St. Paul's Focus Group

Evangelism

Advertising and marketing (more)

Everyone should be welcoming newcomers

Training on evangelism

Training for ushers and greeters

“Bring a Guest” Sunday

Bring guests to non-worship events

Pulpit swaps

Choral Evensong in a park

Identify small groups of people who have interest in particular caring ministries, train them to exercise the care

Activities to gather older adults – give them a place and reason to gather

How do we identify needs?

Class on how to use computers for seniors.

Include older adults in work projects (mailings, bulletins, etc)

Monthly lunches – just for the fun of it

Mother’s Day Out

Name tags every Sunday (permanent tags)

New member packets, intentional placing of newcomers in small groups

Sprucing up our “front door” appearance

Live nativity in the courtyard

Light the steeple (would the fire department do this repair as a training exercise?)

More parking [mentioned by 3 groups]

Install a recorded carillon

Introduce parish families (not just new families) in Epistle

In-home small-group Lenten study for all parish

Have a regular Worship Minute for celebrations, something in prayers of people (put a ‘celebration box’ at the back of the church for people to drop in a slip of paper naming that which they wish us to celebrate)

Include information on significant events in Epistle

Grow our membership

Work on skill building for welcoming newcomers(sermons, Christian education, Epistle)

Organize our schedule and ministries around the goal of bringing in new people

Articles in newspaper

Publicize attendance as we do finances

Grow congregational participation in activities

New, more visible strategies for sign-ups and information

On-going newcomers classes (monthly or quarterly)

Training for ushers/greeters

Flowerpots on steps

Benches in courtyard

Need better signage

Repaint interior

Targeted mailings

Get information in Welcome Wagon Packets

Mailing to all new home purchases

Increase weekday usage of building (blood pressure clinics, homework assistance)

Are there models available for successful building of downtown congregation programs?

Do a mailing to new residents of the downtown lofts (“We have lofty ambitions, too…”)

Outdoor concerts

Having events geared toward kids, which provide food, will draw adults

Need better communication inside/ outside congregation

We’re better at reporting than we are about advertising in advance

Should we re-start a clothing bank? A Little Theatre?

Soup Kitchen a core ministry for us

Continue our overseas outreach

Try mass mailings about services

Join with Jewish, Hindu, Muslim/ communities for outreach (Habitat?)

Tithe the parish budget for outreach

Restart a teen MOPS or a similar program to young parents

Request a group to look into purchase of property behind us

Music events one of our natural strengths

Take our gifts out to places (like Jacob’s Village)

Combine forces with other churches on outreach, other ministry efforts

Noontime concert/lunch offerings

Bring back the Dixieland service

Consider modern/praise and worship/ alternative/contemporary musical expressions for new worship service

Develop activities for college age (UE, USI) as well as for poor

Help others know we exist

Use newcomer packets as advertisement materials

Soup Kitchen is a form of evangelism (and Outreach)

Have a St. Paul’s Choir concert at UE

Keys:

Information

Leadership Involvement

St. Paul’s bumper stickers

Have choir (or portion of) sing at health centers

Youth group or kids help lead services at health centers

If volunteering in health centers, needs to be regular schedule

Programs (worship and other) at Health Care Facilities

Mission Trips: youth, and adult (e.g. Camp Coastcare)

Evangelim is (and should be) connected to Outreach

Set up a water table for the mini-marathons

Find a volunteer offering at Thunder (esp. Sunday)

Adopt a highway or neighborhood stretch for clean-up/beautification

Earth Day for our area (2.5 m. radius)

Do better job welcoming, retaining people who come to visit

Contact when at the church

Contact after they leave (1st time)

Follow through

Make sure they sign Register

Current members don’t know everyone who is here so don’t know who to welcome

Need to promote ourselves (not sure this is Evangelism)

We have a great choir. Need to promote, support and use as part of Evangelism

Train the congregation to welcome people

Allow people seating: pew etiquette

We need to know each other better

Less “clique-ishness” in coffee hour

Training for greeters (assertiveness in introductions)

Get to know people who receive our outreach – and those with whom we do outreach ministry

How do we grow interest, excitement, involvement in our own congregation so that we want to share it with others?

