PARENTAL OUTREACH 1
Freedom of Christ Church: Parental Outreach
Abigail Augustine, Liberty Bradrick, Erica Smith
School of Communication and the Arts, Liberty University
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Abstract
Freedom in Christ Church has a long and rich history and continues to be a spectacle of
strong evangelism and discipleship. Our outreach has an unassailable mission and plan that will
not only appease the members of the church, but it will strengthen the values and traditions that
this ministry was started on. Our small team has decided to assist the ministry and answer their
prayers with an idea for their church and their surrounding community. Our faith-based outreach
emphasizes assisting single parents in all aspects of their lives. Between donations of clothes and
food, small support groups, classes for living a healthy and successful life, and many ways for
them to lead a life in Christ, we plan to put a small dent in the epidemic that is single parenting.
God commands us to help the ‘weak’ and Freedom of Christ Church has prayed and is
now dedicated to doingdo this through the church’s means. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to
the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done,” (New International Version, 2011,
Proverbs 19:17). Freedom of Christ Parental Outreach is designed to assist anyone that may need
care especially while they are having to care for their own children (or others). Our goals for this
program will be to induct more members to the church, bring more children to the school,
educate adults, and bring the existing members in to help the community. We have made several
strides - explained thoroughly in this paper - to show the church and its most willing and opulent
members our plans and procedures to make a successful outreach. The Freedom of Christ Church
has shown pride and ambition in its current programs and successes such as the school, our
small, devoted team plans to continue these feelings for the church and its surrounding
community in need.
Keywords: ministry, outreach, single parents, community, faith
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Team Introduction
The team tasked to create this ministry consists of three women who have a heart for
serving others and sharing the love and joy of Jesus Christ. These team members are equally
excited about the opportunity to launch an impactful, local mission program, aiming to resource
single parents in their current needs.
The first member of the team, Abby Augustine, has a background in marketing,
leadership, and business sales. With a proven record of accomplishment of communication and
leadership skills through building relationships with those in the local community, she feels it
will be in the best interest of this program for her to focus her attention on the outreach and
promotional components. Having established connections with local businesses and business
owners will allow this program the opportunity to be funded and promoted on a larger scale. She
also has experience inof leading young adult ministry groups and coaching group leaders within
the church. This experience will allow the ability for the program to have strong leaders and
volunteers, who will be equipped mentally and spiritually to perform the tasks and conversations
that will evolve through this ministry. Allowing the volunteers and leaders to be coached from
the start will instill confidence and peace, as well as the values and mission that our Church
stands for.
The next member, Erica Smith, brings an abundance of knowledge in communications
involving human relations, team building, and organization. With much experience working in
non-profits and other organized ministry-based events, she brings a wide range of ideas to the
table and can delegate when needed. She plans on appeasing Freedom of Christ Church by
corroborating the goals and concerns of the church are tended to and not ignored. As a servant
leader to her own ministries in the past and to the Lord, she plans to help her team and
program
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with the utmost respect and integrity. Her due diligence will not only ensure a successful
outreach program for the struggling community but also bring new, happy, and faith-filled
members to the church.
Liberty Bradrick is the final member of the group, enhancing the function of outward
communication. Having experience with strategic communication, her plan involves
emphasizing the mission’s core values and ensuring their operation serves accordingly and
meets the needs of those who need them most. As a single mother herself, she recalls the silent
judgmentjudgement often cast upon single parents and has vowed to bring encouragement and
love to clients who depend on local outreach. Liberty has volunteered with her local pregnancy
center for years, whichwho in turn assisted her when she moved back home with her son
following unforeseen circumstances. With this display of assistance cast on her in a desperate
time of need, she feels called to give back in this way. By planning and coordinating
accordingly, she plans to see single parents recognize God’s love amid trial and help them find
the strength to pursue forward for their families’ benefit.
Our Mission and Vision
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from
it,” (New International Version, 1981, Proverbs 22:6). Parenting is a difficult and unforeseen
task that God has entrusted us with and is the purpose for life. Our mission is to help parents
whothat have stumbled bring themselves and their children back to faith and assist them in
many ways.
