How to Help Put Your First-Time Guests at Ease

“The late food write James Beard once said, ‘Food is our common ground, a universal experience.’ It also provides a welcome, comforting treat in any situation. Ever notice how a two-hundred-pound man in a crowd of strangers suddenly feels more comfortable if he has an eight-ounce Styrofoam cup to hide behind?

Providing food is one of the best ways to show your guests your care about them, and it’s a sure way to put them at ease.

When done well, food can go a long way toward wowing your guests. Food is your chance to show unchurced people that you care enough to offer them something for free that will meet a need.”

              – Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson

The above quote is from p. 63 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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