If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that I am a stickler for follow-up.  Many of us in church leadership are heavy on good intentions and light on follow-up.

One follow-up question that just about every pastor I know has wrestled with is “how can we most effectively follow up with those who have indicated a commitment to follow Jesus?”

To this question, I’d say that a good follow-up process for new believers will answer the following 4 questions.

What do you want a new believer to do or experience during:

1. The first hour? At The Journey want them to mark their decision on their connection card and pray the prayer with us.
2. The first day? We send them an email confirming and affirming their decision.
3. The first week? We send them a new believers book I wrote that is a  seven day new believers study.
4. The first month? We want them to get baptized and be involved in a small group.

How you answer these questions will vary depending on your tradition, style and/or your preferred resources, but that you answer these questions is essential if your church is going to effectively make disciples of those who choose to follow Christ through your ministry.

P.S. To raise the evangelistic temperature of your church, check out The Evangelism Seminar.

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.