Our team is committed, and God enjoins us in helping the needy. Our outreach has plans
to offer guidance and necessities to equip single parents with success in raising their children and
a successful relationship with the Lord. The Freedom of Christ Church Parental Outreach is
reaching out to the community and offering themselves as servants to God and his people.
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Between promotional strategies and donation events, we plan to help the epidemic that is
uneducated and struggling children. Our outreach will branch off into a more specified group,
Maternal Outreach Ministry and Support, or MOMS. MOMS is designed to help single mothers
with clothing, formula, food, and having a dedicated support system through their sisters in
Christ. In speaking on her experience with her own, local church ministry, Jennifer Maggio
states: “A single mom’s relationship with her local church cannot be understated. She needs
meaningful friendships with those who truly see her and care. She needs wisdom when there
may not be an active co-parent to assist with parental decision-making. She may need support
with practical needs, such as home or car repairs or regular maintenance... She needs to be seen,
heard, loved, and valued - not pitied. She needs wise counsel, honest feedback, and
encouragement. That’sThat is why I’m so grateful to the hundreds and hundreds of churches
who have taken the time to start a single moms’ ministry, host a single moms’ event, and/or
conduct a single moms’ outreach in the community” (TLSMSTAFF, 2021).
Our biggest resource will be a 7 day a week donation center, focused on helping these
single parents and their children. The donations can be canned goods and formula for the hungry
families and even meals brought to their homes by members of Freedom of Christ Church. Since
this is a donation based on goodwillgood will, it will not require any funding. These parents
(mostly mothers) will also have a section of donations to help them dress for
interviewsinterview, church, and other events they might not have the appropriate wear for. We
are also hoping to expand in offering educational help to both students and parents, with
scholarship opportunities for children, and finance and resume building classes for parents. This
expansion will allow the opportunity to transform this program internationally by uploading
resume creation and finance knowledge trainings to the program’s website. We will have
meetings and events weekly where the
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community is welcome to come and will be hosted by the church. These meetings will have
current members of the church share their own stories with Christ and the help they have
received from Him and the church.
Problem-Analysis
The fatherless epidemic is a hot topic of struggle in the church today, bringing a lot of
attention to male role models, volunteers, and educators for youth and young adults. One article
references the 2022 data explaining how 1 in 4 US children are compromised due to not having a
father figure present in the home, adding up to 18.3 million children (Brewer, 2023). This
program is focusing attention on single moms, as 80% of single-parent homes are women-
runwomen run, leading to a lack of male resourcing and leadership that are causing mental
health and behavioral problems in children (Brewer, 2023). The importance of the fatherless
epidemic is the lack of authority, leadership, and spiritual development from an early age. One
statistic that is used often is “However, when the father is first, there is a 93% probability
everyone else in the household will follow” (Cady, 2016). This refers to a father becoming a
Christian first, and ultimately leading their family to Christ. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians
11:3, “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman
is man, and the head of Christ is God” (New International Version, 1981). This resembles the
family structure, explaining the importance of a father figure’s leadership duty to their family
and God.
Promotional Strategies
To bring community awareness to this outreach mission, the team decided on three key
promotional strategies to reach the target audience and make this program successful. One book
stated that “marketing effectiveness depends on a supportive organizational culture”, expressing
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how marketing is not the sole source of a successful program (Miller, 2021). For a program to be
successful, promotion and marketing need to be enhancers rather than sole providers.
The first promotional strategy is word-of-mouth, as the church community has strong
connections with other local churches, shelters, and resourcing centers. Word-of-mouth is one of
the more favored sources, as it is often used in friendships and trusted relationships. One article
explains how a recent increase in the importance of word-of-mouth promotions has been noted
due to more noise and skepticism from other misleading sources. A claim was made that “the
average person is exposed to about two hundred to one thousand sales communications a day”,
supporting the concept that word-of-mouth promotion is a more trusted and reliable source
(Gildin, 2022). Word-of-mouth recommendations are often given based on an expressed need or
situation, where these recommendations will be taken as more relevant and valued than any other
promotional tool.
