Churches are not merely houses of worship; they are a network of family and friends. A church family works together to support one another and to benefit the community it lives in. Combining forces to help those in need within the church as well as those outside the church lets church members manifest and actively live their faith while raising the profile of their church. People who are unsure in their faith or are looking for a church home can see the church family in action and get a sense of who the family is and what is important to them.
Church, for many, is a primary source of fellowship and belonging. Your church family is the group that supports you when life gets difficult and lends a helping hand when you cannot manage on your own. Church allows individuals and families to come together on common ground and to share an important part of themselves with each other. Some of the friendships formed within church are strong, life-long relationships that go far beyond shared faith and experiences.
Many churches sponsor a lot of activities outside of faith based programs. Scouting, mom’s day out, pre-school and play dates, women’s groups, book clubs and sports teams are just some of the activities churches offer. These activities give members to participate more fully in church life and to surround themselves with people who share like values and commitments. Some of the activities may even be popular enough to draw others from the community to participate, which increases the number of people church members can network with.
Church sponsored charity work gives the community a chance to see the church in action and to get insight into the values and causes that resonate with its members. Faith-based initiatives have been the driving force behind many shelters, food pantries, prevention and abuse hotlines, counseling and other vital services. The majority of these are done for the benefit of the community at large, without regard to religious or social boundaries. Even those who cannot donate their time help to fund these projects through donations.
An active church community needs to stay in touch and to be aware of what is going on. Sometimes those in need require immediate help and fast mobilization by church members is vital. While phone and email can be effective, phone trees take time and fall apart if someone is unable to relay the message. Email may not be answered promptly or gets deleted. A service like GenieVOX by AllCom lets church members stay in touch through a message center attached to a dedicated toll-free number. One call from anyone to the network shoots an up to 3 minutes long voice message to members’ phones, text or email. It is as quick as a text, as through as an email and as personal as a voice mail. The church’s leadership can also post messages in its box for retrieval by any member- great for reminders, updates, notices, and daily affirmations or quotes- all for a low monthly fee of $4.95 a month and no contract. This kind of service can help a church to expand its mission and to provide a tighter community for its members at the touch of a button.
