You rarely get a second chance to make a first impression. This is especially true of the first impression people have when they walk through the doors of your church.
There are so many stereotypes about believers being judgmental, inhospitable, and unwelcoming toward those who don’t look or act as we do. Because of this, the odds are already stacked against you as you strive to embrace every person who sets foot on your campuses. Having the best strategies in the world for church growth won’t make a difference if you can’t get visitors to keep coming back.
So, while the odds may not be in your favor, there are several things you can do to overcome those negative stereotypes and show people the love of Jesus from their very first encounter with your ministry.
DON’T: Ignore your church website. Statistics show that 80% of the new visitors will look at your church’s website before ever attending a service.
DO: Invest in building a user-friendly website that clearly shows your service times, gives directions to both your campus and important locations once a visitor arrives, and outlines what a visitor should expect from your services. Make sure you include all relevant information about childcare availability and any other considerations that would be important for a first-time guest (i.e., Do you have an ASL interpreter? Special listening devices for those hard of hearing? A mothers’ room for anyone who needs to step out with a small child?).
Make sure you also consider the design and look of your website. Over 46% of people evaluate the credibility of an organization based solely on the design of its website. So put the time and effort into developing a solid website that includes all of the information potential guests could need while also looking professional and welcoming.
DON’T: Assume people know where to go when they arrive. Even if you have the best architect and the most straightforward layout, few things will chase guests away faster than making them feel lost.
DO: Post clear directions to your campus on your website, have signage in the parking lots and in the buildings, and have clearly marked volunteers stationed in the parking lots and main entry points to point people in the right direction. Helping people navigate your campus easily will allow them to focus on the message of your ministry rather than spending time trying to figure out where to go.
DON’T: Discount the value of a first impressions team. Guests will decide in the first seven minutes whether they will come back to your church. Unintentionally making visitors feel as if no one notices or cares that they’re there is a sure way to convince them not to come back.
DO: Have greeters and ushers in your parking lots, at the entrances to your buildings, and throughout the interiors to welcome people to your church. Make sure your welcome team is clearly identifiable with lanyards or name tags, and that they are familiar with the most common questions first-time visitors may have. These greeters should be able to point guests to the child check-in areas, help them find seats in the sanctuary, and escort them to an appropriate small group.
In addition to greeters, your first impressions team should include people who are observant and feel comfortable connecting with guests. Have them stationed throughout the sanctuary and children’s areas specifically to talk to people they don’t recognize. Encourage these people to welcome guests, and if the visitors seem open to more, to have conversations, invite them to another service or upcoming event, and exchange more than pleasantries.
DON’T: Overwelcome or embarrass guests. Having first-time visitors stand up or raise their hands will likely do more harm than good.
DO: While it’s important to make your visitors feel like they’re seen and that their presence matters, the challenge is to do this in a way that doesn’t overwhelm them. Having emotionally intelligent and observant people on your welcome team will help you connect with visitors in the ways most meaningful to them.
Take the time to welcome guests from the stage, and if your ministry has a visitors’ center or welcome desk, invite guests to stop by for a special gift or to connect. Connection cards available in the sanctuary and children’s centers will also help you get information to follow up with visitors without making them feel called out.
In all of your welcoming, make sure you’re inviting guests to connect in ways that they have the option to decline. One rule of thumb that Carey Nieuwhof suggests is to greet people the way you want to be greeted.
DON’T: Forget to follow up. If you fail to follow up after a guest has taken the time to talk with someone or fill out a connection card, you’re unintentionally telling them that you didn’t really care that they came.
DO: Follow up with guests as soon as possible. If you can, send visitors a text or email later the same day thanking them for choosing your church and inviting them to attend another service or event in the future. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy message, but sending something right away lets your visitors know they didn’t waste their time sharing information that will go straight into the recycling bin.
Encourage your welcome team to follow up directly with any visitors they are personally connected with. A phone call or card from the greeter who actually talked with the guest will go a long way in helping that visitor feel seen.
The ultimate goal of welcoming visitors isn’t to make your guests feel warm and fuzzy when they come to your church (although that is a nice bonus!). The goal is to share the love of Jesus. You’ll have an uphill battle when pointing people to the Savior if they think you didn’t even care they came, so put time and effort into developing a solid welcome strategy and reliable first impressions team. Something as simple as opening the door for a guest and saying hello may be the key to opening the door to connect them to their Creator.
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