Events Weeks are a great opportunity to partner with brothers and sisters from local churches. This can be a blessing for the churches, as they get a front row seat in on-campus mission. It can also be a blessing for CUs, as they benefit from the resources that churches often have. Good partnership with local churches can also make it easier for seekers to make their way into church in the weeks following Events Week. Here are some ideas:
Prayer:
- Letters. Send out letters to local churches including a brief vision statement and explanation of the Events Week, with clear prayer requests. You might also like to ask the church for financial support, clearly outlining the needs.
The CUs in Manchester, England, produced an attractive brochure introducing and explaining the concept of the Events Week that could be given to churches and other interested individuals.Click me!
- Announcements. CU members could ask their church leaders for a couple of minutes in a service to share about Events Week, and encourage the church to pray and/or give money. If churches host regular prayer meetings, ask if a slot could be given over to praying for your upcoming Events Week.
- Prayer Meetings. Invite church attenders to morning prayer meetings during Events Week. You could even ask some people to lead a devotion during one of your meetings.
Practical:
- CUGs. Ask local church people to be CUGs. (See CU Guests for more information).
- Serving. Are there particular serving needs that local church people could help with? (e.g. cooking food for an event).
- Equipment. Local churches often have equipment that they are willing to lend: decorations, PA system, catering equipment, etc.
Persistence:
- Guest services. Some churches make an extra effort to welcome ‘first-timers’ in the weeks after Events Week (e.g. hosting student lunches or advertising follow-up courses). Several months before Events Week, let churches know about the dates and ask if they might be able to make extra effort to welcome new students after the event.
Things to do:
- Discuss. Which churches could you partner with for your Events Week? Are there any new partnerships that you could seek to form? What forms of partnership could your CU benefit from? Prayer, practical, people…?
- Invite. Send out partnership invitations to local churches well in advance of your events. For extra support, ask your CU Staff Worker if they can help.