Neighborhood Prayer Walk & Balloon Drop
Purchase an assortment of helium inflated balloons from a local party store; Also purchase or gather picnic tablecloth clips—available in a variety of fun shapes and colors. Print colorful flyers inviting boys and girls and their families to church. Allow each child to carry 3 or 4 balloons as you walk the neighborhood near your church. Ask kids to specifically look for homes where children live… looking for toys, bikes, swing sets, etc. in the yard.
Stop every few houses and ask a child to pray for the families in that particular area. If it is apparent that a child lives there, leave a weighted balloon with a church flyer on 
the front porch. Continue the walk until all balloons have been “dropped” off. Be sure to take along bottled water to keep hydrated.
Summer Splash Party
Choose an afternoon or early evening for your event. Make fun invitations to be delivered to children in the church neighborhood a few days before the “Splash Party.”
Gather Slip ‘n Slides, sprinklers, small pools, pails & shovels, water squirt toys, sponges, bubble solution, etc. Consider setting up an outdoor movie screen to show a family-friendly movie at dusk. With a larger budget, consider renting water slides—it draws the crowd to your event in a hurry. Serve water, popsicles, fruit, and popcorn for the movie. Be sure to register families for outreach follow-up. ( A door prize will help with this.) The event is very budget friendly and a great community outreach tool.
Glad You Were Here!
Gather age-appropriate candy and trinkets such as small containers of bubbles, play dough, music cd’s or note pads, and pencils. Ask boys and girls to write a brief note on index cards or construction paper, decorate with markers and/or stickers.
Assemble “GLAD YOU WERE HERE” bags with a few pieces of candy, church brochure, and notes from kids to give to church visitors. Have boys and girls pray for the future recipients of the bags. Give assembled bags to your children’s minister or church office to be distributed.
