First Time Guests that Can't Wait to Come Back

The Church Leader Insights team and I love to read your email about how God is using what we do to help you lead your churches and reach the unchurched.

Here’s one such email I received recently from Pastor Al Marks and asked if I could share with you:

I have to tell you a story from Sunday.

A young couple and their kid visited. The wife turned in a connection card. We send the email and a handwritten note with a Starbucks card. The following week they were back.

She came running up – gave me a hug and said, “Thank you so much for your note. It meant so much. It made me cry. I can’t believe a church would send us such a sweet gift. I couldn’t wait to come back.”

God is honoring our efforts to track first and second time guests. We started the end of August and have averaged 3-4 first time guests per week. Of those who turn in connection cards, we are having about 70% second time visits.

Of those who come a second time we are finding about 90% sticking coefficient. We have seen six come to membership with five baptisms. That is in two months. We are definitely praising the Lord around here.

Thanks for all you are doing to bless the kingdom.

Al Marks
First Baptist Church Vallejo
www.FBCVallejo.com

And thank you, Al, for sharing – Keep up the good work!

I would love to hear how God has used this ministry to help you and your church in 2009.

If you have a brief story you’d like to share, just click on the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of the blog and send me your Praise Reports!

P.S. To learn how to WOW first-time guests and put a system in place to help them move toward fully-committed members of your church, check out The Assimilation Seminar.

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.