5 Reasons Why Churches Plateau

1. They Settle for Mediocrity
I read a story this week about Ray Charles, the entertainer, who in 1946 learned that Lucky Millinder's band was coming to town.  Ray was super excited when he was able to get an audition with the band.  At his audition he did what Ray Charles does. He played the piano and he sang. Because Ray is blind he wasn't able to see the expressions on Lucky's face during his audition.  He had to wait until it was over for Lucky to speak.  When it was over the band leader said, "Ain't good enough, kid."  Ray left in tears. Looking back on that moment Ray Charles recalled, "After I got over feeling sorry for myself, I went back and started practicing so nobody would ever say that to me again."  Ray didn't settle for mediocrity.  He was driven to excel.

When I walk into a church I can tell if they have settled for mediocrity within minutes. If the paint on the walls is peeling, if the nursery has old toys, if the technology doesn't work well, if the preaching is so-so, if there are spelling errors on printed materials they've settled for mediocrity.  To breaththrough you need to raise the bar and start expecting excellence. The way you do this is by leading with and modeling excellence.  People will follow their leader's example.

2. They are Preference-Driven Instead of Purpose-Driven
Instead of making decisions based on the purpose of the mission they make decisions based on the preference of the membership.  Churches plateau because they start to operate as clubs where people get what they want rather than doing what God wills.  Gil Rendle raised an important question at my DS training.  He asked, "Who is your client?"  Stop for a moment and answer that question.  As a pastor, as a leader in the church, who is your client?  Many of us would say the people who are members but that is the wrong answer.  The correct answer is the mission.  Churches exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Mission trumps my needs, my desires, my wants every time. To breakthrough you need to focus on the purpose of the mission not the preferences of the people.

3. They are Inward Focused
When a church is preference-driven it is almost always inward-focused. Churches plateau when they stop looking like the community around them, when they no longer move out beyond the walls of the church, when budgets reflect no outreach, and when the preference is to care for us inside rather than reach those outside. I'm not saying the people inside are not important.  They are!  Healthy growing churches have found balance in caring for their members while still reaching beyond themselves into their community.  There is, however, a gravitational pull toward being inward focused which means an intentional plan needs to be created to shift the culture toward outward focus.  To breakthrough you need to start changing the culture so that it becomes outward focused.

4. They Fail to Innovate
The world is changing yet the church, in many ways, looks the same today as it did when I was kid 50 years ago.  Churches in plateau are stuck in the past.  They haven't managed to step into a new era because they think that what worked then will still work today.   William Pollard wrote, "Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow." Churches need to become incubators of innovation.  We need to start taking risks to try new things to reach new people, stepping outside our comfort zones, experimenting with different ways of doing ministry, and yes, failing.  It's okay to fail as long as you learn from your failure and apply what you learn to your next step in innovation.  We need to imagine new ways of being the church and doing ministry so that we can again become relevant and credible in an ever-changing world.  To breakthrough you need to start something new, adapt something that is, and then repeat.

5. They Stop Inviting
Churches plateau because they stop inviting people.  Here's a scary statistic from Thom Rainer: Only 2% of church going people ever invite someone to church in a given year.  Seven out of ten unchurched people have never been invited to church in their whole lives.  Churches plateau because they stop inviting people.  We need to become invitational opportunists. That is, we need to seize every opportunity to invite someone to church so that they might know the love and grace of the Christ, connect with other Christians, and begin a journey of inner transformation that leads to changing the world. To breakthrough you need to lead the charge in inspiring and encouraging and expecting people to invite others to your church.

Today I want to invite you to look at your church. Are you plateauing?  Do you see your church reflected in these 5 reasons why churches plateau?  If so, begin the work of changing the culture by expecting excellence, focusing on the purpose of the mission, shifting toward an outward focus, becoming an incubator of innovation, and invitational opportunists.  Doing so will get you off the plateau and moving upward again.

The Power of Like

The Power of Like

Social media reveals an interesting characteristic about us humans - we like to be liked.  Mark Zuckerberg and the good people of Facebook created the little “like” icon to be used to express immediate and positive feedback regarding a post.  I use it all the time when viewing the posts of my friends.  If I like a picture, a post, a video, or a comment I use my mouse to hover the cursor over the “like” button and then click.  The person who made the post now has immediate and positive feedback that, I think, what they posted was swell (the word Facebook would have used, instead of “like”, if it was around in the 1950’s!)

If you don’t mind, I want to climb into the confessional booth and open my soul to you.  What I share is something, I think, I hope, that you also experience.  So, I post a bit on Facebook.  Hey, don’t we all?  I’ll post a picture, maybe a video, sometimes it is just a few words, but then…here comes my confession, I check back to see how many people have liked what I posted.  Please, tell me you do the same!  I’m convinced I am not alone.  Most of us do this and it reveals something about our nature.  We want to be liked.  We are relational beings.  Social by design.  This is how God wired us.  Part of our social nature is that we want, even desire, people to like us.  Though I don’t know this to be true, I suspect that the less we are liked in the “real world” the more we yearn to be liked in the “virtual world”.  Perhaps the reason Second Life (Google it) is so big is because people who feel un-liked experience what it means to actually be liked.  When people talk to you, even seek you out, it gives you the same feeling as when someone “likes” your post on Facebook.

So let’s cut to the chase (BTW that’s an old Hollywood movie term that meant let’s get to the good stuff – as in, the chase).  If, inherent in our created nature, is this yearning to be liked, affirmed, accepted, appreciated, or wanted, why don’t we first give this to others?  I know, the obvious answer is we’re just needy, selfish people.  In college I remember learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Our survival, our own needs, come first before we can be altruistic.  Enter Jesus.  (See how I brought in another movie phrase?  You can like this later. )  Jesus had this way of turning the world upside down.  Jesus taught that what we give is what we get, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6:38.  Pause here.  The principle at work, from my interpretation, is that what we give, we get back.  Want to be liked?  Start liking others. Period.  End of   sentence. 

All of us want to be liked.  I am a pretty confident guy but I look to see how many people like a post or a comment.  Maybe I am not as confident as I think.  Here’s the chase.  Let's just do what we can to “like” people.  Appreciate the checker at Wal-Mart.  Thank your partner for what they do.  Give a thumbs up to your kids.    Give a kudos to the wait staff.  Accept the person who is different. Tell the person who works for you how grateful you are she/he is with you. Appreciate people.  Affirm people.  Like people and you will see returns.  In business terminology this is your ROI.  Look for what people do well and let them know that. You will get back more than you pour into them.  Pour into your partner.  Pour into your kids.  Pour into your friends. Pour into the people you work with or who work for you. Pour into your congregants.  Pour into people who you don’t know because it just might be that they need to be “liked”.  In doing so, God will pour into you and more and more people will like you.   What you give really is what you get, whether you like it or not.

6 Tips for Pastors for Handling Criticism

I visited recently with a pastor who got one of those "anonymous letters" that criticized both the pastor and family.  The letter was brutal.  You already know that people who write anonymous letters are cowards who pretend like they represent "many" others with the same concerns.  I been the recipient of those letters more than once.  It's easy to let their words sink deep into our soul and stain our spirit.  In the course of many years in ministry I've had personal threats against me and my family, I've been called the spawn of Satan, and I've listened as people criticized my preaching, my leadership ability, my bad habits, my wife not being "more active" in the church, and the list goes on.  So here are some tips I pass on that may help you deal with criticism when it falls on your doorstep.

1. Expect it.  Jesus said, "I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves." Matthew 10:16.  There are lots of great people in the world and there are few that can be pretty mean-spirited.  When you're in ministry you can expect that someone isn't going to like what you are doing or where you are leading.  You can count on it.  Some people will offer constructive criticism that is meant to build you up while others will find every bad thing about you and let you and everyone else know because they want to tear you down.  One way to deal with criticism is to expect it and be prepared to deal with it.  Here's how:

2. Respond but don't react.  When you react you tend to let the emotions out without much care for the other and you can say things and do things you'll later regret. In fact, reacting often adds fuel to the fire. When you respond you're listening while remaining a non-anxious presence.  You bring professionalism and calmness to an anxious moment.  Personally, this is the hard one for me.  I tend to be bold and unfiltered and that has gotten me in trouble a few times. More than once I've reacted and yelled back which just complicated the matter and undermined my pastoral integrity.  1 Peter 3:9 offers words of instruction when we've been criticized, "Don't repay evil for evil. Don't snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God's help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it."

3. Embrace the good.  Ditch the Bad.  There are times when people offer words of criticism that actually ring true in our ears.  When criticized take time to reflect for the truth within it.  I remember being taken out for coffee by two gentlemen in one of my early churches who were the pillars of the church.  Being asked to have coffee with them meant, to me, that I had made it into their good graces.  Over coffee they told me that my sermon had good content but my delivery sucked.  They told me I had a year to fix it or I would no longer be their pastor.  I listened to their words and found truth there.  I set forth a plan that moved me from the pulpit to the floor, from notes to no notes, and my preaching soared.  I am a better preacher because these two people had the courage to talk with me and I had the ability to embrace what they said.  Other times, I've had people just say mean things, critical things, clearly with the attempt not to make me better but make me bitter.  It's hard not take things personally but I've learned in this gig we need thick skin because not every criticism is constructive.  A lot of criticism just has no truth in it, rather it's because someone doesn't like what's happening or isn't getting their way.  When you sense truth it  - embrace it.  When you sense there is no truth - ditch it.

4. Hold firm to your vision.  As Pastor of a church you are the visionary leader.  You've been appointed to listen to God, the people, the context and then plot a path forward.  I don't need to tell you that when you change things you create conflict.  Some people will feel threatened, some won't agree with you that what you are doing is from God, some will fight you tooth and nail.  They want you to quit.  They criticize, they nit-pick, they fault-find, they send anonymous letters, they will stir up the crowd, as did the Pharisees when Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, because they want you to throw in the towel. They want you to give up.  Instead of moving toward the promised land they want you to take them back to Egypt.  Listen, if God has given you a vision and that vision has been affirmed by many in the congregation don't let the preferences of a few derail you from accomplishing God's purposes for your church.  Hold firm to the path.  Stay committed to the journey.  It will be hard.  It will challenging.  There will be days when you want to give up - don't.  Hold firm to the vision.

5. Let critical people leave. (Sometimes invite them too.) Many of us, a pastors, don't like it when people are unhappy.  We're people pleasers.  We want people to stay and feel good.  Obviously, we need to talk to disgruntled and critical people to hear them, to understand their concerns and to share why we, as pastors, are leading down a particular path.  If they can't jump on board with the vision you've articulated and the congregation has affirmed then it's okay for them to leave.  They will be happier elsewhere and so will you. Never take this step lightly.  Pray about it.  Read Matthew 18.  Reflect on this scripture, on the situation, and on your motives. Talk with your leadership about it. Sometimes people need to be invited to leave because their presence is an obstacle to forward movement and because they will be happier elsewhere.

6. Turn to your trusted colleagues and leadership.  The scripture reminds us to offer encouragement to each other but there are times when we need to let others speak into us. We need to hear their affirmations of our ministry.  We need to be reminded that we're leading people through the wilderness and it's normal for them to want to go back to the familiar.  We need to hear that God is with us even when it seems the wolves are circling around us. And it's true, our friends will help us to see if there is truth in the criticism and help us to grow and change so that we can more effectively lead God's people.

Criticism in our vocation is going to happen but it doesn't have to cripple your spirit.  You can rise above it.  May God's Spirit strengthen you for the rewarding and difficult journey of serving God's people.

Motivating and Retaining Servants in Ministry

I try to give back, you know, serve wherever I live.  I believe it's part of my calling as a Christian. It's also a great way to get to know people and make a difference in the community. People serve in the church for the same reasons. They feel a sense of calling to serve within the church as well as viewing serving as a way to meet people and make a difference.  Churches, like every other non-profit organization depend on volunteers or a more theological word, servants, to fulfill their mission.  And like many other organizations, churches often struggle with finding and keeping volunteers.  Today I want to share with you 5 tips for motivating and retaining people who step forward to serve.

1. Match People's Gifts to Where They Serve.  Too many churches are looking for a warm body to fill an opening on a committee rather than helping people discern where God is calling them to serve. Healthy churches offer discernment classes where people can discover where God wants them to serve.  These classes identify spiritual gifts, passions, skills, experience, and personality and then match them in areas where they are wired to serve.  If you want your servants to feel frustrated and to fail at ministry just assign them anywhere and watch what happens.  The introvert as a greeter will shy away from people feeling uncomfortable in that setting.  A person who doesn't like kids and is placed in the classroom is going to be a wreck, and so will the classroom!  It's important to match the way people have been wired by God to where they serve.

Here are some inventories you might tweak and use to match people in your setting to areas of ministry:

SHAPE   http://www.destinumc.org/uploads/SHAPE_Inventory.pdf

SERVING FROM THE HEART https://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=975917

2. Give Clear Expectations.  For people to succeed and feel like they are making a difference they need clear expectations.  Give job descriptions to every one who serves. Help them to understand what's expected of them in terms of time and responsibilities.  If someone serves on a tech team make sure they know they are to be there 30 minutes early, turn on the projectors, power up the computer, spell check the words, flip the screens, shut off the projectors, power down the computers, and give their very best.  Let them know you need their undivided attention so no using cell phones while leading worship.  If you don't tell them what's expected and they don't do what you had expected you'll get angry and take it out on them and they'll just quit.  And if you change the amount of time or the responsibilities of a ministry you need to communicate that change to them and ask if they are still able to serve given the changes.  Don't assume.

3. Train Them.  This goes hand in hand with clear expectations.  Healthy and vibrant churches train people to serve.  Yes, this takes time but it equips them to be successful.  Every person who serves should have a mentor who walks them through how to do what they have volunteered to do.  Rather than just dump a person into a position and let them flounder trying to figure it out causing all sorts of unnecessary mistakes and feeling like a failure invest in training them up front.  Put a teacher with a teacher for a few weeks.  Put an usher with an usher for a few weeks.  Gather up all your new greeters and teach them how to greet.   Leaders fail when we we fail to train others for success.

4. Don't Micro-Manage. After you have laid out clear expectations and trained them unleash them for ministry!  Trust them to do the ministry well because, if you did your job right, they have been matched for the ministry, know what's expected, and have been trained.  Let them go.  Let them dream new and better ways to do it.  Give them permission to fail if they try something big and bold to grow their area of ministry.  No one likes to have someone looking over their shoulder and constantly telling them to do this and do that.  Get out of the way and let them serve!

5. Appreciate and Recognize Your Servants.  Don't take them for granted.  Pat them on the back when they do well.  Affirm their service.  Here's a great practice to get into...send out at least 5 thank you letters to people who serve each week.  Hand write a note card to someone who is serving to thank them for their service.  Be specific about what you appreciate in them and help them to see how they are making a difference.  If someone is super-excelling lift them up in front of others.  This is called "Hero-Making".  When you recognize people publicly others are reminded of the expectation on them and they will often raise the bar.  When they do...recognize them.  This is so simple to do yet we neglect to do it.  Great leaders will affirm people who are doing well so that they feel appreciated.

It all comes down to one word, "respect".  We need to respect the people God has raised up and placed among us for ministry.  We respect them when we match how God wired them to the place they serve, when we are clear about what is expected, when we take time to train them, when we unleash them for ministry rather than micro-manage them, and when we affirm them so that they feel appreciated and know they are making a difference.  When we respect the people who serve or volunteer they're far more likely to keep serving and invite others to join them in serving.

Together in Ministry,

Kevin

4 Tips for Excellence in Ministry

If you had to have brain surgery would you seek out the doctor who is known for being the best or would you be satisfied with a surgeon who was just mediocre?  I think we would choose excellence over mediocrity every time. I may not be the smartest guy but if someone is going to be operating on what little mind I have, I want it to be the best!  When it comes to being a pastor, just like doctors, there are some who just go through the motions and there are others who are driven to excel. Part of Wesleyan theology speaks of "going onto perfection" - what I hear there is striving for excellence. So here are 4 tips for striving for excellence in ministry.

1. Focus on doing less so that you can do more well.  There are a lot of things people expect from a pastor and, quite frankly, if you look at all the stuff we're supposed to do it seems pretty overwhelming: Hospital visits, home visits, counseling, Bible studies, youth groups, meetings, worship planning, preaching, conflict management, strategic planning, custodial responsibilities, and on and on.  We can't possibly do it all and do it well.  So play to your strengths. Delegate to others what you don't do well (this is a great opportunity to invest in and train up the laity).  Great leaders don't do everything.  Rather, they surround themselves with a team of people who can do what they can't do and what they can do even better.  What can you let go of so that you can do a few things even better?  Can someone with a gift for teaching lead confirmation?  Can a team of people do hospital and home visits?  Can you eliminate some meetings that aren't necessary?  You're probably not going to be able to let go of a few things like preaching and visioning.  So if they aren't your strengths your going to have to work to get better.  That leads to number 2.

2. Be a life-long learner.  Don't be satisfied with being mediocre.  Pursue opportunities to improve. Play to your strengths again.  What is it that you do well and keep evaluating how you can do it better.  If something is in your wheelhouse that you can't let go off and it's not your strength then work at turning it into one.  You can learn to be a better preacher.  You can learn to be a better vision caster.  Read books, go to seminars, listen to podcasts, ask for advice but don't just sit there.  Keep asking the question, "How can I do this better?  How can I improve?"

3. Offer your best all the time.  Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people."  God deserves our very best.   Here's the question I invite you to ask about every aspect of your ministry;  "What would this look like if I did this with excellence?"  How would your preaching be different if every time you preached you did it with excellence?  How would worship be different if you did it with excellence every time?   How would your web page look if it was done with excellence?  How would your ministry be different if you expected excellence from others?  God deserves our very best.  The people who come to the church on a Sunday, whether they are churched our unchurched, deserve our very best.  How can you offer your best all the time?

4. Live in God's grace.  Remember you're not perfect but that God loves you even when you mess up.  It happens.  We may want to give our best but sometimes the worst happens.  That's life.  Don't beat yourself up when you fail.  Don't let your mistakes get in the way of becoming a better you. Remind yourself that no one is perfect, that you are loved by God, you are a child of the Most High God, and then get up and keep moving forward. Your best days aren't behind you - they are in front of you!

Together in Ministry,

Kevin

6 Tips for Turning First Time Guests into Regular Attendees

Every first time guest that walks through the doors of your church matters to God.  I'm of the opinion that somehow, someway, God brought them through those doors to your church and now it's up to you to help them stick.  It's a stewardship issue.  God sends us people and we have to faithfully and effectively follow up with them so that they become part of the Body of Christ.  Research shows that most churches are keeping 1 out of 20 first time guests.  That means 1 out of 20 people come back a second time.  My retention goal has always being much higher than that.  I aim for 50% of people to come back a second time and between 10-20% to become regular attenders.  So let's talk about how to keep the people God sends your way.
 
Turning first time guests into regular attenders involves everything from hospitality to excellence in preaching.  It's the whole experience that matters.  It starts with outreach in the community and then hospitality from the street to the seat, and then a strong follow up plan.  So here's some tips on getting guest information and doing follow-up.

1.  Never make guests stand in worship and identify themselves.  Never.  Guests don't want attention drawn to themselves.  Making them stand is a sure fire way to insure they won't come back,

2. Use an Information Card to get their info.  Get rid of those United Methodist Ritual of Friendship pads that you pass through the pews.  There isn't even enough room to write one's name on it!  Create a professional looking Information Card that is placed in the bulletin with extras in the chair/pew pockets.  Make it simple.  Simple is better.  People today are cautious about giving out their contact information because they're not sure how it will get used. They are afraid if they leave an email you will send them daily emails.  If they leave their phone number they are afraid you will hound them.  If they give you everything, who is to stay you won't sell it to a vendor?

Here's what you need on the card:  Name, Email, Phone.  Done.  No more.  No boxes to check about baptism, membership, change of address, commitments, etc.  Keep it simple.  Make sure there is enough room on the card to write in each item.

3.  Create a time to fill out the card and ask everyone to do it.  Often times we ask for the data but don't give people time to fill it out.  Take a minute and ask everyone to pull out their card and complete it.  As they complete it talk about what to do with it.  Will they place it in the offering or put in a box when they leave?

4. Give a gift to first time guests.  You don't need to ask them to check a box that says "first time guest" because when you input the data into the computer you will see they aren't in the computer yet making this their first time!  What you can do though is thank them for coming.  You can say, "If this is your first time here we are so honored and thankful that you are here.  After worship when you leave if you hand me your info card or give it to the person at the Info center we'll give you one of these nice coffee mugs!"  Hold up a mug to show everyone.  At the info center or where you stand to shake hands have cups available with a professional brochure about the church, your business card, some candy, a pen,  movie tickets, etc. in the cup.  When you get a first time guest card, give a cup.

5. Enter and track attendance.  The data you get doesn't mean anything unless you track it.  If a person is a first time guest, follow-up.  If a second time guest, follow up.  If a third time guest, follow-up.  If a regular attender has missed worship for a few weeks, follow-up.  You can also use this data to track your retention rate.  If you get a lot of people checking you out but they don't come back a second time what does that teach you?  Is the hospitality not working?  Is the service dead?  Is the preaching boring? Is the nursery unsafe?  Is the music not top notch?  What needs to change?

6. Follow-Up!  For first time guests send an email thanking them for coming to worship.  Do this within 36 hours.  In the email you can ask them if they want more information about the church and if so, could they please share their address. You can even place a link in the email to your website where they can leave information such as:  What did you notice first?  What did you like the best? What was your overall impression? Would you like more information about our church?  How can we pray for you?  If they ask for more information, send it promptly.  There's a bit of debate on whether you should call them.  It's up to you.  If you call, do it on Thursday because you can invite them back on Sunday.  Call them on the phone and say, "I'm Pastor ...... from ....Church and I just want to thank you for coming to worship last Sunday.  It was a huge honor to have you here.  I simply want see if you have an questions or comments about your experience here....Again thanks for coming and I hope to see you Sunday."  Phone calls may work in smaller churches where people are looking for more personal contact.

For second time guests, send another email thanking them for attending.  Since they came back a second time they are probably interested in you.  If you don't have their address ask in the email if you can send them some information about the church - ask for their address.  You can even provide a link to the webpage where you can learn more about them by asking questions like what influenced you to return?  Would you invite a friend?  Would you like more information about small groups, service opportunities, children ministries, etc?  Be prompt in sending out information they request.

For third time guests, send an email and invite them to a "coffee with the pastor".  In smaller churches you may actually meet them for coffee or lunch.  At this time explain how to get connected. If people don't connect to the church in a meaningful way through small groups and service the likelihood that they will stop coming increases.  The goal is that each follow up drives them to get more connected to the church.

Every new person that walks through your doors is a potential member of the Body of Christ - your church.  What are you doing to help turn first time guests into regular attendees?

Together in Ministry,

Kevin

If you are looking for more information on turning first time guests into regular attenders read Retention 101: A Practical Guide for Keeping More People, by Brian Davis; and Fusion:Turning First Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church,by Nelson Searcy.

Creating a Culture of Hospitality

Imagine walking into your church for the first time. You wonder, "Will the people accept people? Will they be friendly?  Will I know what to do? Will I fit in?"  As you arrive in the parking lot you see multiple entrances to the building.  "Which do I use?" you wonder to yourself.  Once inside you have a child who needs to go to the bathroom but you don't know where it is.  You look around with a perplexed "I'm new here" face but no one engages you.  After searching the building and finding a restroom you find your way to worship where you sit and watch others mingle but no one approaches you.  Would you go back?

Hospitality is critical to producing return guests.  Research shows the a guest will decide within the first 7 minutes of contact with your church whehter or not they will return.  So, let's talk about some tips for improving hospitality to keep them coming back a second time..

1. Consider hiring a mystery worshipper.  This a person who, preferably, has no church experience. Pay them to come to your church and evaluate finding the location, signage, friendliness, cleanliness of restroom and nursery, Following along in the service (was it all insider language?), etc. Then have them write a report on their experience and share it with your leadership team.

2. Grow your Greeter Ministry.  Consider parking lot greeters to welcome people and direct to the front door.  Have greeters at all entrances and train them to smile and welcome everyone.  Have "intentional rovers".  These are people inside the church that are looking for guests who look confused or simply to introduce themselves to guests.

3. Make sure your web page is for "outsiders".  Make worship times easy to find on the front page and make sure they are updated to reflect current worship times!  Give directions to your church. Make sermons available online so people can hear before they arrive.  Share information about Sunday School, how to dress, small groups, childcare, etc.

4. Create an information desk.  In your lobby area set up a nice info desk area with pamphlets and brochures of events and activities of your church.  Post a person there to answer questions.

5. Pastors, go out of your way to meet and greet new faces remembering their names so that next time they return you can call them by name.

6. Introduce yourself from the front.  Not everyone knows who you are so introduce yourself each Sunday.  "Hi, my name ......., and I'm the lead pastor at ......."

7. Welcome guests  each Sunday from the front.   After introducing yourself thank people who are there for the first time.  "If you are new among us today, thank you for choosing to worship with us. We are honored you are here." NEVER make new people stand or introduce themselves!

8.  Have excellent visible  signage.  Make sure nice looking signs point the direction to classrooms, the sanctuary, restrooms, and especially the nursery.

9. Teach your congregation to greet people.  Literally, from the pulpit, tell them how important it is to guests to feel wanted and a sense of belonging when they come to a church.  Then encourage them to step out of their comfort zone for the sake of the kingdom..  Here are some tips:

"The Hand-off"  - when a new family or person is met don't just goodbye.  Hand them off to someone who is similar to their age and family situation.

"The Table Invite" - Teach your congregation to invite to their fellowship table anyone who is sitting alone.

"The Outsider First" - Make it a habit to look for new people before talking to your friends before church, during fellowship, and after worship.  Then you can bring them to your friends and enlarge your circle of friends.   You still get to talk to your friends but you are seeking the outside first.

Click here for  a link to a Hospitality Audit and Mystery Guest Audit Worksheet.

So what other ideas  do you have to share that can get our churches more welcoming so that they produce follow up visits and eventually a permanent bond?