How do we help folks find comfort with our “program parish” status?

Get the equipment to allow easier CD duplication and send CD’s of music/sermons/services to newcomers, all new home purchasers as part of an invitation packet

Have a name that is recognized in the community

Marketing ministry

Greater presence in the community

Make our mission more clear to our own members; draw on that knowledge to attract others

A strength: we are a comfortable home for folks from many denominational backgrounds

We can’t/shouldn’t be everything to everybody

Counter the erroneous view of ECUSA in news by our visibility in the world

More events like Kimberling concert

We have a strength to develop in CE/Bible Study

A focus on drawing the unchurched and ministry that will draw them

Sponsor an “Alpha” or “Y” course

Have some events that at least have appearance of being non-religious (belonging before belief principle)

The things we do need to draw from our traditional roots and strengths (the educated, reasonably affluent, trades people and professionals)

Re-establish Canterbury Club – active campus ministries at USI and UE (go to where they are)

Build on concept of Civic Engagement in Learning Communities

“Bibles and Beer” bible study in bar

Niche/targeted marketing (singles, divorced, boomers, lapsed Roman Catholic, St. Paul’s service schedule cards)

Large banner for display on Memorial Drive side of church

Advertise on bus stop benches

We need to be prepared to welcome those who just “show up”

What models are out there for us to draw on?

People who are moving into condos/lofts are probably in our demographic

Develop a food co-op to appeal to the future/new downtown population

Broadcast videos of our services on Public Access Channel

Our ability to do evangelism effectively may depend on our being regularly in church, small groups

Service led by “other” adults (like Youth Sunday)

Column by rector in newspaper

We should have the coolest web-site in town – no excuses

Is our web-site linked on Evansville Community Page?

A Pilgrimage for adults (Israel?)

Retreats/Quiet Days (could be as simple as a hayride)

