3 Ways to Use Video to Create Excitement
You’ve added your church to the map and are excited about participating in Back to Church Sunday… but you need a memorable, relateable and practical way to get your church excited about inviting.
By getting your congregation excited about Back to Church Sunday, you can increase your reach into the community. Think about it! All the people who attend your church have the potential to invite hundreds (if not thousands) of people to come to church with them.
Equipping and inspiring members to invite is essential to the success of Back to Church Sunday because without them the event is just a regular Sunday. What better way to equip and inspire your congregation to be inviters than to show videos in your church during the weeks leading up to Back to Church Sunday?
Don’t worry — you don’t need a fancy camera, actors and editing software to do this! Outreach has four videos made especially for Back To Church Sunday that you can show in your church and post to your social media pages and websites. Not only are these videos fun to watch, but they are effective when it comes to motivating people to invite.
You might be asking, “Why are videos so important when promoting Back To Church Sunday at your church?”
Here are three reasons why using video as part of your planning and promoting Back to Church Sunday is important and EFFECTIVE!
1) Videos are Relatable.
Have you ever felt a certain way, but thought that you were the only person who has ever experienced that feeling?
When it comes to participating in Back to Church Sunday and inviting people to come to church, the process can be intimidating and it can be easy to think that you are the only one who has a hard time coming up with fun ways to invite, or that inviting someone to church will not impact their life.
These are feelings that your congregation might be experiencing when it comes to Back to Church Sunday.
So what is a good way to bring your congregation together and remind them that inviting someone to church can be impactful– and it doesn’t have to be scary?
The answer is video. The Back To Church Sunday videos relate with people in a way that brings them together and lets them know that others are most likely experiencing the same struggles and victories they are when it comes to inviting those that they love.
The “Back to Church Stories” and “How to Invite” video are both videos that your congregation will be able to relate to while preparing for Back To Church Sunday. The “Stories” video powerfully demonstrates that inviting their friends to church can affect someone’s life and eternity. “Stories” gets them thinking about the specific people in their lives who they want to see come to church with them. The “How to Invite” video will have your church laughing and remind them that inviting people to church isn’t always easy, but that people are much more open than you think when you care enough to invite them.
2) Videos are Memorable.
Have you ever watched a commercial on TV years ago and still remember it today because it was funny, creative or inspirational? That is because video has the ability to inspire, motivate, entertain and make people laugh. And guess what? PEOPLE LOVE VIDEOS.
That lasting impression is what you want for your members as they’re gearing up for Back to Church Sunday.
The “Back to Church Stories” and “The Reunion” videos tell engaging stories that your congregation will resonate with, while the Pastor Promo is perfect for your leadership team by showing the “why” behind Back to Church Sunday and explains how Back To Church Sunday can help your church be more outward focused and reach your community. The “How to Invite” video is bound to leave an impression on your congregation with Josh acting out different inviting scenarios in a crazy fun way that your congregation will not soon forget.
3) Videos Have Practical Applications.
Lastly, videos are important because they have many practical applications that people can take away from them.
While videos are memorable and relatable, good videos have lessons and/or practical applications that can be used. The Back To Church Sunday videos are important to show to your congregation because they identify a problem (people in our lives are looking for hope and community that church offers), a solution (invite these people to church), and they equip your congregation to do that.
The Back To Church Sunday videos will show your congregation why this movement is important and give practical tips on what to do (and what not to do) when inviting. In addition to this, these videos show real people’s stories and how a simple invitation impacted their lives. This allows those who watch this video to see that this movement is impacting people and that if they take the practical step of inviting it could change the entire course of someone’s life.
As you can see, videos are important to use in preparation for Back to Church Sunday, but how do you use them in your church?
There are four different videos that can be used in different ways to promote Back To Church Sunday. {INSERT IMAGE}
Back to Church Sunday Stories Videos:
- The captioned short versions are perfect to post on social media to get people talking about Back to Church Sunday.
- The full-length version is perfect to show in your services in the weeks leading up to Back To Church Sunday to get people thinking and praying about who to invite.
- There is a “welcome” version of the full-length video that is perfect to show at any of your church’s “Together” series service.
- The short versions are perfect to post on social media to get people laughing and create awareness.
- The Top 5 inviting full-length version is perfect for showing your congregation in the weeks leading up to Back To Church Sunday.
The Reunion Video
- The “invite” version is perfect to post on social media, put on your website, and show in services to create awareness of the importance of community and being a potential game-changer in someone’s life by inviting them to church.
- The “welcome” version is perfect to start any of your “Together” series services to continue to motivate people to reach out to others in their lives.
Pastor Promo Video
- This video shows the “why” of back to Church Sunday and is perfect to share with your ministry leaders and peers in ministry to cast the vision and get everyone on board. (Available in the Kit only)
Conclusion
Ultimately, the power of video will bring your church “Together”, get your congregation excited for Back to Church Sunday and give them ideas to invite their friends, family, and neighbors to Back to Church on Sunday September 15th! You can find these Back To Church Sunday videos in the 2019 church kit or you can buy them separately, and start seeing your members become inviters as we invite America Back to Church one person at a time!
Together We Can Reach Our Cities for Jesus
Every church is the local expression of the Body of Christ. As such, every church has the capacity to passionately address the issues of brokenness and loneliness that pervade our society. The Church, as messy as it might be, is a beautiful place where people can come together to find wholeness, friendship, healing, forgiveness, guidance and love through Jesus and His people. National Back to Church Sunday is celebrating this beauty with our 2019 theme, Together.
In Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus we see this “together” theme emphasized again and again. In Ephesians 2 we are encouraged by the declaration that “together, we are His house.” Paul prays in Ephesians 3 that “together with all the Lord’s holy people” we could “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” In Ephesians 4 we see how we grow in strength together as Jesus “makes the whole body fit together perfectly.” A powerful picture is painted for us in Ephesians 5, showing that together we can truly make a difference as we “live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” We come together in Christ as the Church, and that makes all the difference for each and every person that steps through the doors of your local church, finding a place they can call their own with a family that reminds them they are not alone.
We have been praying for every local church because we believe that, together, we can see an incredible harvest this fall through National Back to Church Sunday. Your church has the opportunity to join God in the work He is already doing in your neighborhood. We want to partner with your church to help you experience revitalization and growth as you mobilize your people to invite their friends to hear the life-transforming message of Jesus and experience the love and support of your church.
Did you realize that, on average, churches that participate experience a 27% increase in attendance on National Back to Church Sunday? This is incredibly significant. This means more of your people are having conversations with friends, neighbors and co-workers and inviting them to church where they can hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. This means people, many for the very first time, are being introduced to Jesus! We have heard story after story of how celebrating National Back to Church Sunday has reinvigorated churches as pastors and lay people alike are encouraged by what God can do through their local church.
We would love to have your church join us as, together, we reach those who are far from God. Here are three simple steps you can take now to begin preparing your church to engage your community for National Back to Church Sunday:
- Add your church to the map of participating churches – this allows visitors to find your church on FindaChurchnow.com and allows other ministry leaders know that you are participating.
- Download the free resources we have to help your church impact your community and start planning your National Back to Church celebration, including the free full-color printed Engager invitations
- Challenge your people to pray about who God is leading them to invite and then take action and make that invitation
- Join the Back To Church Facebook group to share ideas and find inspiration from other pastors who have joined the movement.
Let’s rally together for Jesus and extend his hope and truth to our communities!