The second promotional strategy is event sponsorships and local business partnerships.
Both event sponsorships and business partnerships work together in a similar fashion to spread
awareness of this program, and the mission to the local community. Through event sponsorships,
the program and the church can market themselves as effective local contributors and resources
to those in the community. The Bible states in Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to all creation” (New International Version, 1981). Through
supporting local events, the mission to help support and uplift single parents can be shared by
allowing the program'sprograms name and purpose to be spread and to be heard. Though
sponsorships often require a dollar donation to have a business, or in this case, a program name
announced at an event, it is usually a small amount of money for the return that is gained. For a
startup program, or non-profit, there are often sponsorship opportunities that are given without a
dollar amount
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attached to the agreement. One book explains how some sponsorships include venue hosting,
event programming, and planning, volunteer power, or other organizational needs that do not
require a donation to be a sponsor (Cornwell, 2020). Additionally, partnering with local
Christian-basedChristian based, or non-affiliated, small business is a way that this program can
be promoted in the community quickly. A local small business may encounter different
demographics and audiences than a church, giving more opportunity for the program to meet the
needs of the right people in the community. Not only does the church benefit from the
partnership’s ability to connect with more people, but a small business will also benefit from the
partnership as well. A business will be able to use the partnership as positive publicity in the local
news and events, all while marketing their own goods, donations, and services through the
ministry resourcing program.
Finally, the use of a website and social media platforms will allow people to have all the
information about this program at hand when necessary. Social media platforms have become the
latest and greatest marketing tools of this decade. The use of social media, influencers, online
shopping, and more have transformed the way marketing is viewed, in both positive and negative
ways. To fully be able to utilize social media, there are ad campaigns, brand partnerships, paid
influencers, and more necessary to take social media marketing to the next level of success.
However, for a mission program like MOMS, social media should be used not to attract new
consumers, but to inform the current local community of events, new partnerships, opportunities
to give back, and more. The aim that this team must utilize social media and website creation, is
really to draw volunteers for specific events and projects, keep information up to date, allow for
current program members to inquire about specific needs and services, and track the success of
specific outreach activities and events.
The final idea that the team feels will elevate the number of volunteers involved in this
program is through the social media avenue. As young adults and
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youth begin to volunteer in a church setting, they often look for positions that meet their
experience and desires. Social media is a prevalent use within the young adult community,
allowing volunteers to help with MOMS by website content creation, and social media marketing
and content creation.
Funding
With the church’s generous contribution of $100,000 to kick off the program, the
program can begin to properly fund, plan, and organize as needed. While MOMS can continue to
earn through donations and fundraising, the initial $100,000 funds are necessary to support
groups, therapies, necessary trainingtrainings, and developments, and stocking the items clients
may need. While MOMS can continue to earn through donations and fundraising, the initial
$100,000 funds are necessary to support groups, therapies, necessary trainingtrainings, and
developments, and stocking the items clients may need. This substantial contribution presents a
valuable opportunity to both volunteers and clients, as it allocates a fund to stabilize the program.
This substantial contribution presents a valuable opportunity to volunteers and clients, as it
allocates a fund to stabilize the program. Many clients face hardships in many ways; MOMS
aims to encourage and support them to the best of the ministry’s ability. In doing so, support
comes both spiritually and economically.
Aside from the church’s budgeted contribution, MOMS plans to gather financial
resources through fundraising opportunities. Yearly, a fundraising dinner can be held to raise
money for the ministry. This fundraiser will feature guest speakers, such as volunteers or clients,
who can speak on their testimony of the ministry and how MOMS benefitted their families in a
time of crisis. The fundraiser would feature a catered meal, which a portion of ticket sales will
cover; this meal could be the main highlight of the fundraiser, especially if a favored restaurant
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can cater, or arrange for a discount to be applied. Fundraising dinners are a fantastic way to earn
sponsors or entice added support, especially as a ministry. The church, as a hosting venue, can
provide insight intoto their ministry network and highlight how MOMS benefits their
congregation and invites new clients. Fundraising opportunities are a fantastic way for the
ministry and the church to both see an influx of new members while also bringingbring clients to
witness God’s love as it’s shown to them.