The very large churches aren’t the model for what we should be doing


	Evangelism Advertising and marketing (more) Everyone should be welcoming newcomers Training on evangelism Training for ushers and greeters “Bring a Guest” Sunday Bring guests to non-worship events Pulpit swaps Choral Evensong in a park Identify small groups of people who have interest in particular caring ministries, train them to exercise the care Activities to gather older adults – give them a place and reason to gather How do we identify needs? Class on how to use computers for seniors. Include older adults in work projects (mailings, bulletins, etc) Monthly lunches – just for the fun of it Mother’s Day Out Name tags every Sunday (permanent tags) New member packets, intentional placing of newcomers in small groups Sprucing up our “front door” appearance Live nativity in the courtyard Light the steeple (would the fire department do this repair as a training exercise?) More parking [mentioned by 3 groups] Install a recorded carillon Introduce parish families (not just new families) in Epistle In-home small-group Lenten study for all parish Have a regular Worship Minute for celebrations, something in prayers of people (put a ‘celebration box’ at the back of the church for people to drop in a slip of paper naming that which they wish us to celebrate) Include information on significant events in Epistle Grow our membership Work on skill building for welcoming newcomers(sermons, Christian education, Epistle) Organize our schedule and ministries around the goal of bringing in new people Articles in newspaper Publicize attendance as we do finances Grow congregational participation in activities New, more visible strategies for sign-ups and information On-going newcomers classes (monthly or quarterly) Training for ushers/greeters Flowerpots on steps Benches in courtyard Need better signage Repaint interior Targeted mailings Get information in Welcome Wagon Packets Mailing to all new home purchases Increase weekday usage of building (blood pressure clinics, homework assistance) Are there models available for successful building of downtown congregation programs? Do a mailing to new residents of the downtown lofts (“We have lofty ambitions, too…”) Outdoor concerts Having events geared toward kids, which provide food, will draw adults Need better communication inside/ outside congregation We’re better at reporting than we are about advertising in advance Should we re-start a clothing bank? A Little Theatre? Soup Kitchen a core ministry for us Continue our overseas outreach Try mass mailings about services Join with Jewish, Hindu, Muslim/ communities for outreach (Habitat?) Tithe the parish budget for outreach Restart a teen MOPS or a similar program to young parents Request a group to look into purchase of property behind us Music events one of our natural strengths Take our gifts out to places (like Jacob’s Village) Combine forces with other churches on outreach, other ministry efforts Noontime concert/lunch offerings Bring back the Dixieland service Consider modern/praise and worship/ alternative/contemporary musical expressions for new worship service Develop activities for college age (UE, USI) as well as for poor Help others know we exist Use newcomer packets as advertisement materials Soup Kitchen is a form of evangelism (and Outreach) Have a St. Paul’s Choir concert at UE Keys: Information Leadership Involvement St. Paul’s bumper stickers Have choir (or portion of) sing at health centers Youth group or kids help lead services at health centers If volunteering in health centers, needs to be regular schedule Programs (worship and other) at Health Care Facilities Mission Trips: youth, and adult (e.g. Camp Coastcare) Evangelim is (and should be) connected to Outreach Set up a water table for the mini-marathons Find a volunteer offering at Thunder (esp. Sunday) Adopt a highway or neighborhood stretch for clean-up/beautification Earth Day for our area (2.5 m. radius) Do better job welcoming, retaining people who come to visit Contact when at the church Contact after they leave (1st time) Follow through Make sure they sign Register Current members don’t know everyone who is here so don’t know who to welcome Need to promote ourselves (not sure this is Evangelism) We have a great choir. Need to promote, support and use as part of Evangelism Train the congregation to welcome people Allow people seating: pew etiquette We need to know each other better Less “clique-ishness” in coffee hour Training for greeters (assertiveness in introductions) Get to know people who receive our outreach – and those with whom we do outreach ministry How do we grow interest, excitement, involvement in our own congregation so that we want to share it with others? How do we help folks find comfort with our “program parish” status? Get the equipment to allow easier CD duplication and send CD’s of music/sermons/services to newcomers, all new home purchasers as part of an invitation packet Have a name that is recognized in the community Marketing ministry Greater presence in the community Make our mission more clear to our own members; draw on that knowledge to attract others A strength: we are a comfortable home for folks from many denominational backgrounds We can’t/shouldn’t be everything to everybody Counter the erroneous view of ECUSA in news by our visibility in the world More events like Kimberling concert We have a strength to develop in CE/Bible Study A focus on drawing the unchurched and ministry that will draw them Sponsor an “Alpha” or “Y” course Have some events that at least have appearance of being non-religious (belonging before belief principle) The things we do need to draw from our traditional roots and strengths (the educated, reasonably affluent, trades people and professionals) Re-establish Canterbury Club – active campus ministries at USI and UE (go to where they are) Build on concept of Civic Engagement in Learning Communities “Bibles and Beer” bible study in bar Niche/targeted marketing (singles, divorced, boomers, lapsed Roman Catholic, St. Paul’s service schedule cards) Large banner for display on Memorial Drive side of church Advertise on bus stop benches We need to be prepared to welcome those who just “show up” What models are out there for us to draw on? People who are moving into condos/lofts are probably in our demographic Develop a food co-op to appeal to the future/new downtown population Broadcast videos of our services on Public Access Channel Our ability to do evangelism effectively may depend on our being regularly in church, small groups Service led by “other” adults (like Youth Sunday) Column by rector in newspaper We should have the coolest web-site in town – no excuses Is our web-site linked on Evansville Community Page? A Pilgrimage for adults (Israel?) Retreats/Quiet Days (could be as simple as a hayride) The very large churches aren’t the model for what we should be doing