Making Good Use of PeoplePlot: Start-up Events for September

We are excited to have the Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy share monthly with us on how we can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism and the development of new faith expressions in local churches. This is his first post on how we can use MissionInsite when planning for September ministry events.

Many of our churches have now completed a PeoplePlot of their participants. (PeoplePlot maps the exact location of all participating households). You can make good use of this now as make plans to welcome people back to church this fall. Here are three ways to use it.

Welcome Back Events

You can target specific neighborhoods or areas where you have a high density of participating households and plan more intimate, informal gatherings to build fellowship and spark participation in worship and programs. People are more likely to increase participation in the church when they know others in their immediate area who also participate in the church.

  1. Create a search area that includes at least 90% of participating households. (I call this a Reach Map because it defines the furthest geographical extent of your church influence.)
  • Now zoom out to highlight clusters of households. Draw separate shapes that include each area of high member density. (I call these Depth Maps because they define the areas of greatest ministry impact for your church).
  • Ask a church member in each area to host a gathering or open house. The church should pay for the refreshments, and a volunteer should assist the host in setting up before the gathering and cleaning up after the gathering.
  • Gatherings are usually in the early evening (perhaps with dessert?) or on Sunday afternoon (coffee and tea) and should include some sugar-free, allergy sensitive options. They last about 1 ½ hours and people can drop in and out when convenient. It’s not a meeting. It’s a friendship.
  • Mail or phone personal invitations to every household in the Depth Map area. Facebook and Instagram are popular social media among church people. If the area families or young singles, invite someone to advertise the event through other social media.
  • Prepare and share a calendar for fall events, highlighting celebrations like Thanksgiving, Christmas, church anniversaries. Provide brief summaries of important mission activities and opportunities to volunteer.
  • The pastor, or a staff member, or a lay leader should attend each gathering to welcome people, articulate the big vision of the church, and answer questions. (Be ready to update people about church finances and membership if asked).

Getting-to-Know-You Events

You can target specific lifestyle mosaics (segments) in the community or region contained in the Reach Map that are over- or under-represented in your church. Invite them to smaller, safer, more intimate home gatherings to build relationships and deepen trust in the church.

  1. Download a ComparativeInsite report and note especially lifestyle mosaics (segments) that are over- or under-represented in the Reach Map of the church.
  • Create a Thematic Map that color codes the locations of highest population densities for lifestyle segments in the Reach Map area.
  • Now draw separate, smaller Depth Maps that includes a specific neighborhood or area of high population density for a specific lifestyle mosaic (segment).
  • Identify a member household that lives in that neighborhood or area and is therefore more likely to empathize with the lifestyle group that lives there. Ask them to host a gathering in their home or other familiar and convenient neighborhood location.
  • Customize the ambience and refreshments to be the best possible examples that are most likely enjoyed and appreciated by the lifestyle mosaic. The church should pay for all costs.
  • Study the ministry expectations in the MissionImpact Mosaic Ministry Application Guide for the specific lifestyle mosaic invited to the gathering. (Click on the “Helps” tab at the bottom right of the MissionInsiste screen and you will find both the Experian lifestyle descriptions and the MissionImpact commentaries for each lifestyle mosaic).
  • Note the favored communication options for the lifestyle mosaic you wish to reach. And encourage member households who live in the area (use PeoplePlot) to personally invite their friends and neighbors.
  • Prepare and share information about church ministries and missions that might be of particular interest to the specific lifestyle mosaic. Share information about volunteer opportunities.
  • The pastor, or a staff member, or a lay leader should attend each gathering to welcome people, articulate the big vision of the church, and answer questions.

More advanced leaders will want to pay close attention to the “Potential Influence” chart for each of the 71 lifestyle segments described in the MissionImpact Mosaic Ministry Application Guide. You may have lifestyle mosaics (segments) over-represented in your church that are likely to have empathy with lifestyle mosaics under-represented in your church. There is a list for “Lifestyle Compatibility,” and “Family Group,” and “Frequent Neighbors.” Invite these potential “influencers” to the gathering. These are “bridge builders” who can build conversations between different mosaics.

Sunday School Rallies and Youth Group Events

You can target both member households and lifestyle mosaics that are most interested in programs for children and youth and invite them to a “meet and greet” event at the church or other safe and convenient location. (PeoplePlot does provide an opportunity for you to designate member households with children or youth).

  1. Download a ComparativeInsite report for the Reach Map area. Note the contrasts between church and community representation of households with children or youth. This will help you set reasonable goals to increase participation in your children or youth ministries.
  • Use Opportunity Scans to locate areas of highest population density for households with children. (You can scan for phase of life, children enrolled in education, family households, and more.)
  • Note the member households that live in these areas and encourage them to invite friends and neighbors to the gathering.
  • Purchase mailing lists for the specific streets or locations where there is a high population density for the households you want to reach.
  • Invite households with children to an event at the church on Sunday or another convenient time. Request all Sunday School teachers or nursery leaders to join the gathering, and prepare and share information about curricula and leadership, and also health and safety protocols.
  • Invite households with youth to a gathering at some recreational or entertainment venue. The church should pay all costs for reservations or refreshments. Request youth group leaders to participate, and prepare and share information about programs and leadership, health and safety protocols.

There are many more ways to put PeoplePlot to good use that I will describe in future blog posts. If you have questions or want more coaching, use the “SignUp Genius” program offered by the Conference to make an appointment. I am available via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month.

May God bless the people within your reach.

Tom Bandy

If you are a member of the Baltimore-Washington or Pen-Del Conference, you can schedule time to speak in more depth with Tom by clicking HERE.