Three ways to conduct an effective petition drive in your church

1. Place petitions on each seat/pew or in each church bulletin.

The most effective way to invite every member of your church to sign the petition, is to place a petition in each person’s hand. You can then build your sermon message or announcement around the importance of protecting marriage. One suggestion is to close your remarks with an explanation of how to complete the petition. Encourage your members to sign the petition and turn it in that morning at a designated location OR have the ushers collect the petitions in whatever way you feel most comfortable.

2. Have volunteers with clipboards in the lobby or parking lot of the church before and after the service.

Prepare a sufficient number of volunteers (3-4 volunteers for every 500 people in your church) who will invite church members to sign the petition before and after the service. Each volunteer should be equipped with at least three clips boards filled with petitions. During the service a sermon or an announcement can be made related to the issue of protecting marriage. Or you could utilize the announcement time by having a pastor encourage your congregation to fill out the petition form on the way from the church sanctuary to the lobby.

3. Provide a “Petition Signing” table in prominent traffic locations.

Allow volunteers to set up a table in the lobby or other prominent high traffic locations where church members can stop by and sign the petition. Several stacks of petitions can be laid out across a single folding table with several pens. During the service the pastor can deliver a sermon related to the issue of protecting marriage or encourage the congregation to participate during the announcements. Volunteers should be present at the table to assist people when filling out petitions.

Article reprinted from the Web site of Florida4Marriage.org. Used with permission.