But what exactly is content marketing and how do you do it well?

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, What is content marketing for SEO? and share 6 elements of good content marketing.  

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is content marketing for SEO?

Let’s start with the dictionary definition for content marketing:

Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (content) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.

So, here are three crucial takeaways from that definition:

1. Online: First off, we’re talking about stuff that lives on the internet.
2. Content: This refers to a wide variety of materials, including blog articles, infographics, videos, podcasts, and social media.
3. Not Explicitly Promotional: It’s not a sales pitch or a press release. It’s about building a connection with your audience, so they come to you naturally.

Now, let’s dive a bit deeper into…

6 Characteristics of Good Content Marketing

1. Be Helpful

First and foremost, good content should be helpful. It should answer questions, solve problems, or provide valuable information. It’s about being a resource for your audience.

Helpful content is not only good for human visitors but starting in August 2022, Google has introduced several Helpful Content Updates designed to give helpful content better search rankings.

2. Make Content Interesting and Engaging

Let’s face it, boring content doesn’t cut it. Make it captivating, and if you can, throw in a dash of humor.

Think beyond just text to images, infographics, and video, both long form and short form.

3. Step Up the Quality

In a sea of online content, quality matters. Don’t skimp on the effort; it’s a reflection of your brand.

Try to avoid assumptions and generalities by backing up statements with evidence. Link out to research and other experts that corroborates your conclusions.

Case studies, original research, and personal stories all add to the quality of your content.

4. Be Consistent

To be effective, you’ve got to keep the content train chugging along. Regularly publish new content on a consistent basis to keep your audience engaged.

Part of a good content marketing strategy can also be to take content created a year or two ago – especially content that experienced a lot of views and engagement – and updated it and reshare it.

But wait, there’s more! If you want your content marketing to be a powerhouse in your SEO strategy, here are two additional must-haves:

5. Target Relevant Keywords

Your content should align with what your organization is all about. If you’re doing church communication, no posting cat videos, unless maybe if your church is open to people bringing their pets. Do some keyword research to figure out what your target audience is searching for.

6. Optimize for Search

Remember when we addressed the question, “What is on-page optimization?” That applies here too. Whether it’s blog articles, podcasts, videos, or infographics, it’s important to optimize them for the keywords you are targeting.

When you create good content, it will cause people to want to link to it, boosting your authority. And each new piece of keyword-targeted content will get your website ranked in the search engines for more keywords.

The bottom line is…

Content marketing is the strategic way to educate and captivate your audience without a pushy sales pitch.

Let us help you create and share good, relevant content

If you’re a leader in your church, school, ministry or business, you probably understand the benefit of content marketing, but you’re also super-busy and probably thinking, “There’s no way I add content marketing to my plate.”

That’s why our team developed a unique way to create a year of high-quality, original content that has your personality and insight, but takes only an hour or two of your time – in the entire year!

If you’d like to learn more about website design or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry, we’d love to talk with you!

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)!

Comment and Share your thoughts:

• What questions do you have about content marketing?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post What is Content Marketing for SEO? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Link building (aka backlinks) are an important part of the process.

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, What is link building (backlinks) in SEO? and talk about 4 good methods for gaining backlinks.

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is link building (backlinks) in SEO?

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website.

Why is link building important?

In the world of SEO, search rankings come down to two broad category of factors: relevance and authority. Links (also called backlinks) are a key component of the authority.

You can think of links as votes or endorsements for your website.

Backlinks = votes (endorsements)

The more links a website has, the more authority it has, and the better the search rankings Google and other search engines will give it. It’s not just about the quantity of links; quality matters too.

Now that we’ve covered what link building is and why it’s essential, let’s explore some…

4 Good methods for Gaining Backlinks

1. Natural Links

If you have a high-quality website or offer exceptional services, other people will naturally want to recommend and link to your website. Producing top-notch content, such as informative how-to guides or resource pages, can also attract natural links.

2. Customers, Vendors, and Partners

You can reach out to organizations with whom you’ve worked or have partnerships and ask them to include a link to your website on theirs. Their endorsement can boost your authority.

