Neighbors Step-by-Step Guide

Thank you for choosing Neighbors as a partner in your church’s outreach ministry. Neighbors is produced three times per year (Back to School, Christmas, and Easter) and is a strong complement to your church’s full outreach ministry.  Your outreach may also include any or all of the following: Igniting Ministry TV ads, personal visitation, newspaper ads and news releases, radio commercials, local church Web site, public events, and on-site signs and banners. Creating an “inviting culture” takes deliberate effort over time and we are glad to help you do that through Neighbors.  

Step-by-step  

1. Contact your local post office to get information to help you discern how to best reach your target areas. They can help you understand which particular carrier routes and zip codes will help you reach your target and fit your budget (giving you exact current numbers in each). Ask what special requirements they may have for bulk-mail use. Show them a copy of what you will be sending.
2. If you do not have a bulk-mail permit for your church, you may ask if you can use your district permit for this sporadic use. Of course, you may use first class postage, although the cost is approximately four times that of bulk mail.
3. Contact 2-3 printers/copy services to get estimates. Remember that a heavier paper (at least 28# stock) will get more notice. Full color will be more noticed than two-color or black and white. If you must use two-color or black and white, you may want to use a lightly colored paper to attract more notice. Some churches may have copiers that will produce a good product. To be good stewards, make sure that it is cost-effective to do it in-house.  Simply print out the pdf to the left to get your black and white copy.
4. Prepare the back page (page four) with local church information: service times, directions to the church, address/phone number/web address, a message from your pastor, and information about upcoming events. Remember you will be working with a half sheet (5 ½ inches by 8 ½ inches) and that you will need space for mailing info (return address, bulk-mail permit indicia, and the addressee). You may address it to “Boxholder” or “Neighbor” with the zip code and anything else your post office may need (See step 1).
5. Take the local church information (for the back page) in a printed copy and on disk to your printer/copy service. Give them the Virginia Conference Web site address for Neighbors (and a printed copy of what you want to use, so there is no mistake).
6. Some printers/copy services will take it directly to the post office for you, or you may have pick up the printed material to take to the post office.
7. Tell your congregation through bulletin/newsletter/pulpit that you are sending Neighbors to your church’s neighbors and prepare them to greet any and all visitors to worship.
8. Repetition is the key to reaching those particular neighborhoods over time. This process also becomes easier over time. Make sure your church budgets for this outreach ministry (and others). Keep at it!
9. If you have further questions, contact Kristen McClung at 757-627-6363 or email kristen_mcclung@hotmail.com