As a ministry that caters to parents in need, there comes the topic of what items these
clients come seeking. For single parents, clothing, food, and diapers for their children are a first
thought. At MOMS, these items can be found by those who need them. By participating in the
program, parents can receive these items, and feel more relaxed in knowing that they can
provide for their children. One may ask where these donations originate.? Initially, the church’s
contribution can be used to purchase various sizes of diapers and clothing, reusable items, such
as bottles or sippy cups, and diapers, wipes, formulas, and baby food. MOMS also accepts
gently used second-hand items, or sealed pantry items by generous congregation members or
donors.
When clients need an item, they will be eligible to receive these items as they navigate the
program.
Concerns and Variables of Parental Outreach
Freedom of Christ Ministries along with their board and the pastor have been wanting an
outreach to help the needy and their fellow community, however, affluent members of the
church have had constant worry about the direction the church has started to go in. However, our
mission is strong and faith-filled, and we plan to combat these concerns immediately and offer
insight into some of our plans and actions.
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A main worry from church members is that a program designed to help struggling
individuals may be too liberal. Our small group planning this outreach wants these currently
worried members to be at ease. While our program is suited for single parents (particularly
single mothers), it is in no way exclusive to just these people meeting these conditions. Freedom
of Christ Church wants to help the community for the better and bring them to their faith, this
means our outreach is open to anyone. Another concern from some members is that our outreach
may be the cause of other programs having a decline. We have many plans to bring in new
members and add to the Freedom of Christ Church community, not take members from other
programs. We have our own budget and promotional strategies that will not cause the existing
programs to struggle.
We do believe that getting young people involved is always beneficial and a great goal,
however, we understand the church’s concern for the youth not caring. The youths of the church
and community are encouraged to volunteer and donate (clothes, books, canned goods, etc.) to
our mission, therefore, any youth involved is at their own willingness and love for the church.
Most of our promotional strategies and events are classic and traditional, therefore, more
appealing to the middle-agedmiddle-age to older generations.
Pastor Mcdonald'sMcDonalds main goal for us was explained as development for Freedom
of Christ Church through an outward ministry outreach that would be able to not only help locals,
but also extend nationally and internationally. We do plan to accept help from outward members
whothat may not be a part of the church and that includes other churches! However, we
understand that there may be a concern with losing ‘control’ and this outward reach turning into
the hands of others. Our team understands that this is the church'schurch's’ will but also God’s, we
plan to accept help in terms of
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hands, donations, money, and spread by word of mouth. At the end of the day, this is Freedom of
Christ Church’s outreach and will be promoted as such.
Many are fearful that this program may exhaust current resources and time that will
negatively take away from the church’s other programs. We want to quickly rebuttal this concern
with the facts and funding we have planned. Our Parental Outreach Ministry is very need-
basedneed based; this means most of our ‘handouts’ will be donations from current church
members as well as the community outside of the church. With our promotional strategies and
planned events, it will only bring in new community members whothat will hear the word of
God and gain the help they may need and, therefore, may feel the calling to join the church as a
permanent member.
A large issue the church is already facing is the loss of members worried about the
church's overall vision and its programs. These members whothat are leaving believe the church
is not worried about others' needs. For many single parents, the church has tarnished their
viewpoint on raising their family within one. Michelle Donnelly sums this up well, “Many single
moms feel as though they don’t have a place in the church. Many feel as though they are walking
around with a scarlet letter, that their challenges or failures are openly exposed. And while most
of us didn’t plan on becoming single moms, it’s not uncommon for women in this situation to
have received more criticism than compassion” (Bradford, 2021). Matthew 25:40 says, “Truly I
tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for
me,” (New International Version, 1981). Our program is attacking this issue that the church is
facing head-onhead on. This is a community-based program solely focused on helping others in
the name of Jesus Christ and will be seen and treated as such.