3. Directories

There are directories for various niches, including church directories or home services directories. Listing your website in these directories can help you gain valuable links.

4. Guest Blogging

Writing articles for other websites and including a link back to your site is an effective way to secure links and establish authority in your field.

While there are legitimate ways to build links, it’s crucial to be avoid…

Methods of getting links that could get your website penalized or banned

1. Buying Links

Paying websites to link to yours is considered a black-hat tactic and can lead to penalties from search engines.

2. Link Schemes

Avoid practices like reciprocal linking, where you exchange links with other websites. These schemes can also harm your website’s reputation with search engines.

When considering SEO services or working with SEO companies, it’s vital to inquire about their link-building strategies. If they mention buying links or link schemes, it’s a red flag, and you should reconsider your choice.

The bottom line is…

Search engines see backlinks as endorsements for your website, boosting its authority and search rankings.

Want some help with your link building?

Link building and gaining backlinks are an important part of the the SEO services we provide at OurChurch.Com.

If you’d like to discuss church SEO or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry, with one of our SEO experts, we’d love to talk with you.

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)!

Comment and Share your thoughts:

• What questions do you have about link building and backlinks?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post What is link building (backlinks) in SEO? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

But do you know all the parts of a page that can be optimized?

Do you know what “E-E-A-T” is and how that impacts search rankings?

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, What is on-page optimization in SEO?

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is On-Page Optimization in SEO?

On-page optimization involves making changes and improvements directly to your web page to enhance its search engine rankings.

Before you start doing on-page optimization, keyword research should already be done to determine the best keywords to target. Then, the goal is to strategically incorporate these keywords into the page in ways that helps search engines like Google understand the page’s content better and increase its relevance to those targeted keywords.

Here are some…

Key Components of On-page Optimization:

1. Title and Meta Description: These elements may not be visible to human readers, but they play a crucial role in how search engines perceive your page.

2. Headings: The headings used on your page are another critical aspect that can be optimized for better search rankings.

3. Text: The content on your page should also be optimized with the chosen keywords in mind.

4. Image Alt Attributes: These are hidden descriptions of images, not seen by human visitors but used by search engines and screen readers for visually impaired users.

5. E-E-A-T: No, we’re not talking about your next meal. E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This concept was developed by Google to measure the quality of a page.

A Deeper Dive into… What is E-E-A-T?

Let’s say you want to create a restaurant review on your website. Sure, anyone can use AI tools like Chat GPT to generate a generic review. But to outrank that AI-generated content, you need to inject quality and authority into your work.

For example, if your website includes restaurant reviews, here are :

• Experience: Share a personal story in which you describe your dining experience at the restaurant.  This is better than just providing general facts about the restaurant and its menu.
• Expertise: Demonstrate your understanding cooking and dining by sharing the reasons for your praises or critiques.
• Authority: Mention your history as a foodie and restaurant critic in your bio to establish authority. Compare and contrast your experience at this restaurant with others.
• Trustworthiness: Include descriptions of specific dishes and photographs, which not only make your article more trustworthy but also more engaging.

In essence, E-E-A-T is all about infusing your personal expertise, experience, and opinion into your content to make it a higher-quality piece than something produced generically by AI.

To sum it up…

On-page optimization is the art of strategically enhancing a web pages relevance for targeted keywords.

Want to ensure your website is expertly optimized?

On-page optimization is a key component of the SEO services OurChurch.Com provides for all of our SEO clients. As you can see from our description of E-E-A-T, we are constantly evaluating and improving our optimization process as Google and other search engines change their algorithms.

Also note, if you have a new website created for your organization, it will NOT automatically receive on-page optimization. Even if the developer promises an “SEO-friendly” website, that just means it can be optimized not that it will be optimized. The best option is to get a web design/SEO package so that your new website is optimized right when it launches.

If you’d like to learn more about website design or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry, with one of our SEO experts, we’d love to talk with you!

