10 techniques for promoting club to your church and community

Promoting your Pioneer Clubs program can make all the difference this fall! Plan to get the attention of your church and community, draw in new club members and recruit club volunteers. Here are some creative ideas:

  1. Try posting an Outdoor Banner (Item #6700) in front of your church. Add a few descriptive words about club along with your club information.
  2. How about a Pioneer Clubs fun fair or street party for the neighborhood? One church found a Christian singer to entertain and improvised activities: For a dunk tank, one person climbed a ladder and dumped a bucket of water on the “dunkee’s” head when the dunkee was hit. A ring toss used rubber jar rings and penny candy. Sidewalk chalk drawing and cookie decorating were other quick ideas. Hand out brochures explaining about Pioneer Clubs, and have kids handbooks, club projects and pictures on hand.
  3. Another church created brochures about Pioneer Clubs, which were passed out to kids in Sunday school. Include the names of Bible units and activity awards that kids will be working on this year. List special events. Include pictures from last year.
  4. For several weeks before your club kickoff, ask teaser questions in the church bulletin: “Where can kids wear crazy hats and learn how to use the Bible?” “What’s coming in three weeks where kids can pretend to get swallowed by a huge fish, make giant sundaes and learn about Jesus on the same day?” Answer the questions upside down: “It’s Pioneer Clubs!”
  5. Order Join the Fun posters (Item #6707), postcards (Item #6721) and door hangers (Item #6783) that explain the ministry of Pioneer Clubs and tell when and where your clubs meet. Use them in your church and community.
  6. Recruit teenagers or adults to give testimonies in Sunday services about how club made a difference for them. Feature one person a week in the weeks leading up to your kickoff.
  7. Make your Pioneer Clubs kickoff event into a flyer for the information booth in the church lobby.
  8. One church created informational inserts that were collated with the local newspaper. They also sent news releases to the paper.
  9. Develop a Pioneer Clubs page for your church website. Community parents may be scanning local church websites for programs for their children. Include meeting schedules, ages and pictures of past special events. Link your website to www.pioneerclubs.org so interested parents can find out more.
  10. Have a “Presenting Pioneer Clubs” Sunday in the church lobby after a morning service. Set up table displays showing the club goals, slogan and statistics about your club. Add photos of the past club year. Display club materials for people to look through. Have club members, wearing their club T-shirts, participate and talk to visitors.

Be sure to check out tons of other promotion ideas in the new How to Run & Promote a Successful Pioneer Clubs Program book (Item #2701). You’re sure to find something that would be perfect for getting your church and community excited about club.