ARTICLE – Easy Personal Outreach Ideas for All Ages

August 14, 2025 by Pierre-Alain Giffard News, Recommended Texts

Reaching out to those who have drifted from faith or community can be simple yet powerful. Below are practical ideas for outreach that parishioners – young adults, middle-aged adults, and seniors alike – can use to invite others back to the Church and the sacraments. These suggestions are designed to be easy and year-round, with special tips for Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter seasons.

Friendly One-on-One Invitations: A direct, personal invite is often the most effective way to encourage someone back. Simply ask a friend, neighbor, coworker or family member if they’d like to join you for Mass or a church event. In the Gospel, the Apostle Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus through a simple invitation – likewise, “every non-practicing Catholic is a potential practicing Catholic,” and sometimes the catalyst is just asking. Inviting someone back is “a great act of love” and one of the simplest and most effective ways to evangelize. Young adults might grab coffee with a friend before Mass, parents could invite another family to sit with them at church, and seniors might offer to pick up an old friend and go together. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by extending a warm invite in person.
Acts of Kindness and Service: Show Christian love through simple acts of kindness in daily life, which can soften hearts and open doors for faith-sharing. For example, bring a home-cooked meal or baked goods to a neighbor in need, help a friend or relative with an errand, or shovel an elderly neighbor’s snowy driveway. Do these good deeds without any strings attached – but let your joy and compassion be a quiet witness. Often, acts of service build trust and friendship. In conversation, you might gently mention church (“Our parish is doing a food drive – let me know if you’d like to help or if you know anyone we can assist”). These small actions demonstrate the faith in practice. All ages can participate: children and teens can do chores or make cards for others; adults and seniors can volunteer their skills to help others (fixing something, giving a ride, etc.). Such generosity can naturally lead to conversations about why you care – offering an opening to invite someone to experience the community that inspires your kindness.
Share Your Faith Story (and Listen to Theirs): Be open to meaningful conversations. In one-on-one settings, share why your faith or church community is important to you. This doesn’t mean preaching a sermon – simply speak from the heart about the hope or peace you find in Jesus or the joy of parish life. Young adults can do this casually with peers (e.g. chatting about a recent uplifting church retreat or service project). Adults might share personal experiences of how faith helped them through a challenge (like how prayer gave strength during a family crisis). Seniors have a wealth of faith stories and life lessons to share with younger generations or friends. Equally important, listen to the other person’s story without judgment. Let them share their questions or hurts about faith. Genuine listening builds trust. Your personal witness, combined with empathy, can gently encourage someone to reconsider giving church another try. You might end such a conversation with a friendly “You’re always welcome to come with me sometime – I’d love to have you join me at Mass or our next parish potluck.”
“Pray and Plan” Outreach: Identify one person you know who has been away from church and pray for them consistently. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your efforts. Start by praying for those you haven’t seen in a while and then discern how best to reach each one. For example, you might feel led to call a certain friend, or to write a thoughtful note to a relative. After praying, reach out personally in whatever way would mean the most to that individual. A senior might write a warm letter or send a religious Christmas card to an old friend, reminding them they are missed at church. A young adult might text or call a buddy saying “I’d love to catch up – maybe we can go to the parish BBQ next week together?” By praying first, you ground your outreach in love and trust God with the results. Even if the person doesn’t accept the invitation right away, they will know someone cares and remembers them.
Use Special Moments & Seasons: Take advantage of holidays, life milestones, and liturgical seasons to extend invitations. Many people who are away from church still feel a pull during times like Christmas and Easter (the “major feasts”). You could say, “It’s been a while – would you like to come to Midnight Mass with us this Christmas? We’d love to have you.” Likewise, if you know someone has a birthday, anniversary, or has lost a loved one, consider inviting them to Mass offered for that intention. For instance, invite a lapsed Catholic friend to attend Mass on their late mother’s anniversary or on All Souls’ Day, offering support as they remember their loved one. Such occasions can be gentle entry points back into the sacraments. During Lent, you might invite a friend to join you for an Ash Wednesday service or a fish fry. (Ash Wednesday, in particular, is known to attract many young adults who aren’t regular churchgoers – if you see an unfamiliar young person at the Ash service, a friendly word and “come sit with us at the soup supper next door” can go a long way.) By timing your personal outreach with moments when hearts are naturally more open or reflective, you increase the chance of a positive response.

Remember…. inviting someone back isn’t about boosting numbers, but about love – it helps the person feel seen and wanted in the community, and it can lead them to an encounter with God’s mercy.

Pierre-Alain Giffard
pierre.alain.giffard@gmail.com

Recommended books:

BOOK – Revive and Thrive: Transforming Parishes into Mission Driven Communities provides a blueprint to breathe new life into parish communities and engage in the core principles of evangelization and disciple-making.
BOOK – Your Faith Has Made You Well: Discovering God’s Power for Healing. A guide to unlocking a life of faith and confidence in God for healing.

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