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)

Comment and Share your thoughts:

• What questions do you have about SEO keyword research?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post What is On-Page Optimization in SEO? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

But getting better search rankings for the wrong keywords is worthless! It’s a big waste of time, effort and resources.

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, What is keyword research in SEO?

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is Keyword Research in SEO?

Many people think they know what keywords they want to rank better for in the search engines. However, more often than not, those assumptions are way off the mark. The last thing you want to do is invest your valuable time, energy, and resources into optimizing a website for the wrong keywords.

So, let’s explore what keyword research entails and how it can help you avoid such pitfalls.

1. Keyword Popularity

Our first stop on the keyword research journey is to gauge popularity. After all, there’s no point in targeting a keyword that no one is searching for, right? Assess the number of monthly searches for each keyword under consideration and factor that into the decision-making process.

2. Keyword Difficulty or Competition

The next factor to scrutinize is keyword difficulty or how competitive a keyword is. If there’s fierce competition for a keyword, especially from websites with high authority and loads of backlinks, it will be impossible to get into the top 10.

It’s like trying to win the Daytona 500 with minivan. You have to consider your competition before you enter the race.

3. Relevance

Of course, it’s essential that the keywords you choose are highly relevant to your organization and its objectives. After all, what’s the point of ranking for keywords that don’t align with who you are and what you do?

But, there are degrees of relevance, so this takes more thought than many people realize.

If you are marketing an A/C company, “air conditioning” may seem relevant, but what do you specialize in?  Air conditioner repair? Weekend air condition repair? Weekend air condition repair in Hoboken, NJ? The more relevant the keywords you target are, the better your conversion rate will be. (The higher percentage of website visitors will contact you).

4. Authority

The next think to consider is the current authority of your website, which is mostly determine by links.

This is closely related to #2 Competition, because you need to know how the authority of your website compares to the authority of the websites already ranking in the top 10. If the authority of your website is much lower than your competitors for a particular keyword, then it’s better to target other, lower-competition keywords for now while also building the authority of your website so it can rank for more competitive keywords down the road.

5. Current Rankings

Last but not least, a website’s current rankings can give a good idea of what keywords to target.

The site that ranks #1 for a keyword gets significantly more clicks than the site that’s #2, #2 gets significantly more than #3. That trend continues through the top 10 which all appear on the first page of the search results. After 10, you might as well not even exist because very few people click past the first page.

If a website is hovering just outside the top ten for a specific keyword, it might not take much to push it into the coveted top ten. And if a site is already in the top 10, getting it to #1 could result in a dramatic increase in visitors.

So, there you have it… 5 things to consider when doing SEO keyword research.

The bottom line is…

Keyword research is the compass pointing your SEO in the right direction. -Paul Steinbrueck

Get expert keyword research

Keyword research is one of the most complicated aspects of SEO. Without the right tools and processes, it’s difficult to do well.

Fortunately, our team has been doing keyword research for 20 years. We’ve developed and continue to refine our keyword research tools and processes, so that we can point our SEO clients towards the the right keywords.

If you’d like to discuss church SEO or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry, with one of our SEO experts, we’d love to talk with you.

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)!

Comment and Share your thoughts:

• What questions do you have about SEO keyword research?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post What is Keyword Research in SEO? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

If you want your church, school, ministry or business website to rank better in search engines, it’s important to check for and resolve any technical problems that might hurting your search rankings.

In this Search Engine Optimization Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) video blog, I address the question, What is Technical SEO?

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is Technical SEO?

There are many aspects to technical SEO. Let’s talk about 5 of the most important.

1. Readable by Search Engines

First off, you need to ensure that your website can be read by search engines. Some settings or files can block search engines from indexing or listing web pages. To maximize your SEO potential, make sure there is nothing preventing search engines from accessing your content.

If you setup Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for your website, they can tell you if Google and Bing are able to read your website or if there ae issues.

2. Sitemap

A sitemap is like a roadmap for search engines. It guides them through your website, ensuring they don’t miss any important pages. A well-structured sitemap can significantly improve your site’s discoverability.

