A MUSICAL SOIREE
Outreach Magazine Editors

During the warmer months, who isn’t up for a little outdoor music? Your church worship band, or church members who sing or play instruments can spotlight their talents and reach out to the community with a fun-filled night of music. Host a concert in the park or even a concert series. And breathe a sigh of relief… This outreach opportunity will keep your church’s budget intact.

* Advertise. Tie in to your city’s existing summer concerts, and/or promote your event by putting fliers on bulletin boards in coffeehouses, music stores, community centers and laundromats. But even if people are just passing by on the night of the event, there’s nothing like upbeat live music to draw a crowd on a warm summer night.

* Reserve A Location. Choose a popular park that’s filled with walkers, roller-bladers, bikers, children or couples taking a stroll. Many parks have stages or outdoor amphitheaters you can reserve in advance, and you’ll simply need to bring your church’s sound system and set it up.

* Recruit. If you have a worship band, ask the members if they’d like to participate and clear their schedules the night of the events. During Sunday morning services, announce you’re looking for musicians to join in the fun. You might be surprised to find an amazing jazz saxophonist or bongo player in the back pew. Consider giving your new “band” a fun name.

* Schedule Practices. You’ll want everyone to be in tune and sounding great on the night of the concert. Don’t forget to find someone to run the sound board.

* Perform. To appeal to a diverse audience, practice a wide variety of music. Have your band learn family-friendly classic rock oldies, country or contemporary favorites to create a fun music set with broad appeal. Intersperse the evening with Christian rock songs.

* Promote. Set up a table in the back with your worship band’s CDs (if they have them) and connection cards from your church. People will be wondering who the band is and who’s sponsoring the event. This is a prime opportunity to tell them where they can hear more.

The above article, A Musical Soiree, was retrieved from pg 17 of Keep the Change, Outreach on a Shoestring, which is featured in the Outreach magazine. The material was written by the Outreach magazine editors in 2006.

The material is most likely copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study and research purposes.