How can I build relationships with families in our community we're not in contact with?
Session 2.1 · Note 5
Reaching Families Beyond Your Church
It can feel hard to know how to build relationships with families you don't already have contact with. Here are some ideas to help.
Key Ideas
- Think about what your community and the families in it need. What could you offer? Many people talk about looking at the three Ts - time, treasure and talent - to help you spot ways to interact with your community. A church next door to a school could offer tea and tissues for parents and carers dropping their kids off for the first day at school. Could your church hall be a venue for the local health visitor and you offer refreshments?
- Could you build relationships with your local school: gardeners tidying up the flowerbeds, cake makers supplying the staff room, people reading with kids?
- Invite people into what you are already doing. You might be surprised who might enjoy your craft group, churchyard tidy up, or bingo night.
- If you have capacity, consider holding events to invite your local community to.
Top Tips from Others
- We host a family fun day each summer and a pancake party on Shrove Tuesday.
- We've invited the council to use our warm space to host their courses and events.
- We've started a community cafe in our building.
- We host a Foodbank.
- In the summer, we facilitate a uniform bank where people can come and get school uniform for free.
- When schools use our church for services, we offer tea and coffee for the parents.
- We try to support our local primary school with volunteers for reading and trips.
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