There are two types of sitemaps. One is an HTML sitemap formatted for human viewers, the second is an XML sitemap which is coded for search engines.  It’s the XML sitemap that is important for SEO.

Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools can help with this too. Both have features where you can submit the URL of your XML sitemap and they will tell you if they can read it and it’s formatted correctly.

3. SSL Certificate

Security matters, not just for your visitors but also for search engines. An SSL certificate encrypts data transfer between your website and its visitors, making it secure. Search engines prioritize secure websites, so having an SSL certificate can give your rankings a boost.

OurChurch.Com not only includes an SSL certificate with all of our hosting services at no extra cost, but we also install and configure it properly for you, something many other website companies don’t do. See SSL Certificates for more details.

4. Page Speed

Nobody likes a slow-loading website, not visitors and definitely not search engines. Search engines aim to provide a great user experience, so they favor fast-loading sites. If your site takes ages to load, you might see a drop in your rankings.

5. Core Web Vitals

Google introduced Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics that measure page load times and visual stability during loading. These metrics influence your search rankings, so it’s essential to keep an eye on them.

You can test your website’s Core Web Vitals using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.

So, in a nutshell…

Technical SEO is addressing technical issues that prevent your website from being found, indexed, and ranked well by search engines.

Get a Technical SEO Audit and Fixes

At OurChurch.com, when we onboard a new SEO client, our first step is to perform a technical audit of the website. We check for issues like those mentioned above. We also connect the website with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to ensure they can properly crawl and index the site. These technical aspects are the foundation of our SEO strategy, setting the stage for further optimizations.

We also do SEO audits as a stand-alone service, so you can get an evaluation of the SEO of your website and recommendations before committing to any additional services.

And if you need a new website, you can be sure when we do custom website design for your organization, we include best practices for technical SEO.

If you’d like to discuss Christian SEO or website design for your church, school, ministry or business, with one of our SEO experts, we’d love to talk with you!

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)!

Comment and Share your thoughts:

• What questions do you have about technical SEO?

Read or watch more SEO FAQ articles and videos!

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post What is Technical SEO? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Not only do more people attend church services on Easter Sunday than any other Sunday of the year, but many people who are not Christian are open to Easter-related family events.

Before we get to some great ideas for promoting and sharing your Easter services and events online, here are…

11 Easter ideas for churches

1) Host an Easter Egg Hunt. An Easter egg hunt is a classic way to celebrate the season and bring families together. Consider hosting an Easter egg hunt on your church property, or partner with a local park to host the event. Be sure to have plenty of eggs and candy for all the children, and consider offering other activities like face painting or balloon animals.

If you host your Easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter, you can invite families to join you for your Easter service(s) the next day.

2) Hold a Sunrise Service.  A sunrise service is a beautiful way to start Easter Sunday. Hold the service outdoors to watch the sunrise together. Even better, gather in a public park (with permission) where passers-by can see and join you.  Offer hot coffee and pastries to warm them up.

3) Offer a Free Community Meal. Hosting a free community meal is a great way to reach out to those in need in your community. Consider offering breakfast on Easter, either immediately after your Sunrise Service or immediately before your regular Easter Sunday service.

Be sure to promote the event to your community and partner with other local organizations to spread the word.

4) Create Easter Baskets for Those in Need. Many families struggle to provide Easter baskets for their children. Consider creating Easter baskets for those in need in your community. Partner with local organizations to identify families who could benefit from this outreach.

Invite the families to pick up the Easter baskets from your church the Friday or Saturday before Easter. Or better yet, give them the option to have you bring the basket to them. Remember, it’s not just about the items in the basket, it’s about creating a personal connection, welcoming them, and letting them know you care about them.

5) Offer Easter Photos. Set up a photo booth at your church or at a community event and offer free Easter photos to attendees. This is a fun way to capture the spirit of the season and create lasting memories for families.

You can also share those photos on your social media profiles. (Be sure to get permission and ask families to sign a photo release.)

