Today’s guest post comes to us from Cath Martin, writer for Christian Today. Cath presents some of the latest research findings on the unchurched by the Barna group. New research by the Barna group paints an interesting picture of those who are aware of the church and even think positively of the Christian faith, but who, for whatever reason, feel … Read More
The (Huge) Responsibility of First-Time Guests
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. A first-time guest wants to feel respected and welcomed. He wants to know that you are happy he’s there, and that … Read More
Overcome Skepticism Through Consistency
Most of the people who walk through your door have been burned by church, negative press about the church or by a friend or family member in the name of religion. More than likely, they are skeptical and waiting for you to mess it up. But when you give your first-time guests a consistent pre-service experience that makes them … Read More
The Signs… Should Be Everywhere!
When I talk about the power of Assimilation, I often talk about the power of signage as well and how you can effectively use it to engage with first-time guests. Here’s a great example of this at NewSpring Church in Wichita, Kansas, where they’re using signage very creatively to cultivate a memorable experience for their guests. The following post was written by Steve Aust … Read More
ONLY UNTIL FRIDAY – Get My Ignite Book for Over HALF OFF!
I’ve got some inside info from my publisher for you – today thru this Friday only, you can pick up the Kindle edition of my book, Ignite: How to Spark Immediate Growth in Your Church, for over 50% off! And as a special thank you for picking up the book today, you’ll also receive $183.00 in bonus resources – including a $50 Gift Certificate to use … Read More
Drop “us vs. them” mentality
Here is an engaging article written by RNS columnist Jonathan Merrit about his interview with the innovative James Emery White, senior pastor and author of the new book “Rise of the Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated”. When it comes to navigating the interface between faith and culture, there aren’t a lot of pastors I look to. Most … Read More
Treat First-Time Guests with “Raving Fan” Service
A first-time guest wants to feel respected and welcomed. He wants to know that you are happy he’s there, and that you are serious about making sure he has a good experience. The way you, your team, and your regular attenders treat him and his family will tell him most of what he needs to know. Sadly, a large majority … Read More
10 Things Church Guests Never Want to Hear
As we gear up for summer first-time guests, here is a great reminder on what NOT to do in welcoming them, from Ben Reed, the small groups pastor at Long Hollow, a multi-site church in the Nashville, TN area. Our pastor isn’t normally this ________. We’re full. Sorry. What are you doing here? You can’t serve now … you’ve got … Read More
Your church can grow this summer – Keep summer guests coming back!
Summer is a popular time of the year for people to move and these folks are going to be looking for a home church in their new community. You’ll be seeing many more people in transition coming to your church for the very first time this summer! The pre-service is your first opportunity to interact with everyone who sets foot on your church’s … Read More
Celebrating an amazing Easter! Now what?
Easter Sunday is always such an amazing day. I hope you had as wonderful of an Easter service as The Journey did in all of our locations. God truly blessed us with so many gifts. The gifts are the people that walked through our doors for the first time yesterday. Now we get to show our faithfulness by following up … Read More