Think of the most beautiful garden you’ve ever seen. You likely know that gardens take time and substantial effort to grow. You cannot put one day into a garden and expect immaculate results months later. Establishing a healthy, thriving garden does not happen by accident. There is a lot of work that goes into having a garden. Outreach is quite similar.
Outreach is one of those components in ministry that can feel difficult to wrap your head and your calendar around. Some of us think of outreach as mission trips when others may define it as an event. But what if we just reframed it as an invitation?
An October 2025 study revealed that 80% of non-church goers want to come to church, they just haven’t been invited. This tells us something interesting about the need for outreach in our communities. The need is there and so is the desire… but the invite is missing. The gospel is not meant to be buried, it’s meant to be carried. Let’s be people who invite others in and that starts with outreach. We’re going to give you four practical steps to help outreach bloom in your ministry!
1. Till the Soil by Reaching Out
When starting a garden, the first step is NOT planting seeds, it’s actually tilling the soil. This prep step is so important. The ground is hard and nothing new is going to grow through that tough exterior. For the seeds to grow and bloom, they need to hit good, soft soil. As leaders, we have the responsibility to till the soil for children and families.
Jesus modeled this well, often going to meet people who were very different from him. He made space in his schedule to allow time for people and put their needs above his own. He didn’t just wait for people to come to him, he sought them out. One way is by providing safe and meaningful events or experiences for children and families to attend!
INCM community member and Family Ministry Pastor, Andy Berry says, “Outreach either needs to meet a felt need of the community or be an event that they can only experience at your church. For instance, every school, neighborhood, fire station and flag football league offers a Fall Fest. But only at your church can they experience the Stuffed Animal Sleepover!”
In Matthew 9:12 NLT, Jesus famously says, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” When we live our life outside of the church walls, we have the ability to reach others who need Jesus! As followers of Jesus, we all share the same responsibility, no matter what generation you’re apart of, regardless of your skin color, or what profession or title you hold. We are all called to live out the Great Commission.
2. Plant Seeds through Relationships
As kidmin leaders, we know relationships are critical for the gospel to not only be planted, but for it to grow. Kids need trusted adults who show up regularly, who help them feel safe, and who know them. Just like children’s ministry, personal outreach blooms when there are healthy relationships.
The crux of relationships is showing up. In children’s ministry, we know the power of showing up. We see the smile on kids’ faces when their leader shows up or the smile on our own face when a volunteer unexpectedly wants to help! The moments where we’ve felt supported by someone showing up for us are meaningful not because of the title or the skills of the person who showed up…it’s found in the power of their presence.
We all operate in circles. No, not literal circles, but in spheres of influence where we naturally show up. You may have a favorite coffee shop, your gym routine, or maybe you volunteer in community events or sports. These are your circles and your spaces that you naturally appear in each day, week, season. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, whatever circle you find yourself in – you have influence in that space. Showing up consistently in your circles allows you to plant seeds needed for relationships that will help outreach bloom.
God has planted you exactly where He wants to use you in this season. He’s planted you in your neighborhood, in your job, on that committee, or in that grocery store checkout lane. Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
How might God be calling you to reach out from your circles of influence?
3. Water Seeds by Meeting Needs
We’ve tilled the soil by reaching out, we’ve planted seeds by building relationships, and now, we are watering the seeds we’ve planted by meeting needs. To help outreach really bloom, your next step is to help meet their needs! When we meet someone’s needs and we commit to look to the interests of others above our own, (Phil 2:4), we communicate that our faith is real, that we practice what we preach.
Physical needs are always a wonderful way to support someone and are often the gateway to reaching the deeper, spiritual needs of their hearts. When you have a relationship, a friendship with someone, you get to know what their needs are. Not just what you think their needs are, but their real physical, emotional, spiritual needs. You’ve earned this privilege by showing up and building relational equity with kids and families, by building trust through the power of your presence.
One of the best ways to tangibly meet needs is to invite others in. Yes, you could try and meet needs of others all on your own – but how much better would it be if you invited in a small group, your congregation, a neighborhood group, or some close friends to achieve these goals? Many hands make for light work and inviting others in allows you to cast vision for those who God may be calling to be a part of the mission!
Approaches to meet some basic needs:
- Need clothes? Do a clothing collection for the next 4 Sundays or Wednesday nights, inviting kids and families to join the cause!
- Need snacks? Ask your church family to collect pantry-stable snacks and provide a spot for them to drop them off each week.
- Need wisdom on parenting? Connect parents with wise, senior adults who have time in their calendar to mentor them!
4. Let the SON Do His Work
Ultimately, the biggest need of someone who isn’t following Jesus is to know and to meet Jesus. But here’s the kicker, it is not your job to convince someone to follow Jesus. Yes, your work matters and your work is crucial. God invites us into this delicate space, allowing us to minister and to grow His church. But only God determines when the time is right for someone to put their trust in Jesus.
Much like a gardener or a farmer, children’s ministry leaders know that producing good fruit takes time. Just like crops in the field or vegetables in the garden take time to develop, so do outreach methods that transform lives. When we let the SON work, we remind ourselves that God ultimately makes things grow and bloom. Trust that God is at work, even in the waiting season, when you don’t see any fruit growing.
Letting the Son do His work looks like:
- Being willing to reach out, to build relationships with people who are different from you, and to meet needs – even when there is no guarantee of a “thank you” or a “well done.”
- It’s celebrating the youth ministry student, who grew up in your children’s ministry classroom, taking the step of obedience to be baptized or to go on a mission trip!
- Being consistent in showing up within your circles of influence, loving people well, even if you aren’t saying anything about the gospel – your actions matter!
Let’s face it: children’s ministry is often the ministry of the church that rarely sees the transformation in full bloom. We see it happen to our former students as they enter youth ministry or college ministry. Friend, hear this loud and clearly: this does not mean your ministry isn’t making an impact. It means you’re planting and your watering seeds that God is helping to grow…according to His good time and His good pleasure.
Stay faithful and stay consistent – soon you’ll be able to watch God reap from the garden that you have planted!
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Next Steps
Join us on Thursday, April 16 @ 1:00 pm (CST) for INCM’s next free webinar! This webinar will unpack the simple (and surprisingly doable!) principles behind designing spaces that spark curiosity, encourage engagement, and help kids experience God in memorable, meaningful ways. Whether you’re dreaming big or working with a tight budget, you’ll discover practical strategies to turn your rooms, hallways, stages, and check‑in areas into environments that feel welcoming, intentional, and just plain fun. Register here!
Looking for more practical tools and resources? Join INCM Membership to get resources that will move your ministry and your leadership forward! Act soon to get the best price for membership: incm.org/membership