6) Have a Palm Sunday Parade. A Palm Sunday parade is a great way to celebrate the start of Holy Week. Consider having your church members create their own palms and parade through your community.

7) Host an Easter Play. Hosting an Easter play is a creative way to bring the story of the resurrection to life. Include members of your congregation in the production to make it more personal.

8) Offer Free Car Washes. Offer free car washes to your community in the days leading up to Easter. This is a good way to reach out to your community and show them that your church cares about their needs. Alternatively, you could ask for donations with those donations going to a good cause.

9) Create an Easter Prayer Walk. A prayer walk is a great way to encourage prayer and reflection during the Easter season. Create a trail with stations for prayer and reflection, and encourage attendees to take their time and meditate on the meaning of Easter.

Ideally, this would be available to people throughout Holy Week so they can do it on their own schedule and at their own pace.

10) Host a Concert. A concert is a great way to bring your community together in celebration of Easter. You don’t necessarily have to bring in a big name Christian artist. It could be your church’s worship team or choir. You could invite the choirs and worship team’s from other churches. Or you could put together a community orchestra and choir to perform something like Handel’s Messiah.

11) Host an Easter Craft Fair. An Easter craft fair is another fun opportunity to get people in your community on your church campus and make some connections. If you host it soon before Easter, you can invite people to your Easter services. You could also have your music ministry perform during the craft to get people into the spirit of the holiday and introduce them to your church’s style of music.

Hopefully, one or more of these Easter ideas for church will resonate with you and your church. Or maybe they will help spark a completely new and unique idea!

Once you and your church have discussed, prayed over, and decided which Easter outreach ideas you’re going to do this year, it’s time to think about how you’re going to get the word out. So, here are

11 Easter Online Outreach Ideas

1) Create a Landing Page. Create a dedicated landing page on your church website that provides all the details of your Easter services and events. This page should be easy to navigate, and the information should be displayed prominently.

2) Utilize Social Media. Social media is an effective way to reach out to your community and promote your Easter services and events. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to create posts and share information about your Easter services and events.

3) Ask Your Congregation to Utilize Social media.  Posting info to the church’s social media profiles will only reach so many people. If you really want to maximize your social media reach, get the people of your church fired up and excited about sharing your church’s social media posts.

4) Use Hashtags. Utilize Easter-themed hashtags on social media to increase the visibility of your Easter services and events. Hashtags like #Easter, #EasterServices, and #EasterEvents can be used to reach a wider audience.

5) Share Testimonials. Share testimonies from members of your congregation about the impact that Easter has had on their lives. These testimonials can be shared on social media and on your website to help promote your Easter services and events.

6) Promote Early: Begin promoting your Easter services and events several weeks in advance. This will give your community ample time to plan to attend and make arrangements if necessary.

7) Utilize Email. Email is still one of the most effective ways to reach out to members of your congregation with info about your Easter services and events, especially people who may have fallen out of the habit of participating in Sunday services regularly. Send out regular emails leading up to Easter, and encourage your congregation to share the information with their friends and family.

8) Use Graphics and Videos. Create graphics and/or promotional videos for your Easter services and events. These visuals can be shared in your services, on your website, on social media and via email to catch the attention of your audience.

9) Use Online Advertising. Consider using online advertising to promote your Easter services and events. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads can be used to target specific audiences and promote your Easter services and events.

10) Partner with Local Organizations. Partner with local organizations to promote your Easter services and events. This could include partnering with local schools, community centers or the Chamber of Commerce to share information via email or on their social media channels.

11) Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Make sure people can find your church when the search online. For help with that check out The Ultimate Guide to Church SEO and How to Get Your Church Website to Rank for “Easter Service Near Me”

And if you’d like some help with church web design and church SEO from our team that’s been doing it for more than 25 years, click or fill out the form below to schedule a call.

*BONUS* Perhaps the best Easter outreach idea doesn’t involve a church event at all… Maybe the best way to reach the people in your community is to equip and encourage every follower of Jesus in your church to be able to share their faith, their testimony, and the love of Jesus with the people they already know in their neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and community organizations!

