50 Ways to Welcome New People
Recognize
Hospitality as a Ministry
1.
Teach
that hospitality is at the core of the Gospel.
2.
Teach
your congregation that God seeks to be in relationship with ALL persons.
Make a Good
First Impression
3.
Convey
a clear invitation and a statement of welcome in all communications directed at
the external community -- advertisements, banners, flyers, website, etc.
4.
Know
that 40% of visitors make up their mind about a church before they even see the
pastor, according to Barna Research. Within two minutes of the beginning of a
service visitors have formed an opinion about whether the congregation is
friendly.
5.
Care
for your building and grounds as a way of honoring your attendees and honoring
God. A well-cared-for building demonstrates a commitment to excellence and
communicates that what the church does is important.
6.
Have
clear exterior and interior signs that guides a visitor everywhere he or she
needs to go.
7.
Reserve
special parking places for visitors. Encourage church members and staff to park
offsite or in more remote spaces. If parking lot congestion is an issue,
recruit volunteer parking attendants.
8.
Make
your nursery clean, safe, sanitary, well-equipped, and visually appealing to
children and their parents. Use a space that is easy to find and convenient to
the sanctuary. Make sure your nursery workers and procedures inspire confidence
on the part of parents.
9.
Make
sure your restrooms and neat and clean.
Be Intentional
about Saying Hello and Good Bye
10.
Station
greeters at all entrances, in classroom areas, and in the parking lot or entry
walks, if appropriate.
11.
Identify
your greeters and ushers with a special badge or name tag so visitors who need
information can easily identify them.
12.
Encourage
friendly, out-going persons with the gift of “hospitality” to serve as greeters
and ushers. Don’t expect that just anyone can do these jobs well. Provide
regular training that helps them see the church through a visitor’s eyes.
13.
Escort
newcomers to the nursery, classrooms, coffee hour, etc. Don’t just point the
way or give directions.
14.
Adopt
the “rule of three,” which says members will not talk to other members in the
first three minutes following the service – typically how long it takes guests
to exit.
15.
Enact
the “circle of ten” rule – that each member will greet anyone, member or guest,
who comes within ten feet of them.
16.
Say,
“I don’t think we’ve met before …” if you are not sure if the person next to
you is a member or a visitor.
17.
Ask
outgoing church members to sit in the pews where visitors most commonly sit,
often near the entrance or in the back.
18.
Post
someone at every exit to shake hands and thank people for coming. Ask worship
participants (teachers, pastors, music leaders, etc.,) to do this since their
faces will be familiar.
Help Newcomers Feel
at Home in Worship
19.
Accept
casual attire.
20.
Do
not ask visitors to stand and identify themselves. Seventy percent of new
attendees feel negatively about being recognized. However, they do expect
people to be friendly and welcoming.
21.
Provide
nametags for the whole congregation and develop the habit of wearing them. Form
a “tag team” to organize and promote name tag use.
22.
Review
your church bulletin and other printed material to make sure information is not
“insider oriented.” Avoid church jargon and assuming that people understand the
context.
23.
Make
sure your order of worship is easy for a visitor to follow. Include written or
verbal explanations of what is going on and why.
24.
Sing
at least one hymn each Sunday that is well known outside the church, such as
“Amazing Grace,” “Power In The Blood,” or “Victory In Jesus.”
25.
Include
a welcome to visitors in the open words before the service. Make sure the
person speaking identifies him or herself. It is best for the pastor to issue
this welcome.
26.
Remember
that visitors sometimes arrive a few minutes late. Don’t front load all the
information directed at them.
27.
Place
information about your church’s ministries where a visitor can easily find it –
preferably in the pew, or a clearly marked location near the entry points used
by visitors. Don’t expect them to go someplace else to find it.
28.
Prepare
Visitors Packets to be handed out by greeters with information about your
church programs.
29.
Give
visitors with small children a small activity packet (with crayons, pipe
cleaners, stickers, etc.) as they enter worship.
30.
Avoid
all talk about money with visitors.
31.
Keep
the discussion of “family business” to a minimum in the services. Limit
announcements.
Follow up with
your Visitors
32.
Get
the names and addresses of first-time visitors. Visitors don’t want to be
singled out.
33.
Make
a special effort to remember visitors’ names and call them by name.
34.
Make
at least one follow-up contact with first-time visitors within 24 to 36 hours
of their visit – a letter from the pastor, a phone call, a hand-written note,
an email message. Many churches deliver a gift, such as freshly baked cookies
or a church coffee mug, to visitors’ homes. The purpose is to communicate
friendliness, not get a membership commitment.
35.
Develop
a system or data base for keeping track of visitors, their contact information,
and the frequency of visits. A mailing list of persons who have visited in the
past is one of your best marketing tools.
36.
Don’t
overlook visitors who come to the church for the first time for an event other than
worship.
37.
Once
someone has attended three times, they should be invited to join the church
with a pastoral visit and/or an invitation to take part in an inquirers or new
member class.
38.
Encourage
visitors to get connected with activities and groups, even if they are not
ready to join.
Be More Inviting
39.
Hold
an Open House Sunday at least once a year.
40.
Organize
a “bring-a-friend” Sunday at least once a year.
41.
Extend
extra hospitality during back-to-school time, Christmas and Easter, when
persons are most likely to consider visiting a church.
42.
Start
a personal invitation ministry. Three out of four people attend a church for
the first time because they were invited. Yet less than half of church members
say they have invited someone in the last year.
43.
Provide
training to members on how to invite others to church.
44.
Print
special invitations to Christmas Eve services that people can deliver to
friends.
45.
Plan
special events – concerts, lectures, etc. -- that appeal to those outside the
church and that members feel comfortable inviting someone to.
46.
Have
special recognition Sundays for scout groups, preschool families, or other
community groups meeting in your church to encourage them to attend worship.
Become More
Aware of Visitors and their Concerns
47.
Gather
feedback on how visitors respond to your church through surveys, focus groups,
or interviews.
48.
Conduct
a “welcome audit” annually.
49.
Provide
training on welcoming at least once a year.
50.
Send
your welcome team to visit other churches and report back on how they
experienced their reception.
