It is great to plan a ward activity that is also a community outreach event. These events invite people who are not members of the church to come and participate in programs or classes. It is important to note that visitors are always welcome at church. There are several different ideas that you can plan for an outreach event.
1) Cultural events are wonderful outreach events. This could be a night of choral music or a symphony made up of stake or ward members. It could be a play. Each year my stake puts on a Creche exhibit that is a wonderful outreach event. There are choirs from churches and community organizations that perform during this event as well.
2) Another great event is to offer classes that may be of interest to those in the community. The classes taught could vary widely from gardening to finances to home or auto repair. This event is a way to serve others and to help them to reach their goals.
3) Another event that works well is to simply have an open house. You can set up the church and have a little bit about each organization and what it does set up. You may also have art displays set up, as well as a section about our beliefs. You may want to include the family history center as part of the tour.
4) Another great way to reach out to the community is to complete a service project in the community. It could be cleaning up a trail or park or completing a food drive. It could involve organizing a Sub-for-Santa event or something similar. This helps others in the community know that we care and that we want to help.
If you are planning a specific event it is important to publicize the event. (Personally I wouldn’t do this with a service project.) You can display posters around the community. It is also nice to print up invitations for members to give to their friends. As you host the event, make sure that everyone feels welcomed.
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Stake Activity: Creche Exhibit