Many communities and programs – shelters, donation centers, health centers, and more
– are actively seeking churches to help and vice versa. These are places and people that will
assist
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with funding or not requiringrequire any extra money or paid hands from the church itself.
“Churches continue to serve as a resource for community change and that helping professionals
should seek to engage with churches when promoting health,” (Hayes & Costello, 2021, pg. 1).
This call to action that weus and the church areis seeking is not only from God but also the
community itself.
Addressing the Goals for Freedom of Christ
Every great and unswerving ministry has goals to attain and stick to. Freedom of Christ
Church has been constantly formulating goals and one of these is based on continuing the
emphasis on evangelism and discipleship. Our mission is to focus on possible new members for
the church and school and to bring them to Christ and the community. We plan to have already
committed members come and spread their own stories and experiences from times they were
struggling and looked to God and the church. This will not only allow these possible new
members to stay with Christ and the church but also allow discipleship and evangelism to be
continued through already existing members. The single parents and other community members
that will use this outreach will have no shortage of goodwillgood will and Godly messages.
The education within the church is already thriving and our program is intent on only
empowering and emphasizing it. The children of these struggling homes will be offered the
opportunity to attend school with a discount and the support needed for supplies they may need.
These supplies will come at no cost tofor us and the church since they will be obtained on the
terms of donations. The discounted education will also be funded through donations and events
that our MOMS outreach will have within the church and the community. Single parents and
children will both be educated especially in trusting Him throughout this outreach.
Parental Outreach and MOMS areis not only designed to fulfill the needs of certain
community members but also to grow the church numerically. We want to recruit members of
the
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church to speak and share their own personal struggles and preach their relationship with God to
the community during our events and classes. The love of the current members and church will
bring more members to Freedom of Christ and the MOMS members can eventually share their
ownown personal stories within the church and to others.
Our promotional strategies are intense and wide, word of mouth will be the biggest
spread, however, we will have a website (connected to the church) with messages, sermons, and
other online support links that will reach internationally.
The goals of Freedom of Christ Church will not only be metmeet but are quite entirely the
same goals our outreach has plans for. We want to bring new community members to the church
and to Him. The plan is to spread the word of what God can do in your life and how having a
church family will only set you up for success. God will give you everything you need in life, but
your fellow church is here to support you as well!
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References
Bradford, L. (2021, March 29). 5 Ways Churches Can Encourage Single Moms: Michelle
Donnelly. Ministry to Parents. https://ministrytoparents.com/5-ways-churches-
can- encourage-single-moms/
Brewer, J. (2023, May). Issue brief: Fatherlessness and its effects on American Society.
America First Policy Institute. https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/issue-brief-
https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/issue-brief-fatherlessness-and-its-effects-on-
american-society
Cady, N. (2016, June 20). The impact on kids of dad’s faith and church attendance. Theology for
the People. https://nickcady.org/2016/06/20/the-impact-on-kids-of-dads-faith-and-church-
attendance
Cornwell, T. B. (2020). Sponsorship in marketing: Effective Partnerships in Sports, arts and
events. Routledge.
Gildin, S. Z. (2022, April 20). Understanding the power of word-of-mouth. RAM. Revista de
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https:// www.scielo.br/j/ram/a/QbFXSghZGrWCzBNQmWQ5txR/?format=html&lang=en
Hays, K., & Costello, J. (2021). Churches as Agents of Community Change: An introduction to
the issue. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 51(1), 1–6.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2021.1924592
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Miller, K. L. (2021). The nonprofit marketing guide high-impact, low-cost ways to build support
for your good cause. Wiley.
New International Version Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original
work published 1978)
TLSMSTAFF. (2021, March 8). Your Church Needs a Single Moms’ Ministry. The Life of a
Single Mom. https://thelifeofasinglemom.com/your-church-needs-a-single-moms-
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