Seven Ways to Grow Your Church Using Square Invite Cards
In today's digitally-driven world, where social media and other platforms often dominate communication, it's easy to overlook the power of a tangible, personalized invitation. However, personal invitations may be the most effective way to help grow your church. In 2014, a study by LifeWay Research found that 67% of Americans said that a personal invitation from a family member would be somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church.
A fascinating study (also by Lifeway) said, “While most church plants use the Internet for outreach, 77 percent say word of mouth and personal relationships are the most effective forms of publicity. Only 6 percent say social media is most effective.” In his book The Unchurched Next Door, Thom Ranier noted that almost 8 in 10 unchurched persons would come to church if invited and then accompanied to a worship service.
It’s evident through the statistics that a personal invitation is powerful in getting people to attend church for the first time. However, how do we equip our church members to extend a personal invitation to their friends, neighbors, and family members? Providing a valuable tool like square invite cards could be a key component. Square invite cards are compact and eye-catching and available in three sizes, 3” x 3”, 3.5” x 3.5”, and 4” x 4”. When utilized strategically, they can offer a unique and effective way to grow your church by combining the convenience of modern technology with the personal touch of physical outreach. Here are seven ways you can leverage square invite cards to grow your church:
1. Facilitate Targeted Outreach Campaigns with Square Invite Cards
If you understand the demographics of the community your church serves, targeted outreach campaigns can be a highly effective use of square invite cards. Personalization is critical when reaching out to potential new members. Start by creating specific sermon series, outreaches, and community programs to serve the demographics that your church reaches. Then, design square invite cards tailored to these sermon series, outreaches, or community programs. Distribute them strategically in areas where the need is greatest, ensuring your message resonates with the local community. This is a way to connect resources with the community's felt needs.
One church in Central Florida took this idea to heart. They discovered that over 50% of the children in their community were from families led by single mothers. Upon this discovery, their senior pastor, whose mom was a single parent, started an outreach ministry to single mothers inside and outside the church. They began crafting outreach programs specifically to reach that demographic, and the program has grown exponentially in their community. In fact, they provide over 500 children of single mothers with Christmas presents annually.
2. Use Square Invitations to Publicize Services and Special Events
Churches are some of the most significant contributors to community and cultural events in cities and towns. Whether you’re publicizing a fall festival, Christmas program, Easter event, or other annual special event, square invite cards can be an effective invitation tool. Their compact size is conducive to easy distribution. Plus, the unique size is attention-catching and a perfect palette for sharing information and details. Encourage your members to take stacks of cards to distribute in their neighborhoods, maximizing your reach and engaging the broader community.
Pastor Gilford Montrose wrote in The Huffington Post of how his church went door-to-door within a 15-block radius to introduce themselves as the “community church.” This was a large, very visible church with a tall, sprawling building on a main road. It had served the community in that location for over 35 years. Imagine their surprise when encountering many people who did not even realize the church existed! Intentional invitations are vital to educating the community about your presence.
3. Incorporate QR Codes for Online Engagement
While the tangible nature of a square invite card holds a unique charm, their effectiveness can be increased by integrating digital technology. Incorporating a QR code onto these cards converges traditional and digital outreach strategies. By simply scanning the QR code on the card, the card recipient can effortlessly connect with your church's online presence, whether it be the official website, social media pages, or a dedicated event page. This gives recipients easy access to additional information, videos, and the convenience of RSVPing online. Forbes predicts that by 2025, over 99.5 million people will use QR codes. With their ever-growing popularity, the QR code is a bridge between a physical, personal invitation and the invisible digital landscape, bringing the best of both worlds together!
4. Create Community Partnerships for Widespread Distribution
Your church is composed of leaders within your community. There are businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, people involved in the local government, volunteers within local nonprofits, and more sitting in your services on Sunday. By equipping these men and women with invitations, you can forge partnerships with local businesses in your community to expand your reach. Collaborate with places that provide space for your invite cards to be displayed and taken, like locally-owned restaurants, public libraries, and coffee shops with community bulletin boards. The more visible your square invite cards are, the more recognizable your church’s brand will be in the community, which means people are likely to think of your church when looking for a place to attend.
5. Use Square Invites as an Evangelism Tool for Church Members
Empower your church members to share the love of Jesus with people around them by providing them with small stacks of square invite cards. Along with holding your church’s service information, these cards can be customized with an encouraging word, a scripture verse, or a brief presentation of the gospel. Because Flyoverprint.com can price square invite cards so competitively with very low minimums, you can print several styles and varieties and still stay in budget! Encourage them to carry these cards with them, creating opportunities for spontaneous outreach. Competition is motivating, so consider creating challenges or incentives to promote participation and engagement in inviting friends and family.
6. Follow Up with or Welcome Visitors with Square Invitation Cards
The effectiveness of square invite cards doesn’t stop once a person walks through the doors for the first time! They can be used as a valuable tool for connecting with first-time visitors as well. These small, palm-sized cards can serve as the perfect next-step invitations, inviting first time visitors to attend Growth Track or membership classes. By giving them their next steps in bite-sized pieces, the path forward is simplified and less overwhelming to someone new within your church environment. You can also use the cards to extend a warm invitation to newcomers' parties or meet the pastor events, fostering a sense of belonging and connection.
7. Share Testimonies for Impactful Outreach
There is immense power in sharing your testimony and what God has done. We are moved and encouraged by real-life stories of God’s faithfulness, and our faith is built by hearing testimonies about His salvation (Revelation 12:10). A unique way to use square invite cards is to share brief, impactful testimonies of how your church’s ministry has impacted individuals' lives. You may even want to include a photo of the person who is sharing the testimony as a way to personalize the card. Compelling, true-life stories of the transformational power of faith inspire curiosity and engagement in people in need of hope.
Square Invite Cards: A Versatile and Effective Church Growth Tool
In conclusion, square invite cards offer a versatile and proven approach to church growth. Their personal touch, paired with a creative strategy, makes them an effective tool for reaching people in your community. By implementing these seven ideas for using square invite cards, you can harness the power of personal connections, community partnerships, testimonies, and online engagement to create a thriving and growing church body. With their simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness, square invites will improve your outreach efforts and facilitate as your church grows in both numbers and impact.
As Christians, we at FlyoverPrint.com understand and champion the cause of the local church. Every project you entrust to us is executed with excellence because we genuinely believe in the impact it can have, not only on your church but on the broader body of Christ. Our company owner is deeply involved in his own church as a volunteer, giving us a unique insight into the importance of your church's order.
With FlyoverPrint.com, you can choose your size, quantity, and preferred print time, and your square invite cards could ship out as quickly as one day from ordering! What sets FlyoverPrint.com apart is our commitment to speedy delivery and the personal touch that comes with being a small business owned by a Christian family. Unlike large printing companies where you may feel like just another number, at FlyoverPrint.com, your project holds special significance to us.
Many online print shops act as third-party brokers, but we handle every aspect of your project in-house on our own equipment. This hands-on approach allows us to personally oversee every detail because, quite simply, we care. Order your square invite cards today, and experience the FlyoverPrint.com difference – where your project is more than just a print job; it's a commitment to the mission of sharing the gospel and strengthening people’s faith!
