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
Keep your new Easter guests coming back! Free Webinar
With Easter fast approaching (Sunday, April 20), I want to stress the importance of your church’s assimilation system. In other words, I want to help you keep more of your first-time Easter guests this year. In the first seven minutes of contact with your church, your first-time guests will know whether or not they are coming back. Think about that: … Read More
Knowing Your Process – A Saturday Quote
“If you cant describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” – W. Edwards Deming
Everything Speaks to a First-Time Guest … Everything
Memorize the next sentence and make it your mantra: Everything speaks to a first-time guest…. Everything. From the moment a guest sets foot on your property, he tunes in to receive the message your church is sending. You have an obligation to strive for excellence. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to do the very best you can with … Read More
How to Make a Great First Impression This Sunday Before the First Song is Even Sung
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. Think of it this way: Your pre-service mission, if you choose to accept it, is to do everything you can to take your guest’s guard down (and even … Read More
No Second Chances- Making a Great Impression on First-Time Guests
You won’t get a second chance. Seven minutes is all the time you have to make a positive first impression on the first-time guests who walk through your doors. In the first seven minutes of their experience with your church, your guests will decide whether or not they’re going to come back. That’s before a single worship song is sung and before a … Read More
What Gets Rewarded, Gets Repeated (Part 1) – First and Second Time Guest Gifts
What you celebrate in your church matters… it matters when it comes to evangelism, discipleship and life charge. Today, I want to challenge you to celebrate the right things and see a greater blessing in those areas of your church. There is an old leadership principle that says, “That which gets rewarded gets repeated,” and I think that’s true. In … Read More
Learn the Key to “Closing the Back Door” With My New Webinar! – Still a few spots for Today or Tomorrow…
We’ve all heard (or said) this line: “We would be growing if we could just close the back door.” Well, the first key to “closing the back door” is eliminating the mistakes you’re making now in assimilating new people! After coaching over 1,200 Senior Pastors – of all types, church sizes, denominations, worship styles and geographic locations – I’ve identified … Read More
How to Keep More Guests and Model Generosity
Since writing the book Fusion I get a lot of questions about assimilation and how to get more first time guests to return to your church and ultimately become members. One question I get frequently involves the handwritten note and gift that I recommend you send to every first time guest. There’s nothing like a handwritten note to really show people … Read More