Follow up effectively with people you meet at outreach events to build genuine relationships and create pathways for continued connection. This prompt helps you reach out naturally after community events without being pushy, while staying true to the servant-hearted spirit of your original outreach.
Create post-outreach event follow-up strategy with these details:
Event type: [e.g., "Community block party" or "Back-to-school supply giveaway" or "Free car wash" or "Thanksgiving meal distribution" or "Service project"]
Contact information collected: [e.g., "Email addresses" or "Phone numbers" or "Connection cards" or "Nothing formal, just conversations" or "Social media follows"]
Level of spiritual interest shown: [e.g., "Asked about church" or "Requested prayer" or "General friendly conversation" or "Expressed spiritual questions" or "Just came for free stuff"]
Follow-up timing: [e.g., "Next day" or "Within a week" or "Before next event"]
Goal of follow-up: [e.g., "Invite to church" or "Offer ongoing help" or "Continue relationship" or "Connect to next event"]
Please provide:
1. Follow-Up Strategy Framework:
A. Immediate Follow-Up (24-48 hours):
- Who should receive immediate contact
- What format (text, email, call, visit)
- What to say
- When it's appropriate vs. too soon
B. Week-After Follow-Up:
- Broader group contact
- Email or mail approach
- What to include
- How to keep it personal
C. Long-Term Touch Points:
- Monthly or quarterly contacts
- Invitation to next event
- Staying in relationship
- Not disappearing until next event
2. Email Follow-Up Template:
Subject Line:
- Reference the specific event
- Warm and friendly, not salesy
- Examples: "Great Meeting You at [Event]!" or "Thanks for Joining Us Saturday!"
Opening (2-3 sentences):
- Thank them for coming
- Reference specific event details
- Warm and genuine tone
- NOT: Generic form letter feel
Personalization Section (if possible):
- Reference any conversation you had
- Mention specific prayer requests they shared
- Acknowledge what brought them to event
- Make it clear this isn't mass email
Event Recap (1 paragraph):
- Briefly share impact of event
- Number of people served
- Community response
- Celebrate what God did
- Include 1-2 photos if possible
Next Steps (Choose based on their interest level):
For High Interest (Asked about church/faith):
- Personal invitation to Sunday service
- Offer to meet them, sit with them
- Describe what to expect
- Connection to pastor or small group
- No pressure, just genuine invitation
For Medium Interest (Friendly but not spiritual conversation):
- Mention church but don't push
- Focus on community relationship
- Invite to next service event
- Offer ongoing help if they need it
- Keep door open
For Low Interest (Just came for service/free stuff):
- Thank them for letting you serve
- Info about next community event
- Let them know you're in neighborhood
- Very low pressure
- Focus on building trust over time
Closing:
- Warm sign-off
- Contact info for questions
- Permission to stay in touch
- Brief, genuine
3. Text Message Follow-Up:
For People Who Gave Phone Numbers:
- Keep it brief (2-3 sentences max)
- Reference event and meeting them
- Not pushy or sales-y
- Offer help if they need anything
- Option to opt out
Example Templates:
High Interest:
"Hi [Name]! This is [Your Name] from [Church]. It was great talking with you at [event] on Saturday. I'd love to grab coffee sometime if you're interested in hearing more about our church. No pressure at all - just let me know!"
Medium Interest:
"Hey [Name]! [Your Name] from [Church]. Thanks for coming out to [event]! Hope you and your family enjoyed it. We're doing [next event] on [date] if you're interested. Let me know if you need anything!"
Low Interest:
"Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from the [event] on Saturday. Just wanted to say thanks for letting us serve you! If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out. Hope you have a great week!"
4. Phone Call Follow-Up:
For Personal Connections or Prayer Requests:
Opening:
- Identify yourself and remind them where you met
- Reference your conversation
- Ask if this is a good time to talk
Main Conversation:
- Check on prayer request or need they mentioned
- Listen more than talk
- Offer practical help if applicable
- Gauge their openness to continued conversation
Church Invitation (if appropriate):
- Natural, not forced
- Only if they seemed interested
- Brief description of what to expect
- Offer to personally connect with them
Closing:
- Thank them for talking
- Remind them you're praying
- Leave door open for future contact
- Don't pressure for commitment
5. In-Person Follow-Up:
For Neighbors or Local Connections:
- Stop by with small gift (baked goods, coffee)
- Keep it brief unless invited to stay
- Reference event and express gratitude
- Offer continued friendship and help
- No church pressure unless they ask
- Build genuine neighborhood relationship
6. Social Media Engagement:
For Those Who Followed/Interacted:
- Like and comment on their posts (genuinely)
- Share event photos and tag appropriately
- Create event recap post
- Respond to comments and DMs promptly
- Keep church social media community-focused
- Not constant "come to our church" posts
7. Mail Follow-Up:
For Larger Events or Formal Touch:
- Handwritten thank you note (most impactful)
- Church postcard with event recap
- Information about church and services
- Calendar of upcoming community events
- Personal note from pastor
- Include website and contact info
8. Follow-Up for Specific Situations:
A. They Asked Spiritual Questions:
- Respond thoughtfully to their specific question
- Offer to continue conversation over coffee
- Provide helpful resource (book, article, podcast)
- Connect them with pastor if desired
- Create pathway for discipleship
B. They Requested Prayer:
- Actually pray for them (faithfully)
- Check back in on their request
- Show genuine care
- Offer ongoing prayer support
- Connect to prayer ministry if ongoing need
C. They Expressed Practical Need:
- Follow through on any help you offered
- Connect them to resources (benevolence, food bank, etc.)
- Don't make it conditional on church attendance
- Show love through action
- Build trust through reliability
D. They Were Just Friendly Neighbors:
- Focus on building friendship
- Look for ways to serve
- Be present in neighborhood
- Invite to future community events
- Long-term relationship building
9. Creating Follow-Up Systems:
A. Track Contacts:
- Simple spreadsheet or CRM
- Note: Name, contact, interest level, next step
- Assign follow-up responsibility
- Set reminders for check-ins
- Track outcomes over time
B. Segmentation:
- High interest (immediate personal follow-up)
- Medium interest (email + event invitations)
- Low interest (occasional community events)
- Categorize by need, not just interest
C. Long-Term Nurture:
- Quarterly event invitations
- Holiday greetings
- Service opportunities
- Community information
- Stay in relationship
10. What NOT to Do:
- Don't disappear after event (build on momentum)
- Don't blast everyone with same message
- Don't make it about church recruitment
- Don't be pushy or manipulative
- Don't forget people who seemed "low interest"
- Don't give up after one contact attempt
- Don't treat them as evangelism project
- Don't move too fast or assume too much
- Don't promise help you won't follow through on
- Don't make faith conversations feel forced
Important Principles:
- Follow up is about continuing relationship, not closing sale
- Different people need different approaches
- Listen to what they told you at event
- Respect boundaries and comfort levels
- Be genuine, not calculating
- Play long game (months/years of relationship)
- Focus on serving, not recruiting
- Trust Holy Spirit's work and timing
- Consistency matters more than intensity
- Your presence in community speaks volumes
Success Metrics:
- Relationships deepened (not just attendance)
- Trust built in community
- Ongoing conversations happening
- People feeling genuinely cared for
- Natural gospel conversations emerging
- Long-term community connections
- Reputation as caring, helpful neighbors
Tone: Warm and relational, natural not scripted, servant-hearted not sales-focused, patient not pushy, genuine not manipulative. Make people feel cared for, not pursued. Build authentic relationships that create space for gospel conversations over time. Remember that follow-up is about loving people, not growing church numbers.