Have you been in your church for so long that you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a visitor to it? Do you want to your congregation through the new eyes of a guest? How do we express genuine interest without missing out on the work our Heavenly Father needs us to do? The average church service has two kinds of guests: the churched and the unchurched.
The churched knows what the gathering will be like. The unchurched has gotten their ideas from rumors, TV shows, and negative word-of-mouth. How we engage guests can determine whether they will return to our house of worship. Will guests judge us as being genuinely interested in them?
Your church would never post a sign telling guests they weren’t welcome. Could your church unknowingly be giving visitors the impression that they aren’t wanted? Here are five things to do if you don’t want visitors to return to your church:
1.
Be pushy and
pressure them While you should provide visitors
with information on how they can connect and get involved with your church, don’t
force them to sign up for a small group, the church picnic, and 15 ministries
on their first visit. They shouldn’t feel like they’re signing their lives
away, and you don’t want them to say “yes” out of guilt or obligation. But you
can help them with the next steps if they’re interested. Offer more information
about the church and its ministries. Answer questions. Let them know the best
way to get involved.
Determine the next step you’d like them to take attend a
visitor’s luncheon or informational meeting and give them an easy way to sign
up. One of the biggest complaints of the unchurched is that they believe
churches only want their money. While you’re actually passing around the
offering plate for your members to conveniently give, some visitors feel
uncomfortable letting it pass by without dropping in a donation. Consider
nixing the traditional offering in favor of giving kiosks, online
giving, or an offering drop in the foyer.
2.
Forget about
them I once visited a church and filled
out a form requesting more information and provided all my contact details. I
never heard back from them. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t want
to go back. Don’t make this same mistake. Show people that you have a genuine
interest in them and help them learn more about your ministry. Don’t wait too
long. Nearly 90% of church visitors will return if someone follows up with them that same day.
That number drops to 60% if you wait 24 hours to make contact.
All of this follow up doesn’t need to be made by the pastor.
Depending on the size of your church, delegate follow up to teams of volunteers
based on location, demographic, or special interests. If you’re going to follow
up in person, consider taking a small gift and be prepared to answer any
questions they may have.
3.
Keep them in
the “visitor zone” When people
keep coming back to your church, don’t be afraid to move the relationship
forward. They probably want to be more than just visitors. Let them out of the
visitor zone. Encourage them to check
in from the very first time they
visit—you’ll get their information for follow-up communication and help them
make attendance a habit. Show visitors that you do want them to attend
regularly.
Treat people like they’re more than just numbers. Form
relationships with them. Help them get connected to a small group where they
can grow and engage. If they find just five friends through
your church, they’ll be less likely to leave. Once they’ve decided to become a
part of your church community, don’t make it easy for them to just blend in.
Whether it’s attending a Sunday school class or serving in a
ministry, keep them accountable and don’t lower your expectations. Thom Rainer
has found that people generally don’t want to be active in a church that expects nothing of them. When people can just coast along unnoticed, that’s when
you’ll see a higher turnover.
4.
Make them feel
like outsiders Have you ever been to a party where
everyone is laughing about an inside joke, but no one bothers to fill you in?
Makes you feel pretty uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Don’t do the same thing to the
people visiting your church. Avoid using church talk in the bulletin or when
delivering the announcements. Explain the opportunities to get involved with a
small group.
5.
Neglect them If a visitor walks into a church of 75, everyone will likely
notice. But recognizing visitors in a church of 7,500 can be a challenge,
especially when you host multiple services. So create a welcoming atmosphere
from the time they walk in the door. A smiling face and kind word can make all
the difference. Make sure you have friendly greeters stationed at the
entrances, but don’t stop there. Encourage everyone in your church community to
reach out and introduce themselves to people they don’t know. Avoid questions
like,
“Is this your first time here?” that might insult a longtime
attendee. Opt for “I don’t think we’ve met yet” and a cordial introduction.
While we don’t like to compare church to a business, you really are trying to
make a great first impression to visitors in order to sell them on your
church. So think about a great customer service experience you’ve recently had—how did that coffee shop or bookstore
make you feel valued? How can you recreate that positive experience for your
visitors?
“We will never change the world
by going to church. We will only change the world by being the church.” (Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Ways to Keep Visitors from Coming Back To
Your Church “by Elexio
·
“6 Dos and Don’ts for Welcoming Church Guests” by Marty Duren
·
“7 Do’s and Don’ts of Welcoming Guests to
Your Congregation” by Melody Maxwell
No comments:
Post a Comment