Christmas is just 14 days away!
There’s plenty to prepare for:
Christmas Parties
Christmas Sermon
Christmas Services
Christmas Offering
Christmas Vacation
Christmas First Time Guests and New Believers!
It’s true that most of the unchurched in your communities will be more open to the Good News this Christmas Season than any other season of the year. A recent study showed that more than nine of out 10 of the unchurched said they would come to church if they were invited.
But the question is: How are you prepared to reach new people for Christ this Christmas?
Let’s pause for a reality check. When an unchurched person or family decides to attend your church for the first time, what do you think is going to happen to them the morning of the service? Whatever the enemy can pull out of his bag to throw their way, right?
If he can’t keep them from attending, he will at least make sure they hit the parking lot stressed out and in no mood for what lies ahead. He knows that if he can sow pre-service defensiveness and negativity, eight out of ten American churches won’t do anything to turn that guest’s attitude around.
In most cases, the church will just make him self-conscious, uncomfortable and, by default, more irritable. Sadly, by nudging guests to disengage before they walk through the door, the enemy usually wins the battle before it even starts. But he can’t win if you don’t let him.
You can thwart his plans by creating a comfortable, inviting pre-service.
The pre-service is your first opportunity to interact with everyone who sets foot on your church’s property – from first-time guests to long-time members – but its purpose and influence is particularly important for first-timers.
There are four primary ways you can influence your guests during the pre-service. By controlling how they are:
- Greeted
- Directed
- Treated
- Seated
Creating an environment that makes your first-time guests feel both welcomed and respected is key to winning a return visit and beginning the process of assimilating them well.
When God entrusts you with first-time guests, you face an incredible responsibility. One of the best ways to acknowledge your guests as the gifts they are is by having a pre-service in place that will far exceed their expectations and create that elusive positive first impression.
You’ll excite them to want to visit your church again and again, so that they can ultimately learn about the excellence, graciousness, hospitality and generosity of the One after whom you are modeling everything you do.
To learn more about how to Greet, Direct, Treat, and Seat your first time guests, click here to pick up a FREE copy of my e-book, How to Make a Great First-Time Guest Impression.
Your partner in ministry,
Nelson
P.S. Discover the three most common mistakes churches make in connecting new people AND how you can avoid them!
Join me for The Top 3 Assimilation Mistakes Webinar this week. In this FREE one-hour webinar, you will discover the three most common mistakes churches make in connecting new people AND how you can avoid them!
Click here to register for the date and time most convenient for you!
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