In most churches, the leadership can agree that one of their primary goals is to bring more people in the doors for each service. However, attracting new church members is not exactly like marketing a business, as it’s a lot more personal. For that reason, many churches feel as though they have to wait for people to come to them, instead of taking a more evangelical approach and reaching out to people who may be interested in attending.

Of course, there has to be a healthy balance between the two, but when you do decide to make an effort to raise attendance, it does not necessarily need to cost a lot of money. Here are five free things any church can do to appeal to the community:

1. Hand Out Flyers

Most churches have a printer, and the good news is you do not even have to pay someone to design the flyers for you nowadays because there are so many apps that will let you use free church flyer templates to get the job done easily while keeping the look professional. With Web-based apps, you don’t even need to buy expensive software to get the job done!     

2. Community Service

A great way to get to know people and make yourself known in the community is to offer help wherever it is needed. Providing assistance in a time of need is a good way to show character and it gives you the opportunity to introduce people to your church. Extending a simple invitation is often enough to get someone to show up the next week.

3. Taking and Giving Donations

Accepting donations and giving them away doesn’t cost any money and yet it can have a profound impact on the lives of people in need. This attracts two kinds of people – people who want to give, and people who are in need of assistance, and generally you want both of those in your church so that the congregation can help each other.

4. Holding Food Drives

Just as you can accept and donate items like books, clothing, appliances, and other important necessities, you can also hold a food drive to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food products that people are willing to donate. These charity events are simple and free to hold yet they can mean a lot to people who might be looking for a helping hand in the world.

5. Use Existing Signs and Posts

If your church already has a sign or post that you’re using to display the dates and times of different services, consider using them to highlight an inspirational, funny, or otherwise interesting phrase. If someone driving by sees something interesting on your sign, they’re more likely to want to check out your church.

Give it Some Time

In closing, if none of the above seems to be boosting attendance, you may just need to have some patience. Luckily, it doesn’t cost anything to just keep doing good deeds and wait for the right people to cross your path.