What Do Guests At Your Church Experience?

If you have read Fusion or listened to the Assimilation Seminar, you know that we send out a brief, 30-second survey to each of our First Time Guests every Sunday. It provides good feedback to leadership and helps to reinforce a positive Sunday experience to the guest. And from time to time, these surveys remind me of why we take such care in how we treat the new people God sends our way each week.

Here’s a response I received this week from a first timer at The Journey last Sunday:

What did you notice first?
How happy the band was! It was great.

What did you like best?
The message. I liked how the pastor moved quickly and really analyzed text, bringing in lots of examples. Having us write along was great too! I’ve never seen that before. It kept me with him; it felt like being in class, but better!

Overall Impression?
Loved the message itself. It was great. Also, when I’ve went to new churches in the past, everyone makes such a big deal about you being new (meaning well, no doubt), and I’ve felt like I had to explain WHY I was new. Also, I felt a pressure to promise I’d be back and/or to say that I liked the service after. I didn’t feel that on Sunday; I just felt close to the Word. I felt welcomed but in a very relaxed, not forced way. No one was “in my face” and that’s one of the main reasons I can’t wait to come back next week. : )

How can we pray for you?
I’m about to make a big decision with regard to an amazing opportunity to go to Ecuador this summer. I’m just not sure what I should do. I see SURE reasons that I should and SURE reasons that I shouldn’t. I’m confused! The opportunity came out of nowhere, so I didn’t have a chance to think about it before the offer was on the table. Thanks for praying about it.

This young lady’s responses confirmed a lot of what I shared a while back in a series of posts about “What First Time Guests Want” – here are the links:

If this is what First Time Guests want, what are they getting at your church?

P.S. – As a reward for your faithful readership of my blog, I’d like to give you $50.00 off The Assimilation Intensive. Just enter ‘AssimilationBlog’ and click apply code to receive your discount. You need to hurry, this offer won’t last long!

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.