sign. Often, people need to see an event in multiple places before they respond to the message.
Customize Your Invitations
In addition to posting information about general events and services, consider using your sign to invite specific people to your church. Use your sign to announce special services around the holidays where members are encouraged to bring friends, co-workers, or relatives. Plan events that are exclusively for seniors, just for teens, or geared toward other ages or social groups such as people who are married to someone outside the faith, people who have lost faith, or people who have never been to church but are curious. By segmenting your message to reach distinct groups of people, your efforts may yield better results.
Be Witty
When choosing messages for your church sign, don't be afraid to get a little playful. Funny church signs have been a trend for over 10 years, and they are effective at getting people to pay attention. Try some of the fun messages:
- Church is a gift from God, assembly required.
- Now Open Between Christmas and Easter.
- Are you wrinkled with burdens? Come to church for a faith lift.
- Free trip to heaven — details inside.
- Don't wait for a hearse to take you to the church — come in now.
- Free wireless connections to God, available inside now.
- If life stinks, we have a "pew" for you.
- Looking for a sign? Here it is. Join us inside.
- What is missing from C H _ _ C H? U R.
- What could this sign say to get you to come to church? Taking suggestions inside.
Ready to make the most of your church sign? Then, contact us today to talk about getting a new sign for your church. At Stewart Signs, we specialize in signs for churches, schools, civic organizations, businesses, and municipalities.
