Check these Frequently Asked Questions with answers from Rev. Erika Hewitt, the UUA’s minister of Worship Arts, and Camille Hatton, Sing Out Love’s consulting manager

Hi All,

I was just asked to be the chair of our parish's public outreach committee. Our committee is only four people deep.

Our parish is in transition. Our minister retired and we haven't found a new one yet. Like many churches, we skew older but our parish acts a lot younger (personally, I'm a millennial and one of the few who attends regularly.)

We've been brainstorming ideas to get people to come back to church, specially young families and people who are (for lack of a better term) addicted to doom-scrolling. My main focus is to convince people that we aren't just a church. We are a "third place" for younger people and families to have fun, engage in good work, and find a sense of purpose.

If you don't mind, here are some ideas I've proposed to the committee. Any feedback is welcome. Feel free to "steal" ideas. Please share what you've done to get more people involved. Thank you!

Basic Outreach ideas:

• Simple Branding
  • Vinyl bumper stickers, water bottles, t-shirts
  • Give out to members
  • Provide ways for non-members to find us
  • Simple and fun messages
• Community Calendar
  • Reach out to local business and organizations about events and specials
  • Create monthly calendar showcasing events around town
  • Send to church members and open it up to the public
  • QR code left around town
• Sunday Patriot games
  • 1 o'clock Patriots games streamed in the Chapel
  • Open to public
  • Serve non-alcoholic drinks
  • Promote via local Board of Health as a free and dry community event for people in recovery
• Waters on the Waterfront
  • Small cooler with a couple of church members handing out free bottle waters
  • Focus on hot days/weekends + town events
  • Sandwich sign QR code with church information
  • Promote free daycare during sermons
• Open Mic Night
  • Start with local school students
  • Add in additional, non-student, nights if there is enough of a following
  • Create free, safe, and fun environment for students
  • Ask for any amount donation at the door (pocket change welcome)
• Larger Social Media Presence
  • Stream services on every platform
  • Promote church with ads on social media
  • Promote non-church related events
  • Encourage members to join/follow
• Booth at every town event
  • Never pass up a local event
  • Make a spandex tablecloth
  • Have families at the table
  • Create a simple and straightforward postcard to handout
• Parish Post Card
  • To be handed out at events and possibly mailed to residents
  • Have a group photo and QR code to our information
  • Welcoming and easy to understand
  • Create slogan (example: “U matter, U belong, UU"?)

Long term outreach ideas

• Game night
  • Either just for fun or competitive
  • Open to members and public
  • Find niche gaming groups
  • Provide prizes for competitions
• Friday Night Babysitting
  • Hire 2–3 daycare workers to babysit three hours on a Friday night
  • Church members only
  • Allow young parents to have a nice night out
  • Once a season (four times a year)
• Church volunteering
  • Find events around town that fit the church’s mission and volunteer
  • Partner with local non-profits
  • Outreach of actions over words
  • Create our own volunteer options
• Free meeting space for non-profits
  • Monday through Thursday afternoon/evenings
  • Provide a free and simple space in the Chapel for non-profits to have meetings
  • Allow for flexibility for need of space (fundraisers, events, etc.)
  • See if church members can get involved
• Children's group rentals
  • Cheap rent for temporary groups
  • Focus on school vacations
  • Open for members or public
  • Promote with local schools
• Cheap children's party location
  • Allow for parties in parish house
  • Very low cost for small parties
  • Provide space for take out food
  • Make a list of kids groups who parties can hire
• Guest speaker series
  • Once a month
  • A new speaker instead of a sermon
  • Promote and open to the public
  • Aligns with church values

Any advice/feedback would be beyond helpful. Thank you!