Improving Your Program by Promotion AND Attraction

“It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy.” Well, not quite as easy as it was in childhood, but even now summer can give us time to slow down and reflect. Let’s focus that reflection on your Little Rock Scripture Study program. With a little bit of structure, lazy-day mental meandering can bear fruit.

First, determine what you most want to improve about your program. Once that’s established, relax and be open to any ideas that come to mind, whether simple or ambitious.

For example, I reflected on ways to draw new participants to a LRSS group, since this is often a goal among parishes. Remember that being engaging and inclusive as a group brings more success than just putting out information. In other words, attraction works better than promotion.

Promotion generally involves printed information in various places. Lots of people may see the words, fewer will read them, and even fewer will take time to consider that those words were meant for them! Printed information is necessary but it’s not enough.

Attraction means that people are drawn to you as they begin to see who you are, where you are, and how you are. Some may start to notice your friendly smile and calm demeanor. Others may see you active and helpful in the parish and community. People may appreciate the way you’ve listened to them with affection and acceptance. They might see you lingering after Mass to welcome newcomers, or being extra considerate of older people. They don’t know that your life has been affected by your study of God’s Word. They just know they like and want what they see in you.

For this attraction to materialize you need to plan occasions to be physically present to people – to get to know them and let them get to know you.

My wandering imagination led me to half a dozen ideas you might use. Let them spark your own creative thinking. (And I won’t believe you have no creativity!)

• Have bright colored lapel buttons made and wear them!
• Use what you’ve learned. Ask the pastor if group members can take turns writing a very short Gospel reflection for the weekly bulletin. (Or once a month). Make sure it touches on concrete things and real life.
• Serve as lectors and become the best-prepared and most effective lectors in the parish.
• Take up the Offertory gifts at Mass as a group. Wear your buttons!
• Serve as ushers a few times a year and hand out bright bookmarks with LRSS contact information printed on them. Bookmarks are useful, easy to make, inexpensive, and offer a great way to greet people individually. Make special bookmarks for children, too!
• Reach out. Send notes to parishioners who are ill, elderly, and/or unable to come to Mass. Try to arrange a visit now and then as well. Provide food for any appropriate situation (new baby, new parishioners, hospitalization, medical treatment days, deaths).

Whatever you decide to offer, make sure (1) it involves personal contact with people, and, (2) that people know you are members of the parish Scripture study program. Finally, attraction is everyone’s responsibility. All members of your group should be involved and ready to serve, at least as a contact person.