Perception plays a vital role of the church in the community.  Do people know that your church is concerned with the whole range of needs represented in the community…emotional, physical, and spiritual?  Are community people open to approaching the local Sunday School people with needs?  Your goals for this Sunday should be to increase community awareness of your church and to begin cultivating a relationship between your church and the surrounding community.

• Contact local community leaders and ask for a community project (park, river area, highway, etc.) that the people of the Sunday School/church can help clean up.  Get T Shirts with the church’s name or Sunday School class names printed on them.

• Volunteer at a homeless shelter, women’s shelter, nursing home, youth center, rescue mission or other places that need assistance.  Have name badges with the church logo imprinted.

• If the church has nurses or doctors available, have a free blood pressure testing between Sunday School and worship on this Sunday.

• Open your church up for a blood drive with one of the blood donor organizations or in conjunction with your local hospital.

• Make a list of people in the community who could be invited and honored on this day.  Include politicians, public service officials (firemen, police, paramedics, government workers), and directors of community programs and organizations.  Publically acknowledge their presence in the services, and call them forward for a special prayer time.

• Take pictures of these events and submit a story and photos to the local newspaper.