LIFEchurch (North Richland Hills, TX) averages 350 to 400 people for weekend attendance but attracted around 2,500 people for their Family Fun Fest this past Halloween. That’s over six times their average weekend attendance.

How did they do it?

They used the power of free stuff and contests. Free doesn’t always work; people must actually want what you are giving away. But it worked for LIFEchurch because they not only gave away stuff that people want, they gave away stuff that people are crazy about.

FREE CONTESTS

• Hannah Montana Tickets
  Considered the hottest tickets of the year. Hannah Montana tickets were originally sold for $26-$66 but are reselling at an average price of $240 and sometimes as high as $3,000. Read More >>
• Dallas Cowboys NFL Tickets
• Dallas Mavericks NBA Tickets
• Ft. Worth Brahmas Hockey Tickets
• iPod Nanos
• Bicycles

FREE STUFF

• Starbucks coffee
• Hot Chocolate
• 400 Insulated Travel Mugs with the Church Logo and URL
• Candy

FREE ENTERTAINMENT

• Rock Climbing Wall
• Inflatables
• Magician
• Clowns
• Petting Zoo
• Face Painting

Their goal was to invest into the community and use the event as a bridge for the church to build relationships with local residents. The event cost $15,000 to $20,000. And according to Pastor Roger Lewis, ”This is the biggest and best we’ve ever had. All the feedback was positive.”

Free stuff won’t make your church great. But if your church is already great, it can help grow your church faster because good free stuff attracts big crowds, and great churches get the crowds to stay.

[via DallasNews Religion]