Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Five tips for planning a great fall event

  • September 14, 2022
  • Baptist Convention of New England
  • Church Life, Connecticut, Featured, Latest News, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
(Photo courtesy of BCNE)

Five tips for planning a great fall event

The fall is a great season to think about doing an event to gather your community together.

Here are some important steps to keep in mind as you get ready for this event.

Ask the right questions

The first thing needed to ensure a great event is that you are asking the right questions to determine what type of event is needed in your context.

Consider: What are other events happening and when are they happening? Is there something unusual and fun that would bring our community together? What is our church doing and will we be able to provide the support needed to undertake an event?

Years ago, my church discovered Trunk or Treat, and the first few years we held the event we had great participation from our town and our church. As the years ensued other organizations started offering the same event, and our numbers waned and people did not get engaged. We stopped doing it on our own and worked with another organization in town and supported them.

Get buy-in 

It is so vital to find the right people in your church (and community) to help you from the very start of planning through implementation.

The more people you can get involved, the more opportunities you will have to develop others to keep your event going without you having to be involved in every detail. This will give others ownership and allow them more input and feedback into planning and other aspects of the event.

As others step up, you will find that you can release some of the details and others can allow their gifts and talents to shine. You may discover someone helping with your event is very savvy with social media. Find ways to allow them to use their passions to fuel your event and this will enhance how far your event will go.

Create a promotional strategy

Be sure to have a strategy to get the word out about your event. Use every means possible: print media (postcards or newspaper announcements, which are often free), church communications (bulletins, newsletters, Facebook page, etc.), social media platforms (community-based pages, Facebook ads, etc.) and word of mouth (encourage your church congregation to tell others about the event and give them a postcard or flyer to share).

Plan a follow-up event 

In order to make lasting connections for your events, consider planning a future event each time. This will keep the opportunities to forge relationships and have spiritual conversations with those attending.

Follow-up can also engage your church in connections with your events. Recently, after our summer event, I created prayer cards that we gave to each child that received a backpack with school supplies. We took the same prayer card and wrote the first name of each child who came to our event on the card and gave them to our church and asked them to pray for these children by name with the prayer prompts provided.

Prayer is a powerful tool for follow up. I plan to create a bookmark at the beginning of the new year to re-engage the church to keep praying for these kids! The key is finding ways to keep the connection going after your event!

Evaluate and adjust

Evaluation is a powerful strategy.

Following your event, it is important to have a time of debrief to make positive changes moving forward and for future events. This should be done with your team. Taking the time to evaluate will keep your event vibrant, relevant and fresh.

Don’t just set aside this feedback, but make sure you find immediate ways to implement these changes in future planning. Be sure to invite those giving the feedback to help make these suggestions come alive.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Sandy Coelho and originally published by Baptist Churches of New England. 

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Changed lives take time, ‘patience’ in historic Nevada town
    Changed lives take time, ‘patience’ in historic Nevada town
    September 28, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • First person: 10 guidelines when studying the Bible’s tough passages
    First person: 10 guidelines when studying the Bible’s tough passages
    September 27, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • ‘Fluid’ situation: Chinese human rights lawyer’s whereabouts uncertain
    ‘Fluid’ situation: Chinese human rights lawyer’s whereabouts uncertain
    September 27, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Changed lives take time, ‘patience’ in historic Nevada town

“To reach people, it takes a lot of honesty, one-on-one conversations and consistency,” pastor Austin White told The Baptist Paper. He could have added “patience.”

white book on table

First person: 10 guidelines when studying the Bible’s tough passages

How do you deal with tough passages in Scripture, especially with those difficult passages that challenge such comforting doctrines as eternal security?

‘Fluid’ situation: Chinese human rights lawyer’s whereabouts uncertain

The exact whereabouts of human rights lawyer Lu Siwei, who was arrested in Laos in July, appear uncertain.

33rd annual See You at the Pole draws ‘wholehearted’ students for prayer

This morning (Sept. 27), students across the country gathered a little earlier than usual at their schools for the 33rd annual See You at the Pole student-led prayer event.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel