New members come to churches in many ways, but the most common by far is visiting on a Sunday morning. If you want your church to grow, you need to think through every detail of receiving visitors on Sunday.
Here is a checklist to guide your planning:
Think through before worship on Sunday who will greet visitors
· Best greeter is the pastor. Leave the last-minute worship preparations to others. People remember churches where the pastor was out front greeting.
· Next best is a cadre of friendly ushers, who see their job as handshakes and smiles, not simply handing out a service bulletin.
· Both clergy and ushers should focus before-worship time on visitors, not on circling up with buddies. This might require teaching the congregation on why greeting visitors matters.
Welcome Card
· Pastor should hand each visitor a 3 x 5 welcome card that asks for his or her name, e-mail address, and city (to identify tourists).
· Other information, such as their reason for visiting, should come out in a personal conversation.
· The key is e-mail address. With that, you can do extensive follow-up communications.
· Visitor should place welcome card in offering plate.
After worship
· Visitors typically want to slip out unnoticed. I see little point in fighting that.
· Pastor should greet at door and make a point of thanking them for “being part of the worshiping community today.”
· Assign someone to collect welcome cards, look up telephone numbers, write on cards, and get cards to the pastor right away.
· Pastor should try to telephone every visitor that same afternoon. Simple message: glad you were here, would love to chat further with you. If visitor seems receptive, schedule a visit. If hesitant, say “Thanks” and “Hope to see you next week.”
· For the hesitant and for people not home, pastor should send a standard e-mail that afternoon, thanking them for being present and looking forward to seeing them again.
First week
· Welcome cards go to whoever maintains parish data. Enter name and e-mail address. Start building a data file on each visitor, including date of visit, did pastor make contact, outcome of contact.
· Add visitor to list for electronic newsletter. (See www.churchwellness.com for importance of switching to electronic communications.)
Incorporation Process
· Every congregation will handle this differently. Key is to have a process — classes, welcome dinners or lunches, handouts, new member celebrations — and to follow that process consistently with every visitor.
· The ideal process will respond to the needs and interests of visitors, rather than to the institution’s need to sell itself. How do you know what visitors’ needs and interests are? You ask them. And you keep asking, and keep improving your process.
· Remember: the typical visitor has no interest in helping your church to grow. They are consumers, and you need to know what they are looking for.
For an in-depth look at Membership Development, you are invited to join the Church Wellness Project. Go to www.churchwellness.com
Tom Ehrich is a writer, consultant, and leader of workshops. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. The church wellness project may be found at www.churchwellness.com
