Avoid Putting Your First-Time Guests in the Hot Seat

“Most unchurched individuals stay that way because they don’t think they can visit a service anonymously. They are afraid they’ll have attention drawn to them by having to stand and say their name or participate in some other welcoming ritual.

Knowing that fear of public speaking ranks higher in psychological studies than the fear of death, why do so many churches still ask their guests to address a crowd of strangers?

Don’t do anything to bring unwanted attention to those visiting your church. Guests prefer to be practically invisible – and that means not asking them to do anything that everyone else isn’t doing. Instead, provide them with a Connection Card in their program and a pen when they walk through the door, and then encourage them to fill out their card when it’s time.”

              – Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson

The above quote is from p. 76 of Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests Into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church.

This revised and expanded 10th Anniversary Edition of Fusion offers a biblically grounded, proven plan for establishing a relationship with newcomers that ultimately prompts them to become fully developing members of our congregations. This innovative, practical guide is full of step-by-step how-to information, testimonials from the recently assimilated and from participating church leaders, examples of the assimilation materials used, and checkpoints to make sure you’re on track.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

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© 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.

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