“Given a big enough why people can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche Obviously, Nietzsche and I don’t agree on everything, but on this statement we do. And as a church leader, you need to learn this lesson well and repeatedly… The most powerful word for leading change in your church is BECAUSE. I brought this up in my … Read More
Is Assimilation too Expensive for You?
Last Thursday, I led The Fusion Webinar and have received a great deal of positive feedback and questions – I wanted to address one more of these questions today. Any time I start outlining the Assimilation process that I teach and use at The Journey (including weekly Connection Cards, pens on every bulletin, handwritten notes for newcomers, etc.), inevitably I’m … Read More
Who’s Writing Your Notes to First Time Guests?
We had a great crowd for The Fusion Webinar last Thursday and I wanted to follow up with a couple of the more frequently asked questions from participants. Probably the most asked question any time I lead an Assimilation training has to do with the handwritten notes that you should be sending to all of your First Time Guests. And … Read More
One Month Later Follow-Up Letter to Newcomers (Free Download)
If you’re a regular reader, you know I believe that First Time Guests who attend your church are gifts from God. As such, I’m a stickler for following up with these “gifts” as thoroughly as possible to invite them to come back, get plugged in and ultimately become fully committed members of your church. One of the pieces of the … Read More
What are the “Secret Duties” of a Member at Your Church?
Have you ever sat down and thought through what you expect of your church members? For the sake of today’s post, I don’t necessarily mean the “biggies” (like attending, serving, giving, etc.), although those are vital. Hopefully you are presenting those expectations clearly during Membership Class and reminding members of their responsibilities regularly. Today, I mean the “little things” that … Read More
What are New People Experiencing at Your Church?
For all of you who have read my book Fusion or listened to The Assimilation Seminar, you know that part of the Assimilation System that I teach is emailing out a brief online survey to every First Time Guest that attends The Journey. There are a couple of reasons behind this survey: 1) To get an idea of their first … Read More
How to “LINE-UP” to Make Newcomers Feel Welcome
Welcoming new people to your church is one of the pillars of a solid Assimilation System (not to mention a demonstration of Christian hospitality). But whether we like it or not, many of the people greeting newcomers at our churches aren’t sure how to make others feel welcome. First impressions are so important that I recommend having a brief training … Read More
Who’s Answering Your Phone?
First impressions make all the difference in the world when you’re trying to reach unchurched people. And one of the most often-overlooked areas of first impression is the person answering your church’s phone. I recently ran across a great article on this very subject from Kerry Mackey over at Street to the Seat and thought I’d share it today: Who’s … Read More
How to Keep More First Time Guests at Your Church (one pastor’s tips)
I received an email recently from Jeff Rogers, a member of my Tele-Coaching Network and Pastor of Canastota (NY) Church of the Nazarene. He took the time to share some great news about their Assimilation System – In just a few months, they’ve increased their Retention Rate (the number of guests they keep) from 1 out of 16 to an … Read More
What Do You Ask of Your Church Members?
One of the hot topics from Tuesday’s Improve the Financial Fitness of Your Church Webinar with Steve Stroope was his clear and concise explanation of the commitments of being a member at his church, as they describe in their New Members Class (click here if you’re looking for help developing your own Membership Class). When you join Lake Pointe Church, … Read More