Easter is the time to share the love and hope we can only experience in Jesus.

Comment and Discuss

• Which of these Easter ideas is your church considering?
• Do you have any other church Easter ideas to share with others?

Continue reading… Church Outreach Ideas & Events (for Every Holiday and Season)

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post 22 Easter Ideas for Church Outreach (events and online) appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

For many people (myself included), Fall is their favorite time of the year.  The fall colors, the smells, the abundance of pumpkin and cinnamon treats…  They draw people out, and bring people together.

A church fall festival is a great outreach event idea! 

It’s a great way to connect with people in your community, help them to have a fun time together as a family, meet other people in the community, and introduce them to your church.  Here are some ideas for things you can include in your church Fall festival.

12 Church Fall Festival Ideas

1. Pumpkin Carving Contest: Give away prizes for different categories of pumpkin carvings and jack-o-lanterns: funniest, scariest, most creative. No solo carvers! Build community by encouraging teams of 2-3 to work together.

2. Trunk or Treat: Organize a safe and fun trunk-or-treat event in the church parking lot, where volunteers decorate their car trunks and hand out candy. Put up a big sign so that people who drive by know what’s going on and visitors feel welcome to stop in.

3. Harvest Dinner: Host a community potluck dinner featuring fall-themed dishes and desserts.  Consider partnering with a local food bank to invite the people they serve (with no obligation to bring a dish), and encourage the members of your church to make a little extra so everyone has enough to eat

4. Fall Craft Fair: Arrange a craft fair where local artisans can showcase their handmade fall and Halloween-themed crafts. Be intentional about building relationships with the vendors, and encourage your church members to do some of their holiday shopping at the craft fair.

5. Fall Bake Sale: Have a bake sale featuring autumnal treats like apple pies, pumpkin bread, and caramel apples.

6. Fall Food Drive: Coordinate a food drive to collect non-perishable items for a local food bank to help those in need during the season.  If your church doesn’t have its own food back or a partnership with local food bank, this would also be a great time to start serving at a local food bank.

7. Costume Contest: We get it – some churches don’t want to celebrate Halloween. That’s cool. But dressing up in appropriate, non-scary costumes can be fun for kids of all ages! Give out prizes for as many categories as you can think of. Take lots of photos! Show them during your next service!

8. Fall Movie Night: Screen family-friendly fall movies in the church hall or outdoors, complete with popcorn, candy apples and cider.  This is a great church outreach idea for Fall, because it’s such easy invite for kids and parents to invite their friends and neighbors to see a free movie with them.

9. Fall Photo Booth: No church fall festival would be complete without a photo booth with fall-themed props for families and friends to capture memories (and share on social media).

10. Fall-Themed Workshops: Offer workshops on fall-themed activities like wreath making, fall centerpiece making, apple cider pressing, etc.  Most communities have a newsletter, website or community calendar where events like this can be listed and promoted.

11. Community Service Day: Organize a day of service where church members can help with fall yard clean-up for elderly or disabled neighbors.  Often the best church outreach events are those where the church goes out into the community rather than waiting for the community to come to them.

12. Fall Weekend Retreat: Fall is a great time to get a group together to go away to a cabin or retreat center to spend time together and spend time with God. While some people may think a retreat is something only church members go on, you’d be surprised how many pre-Christians are open to a weekend away, making new friends, and letting God into their life a little more.

Sweater weather is better together. -Unknown

No matter which church Fall festival ideas your church uses for its outreach events, you’ll also want to promote those events online. Rather than share the same strategies at the bottom of every church outreach ideas article we write for every season and holiday, we’ll just point you to…

7 Ways to Promote Your Church Outreach Event Online

And if you’d like some help with a church website builder, church web design or church SEO so you can have your best Church Fall Festival ever, fill out the form below to schedule a call.

Comment and Discuss

• What Fall outreach events is your church planning?

Want more church outreach ideas?  Church Outreach Ideas & Events for Every Holiday and Season

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

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