Church leaders should expect newcomers at all worship services, and plan accordingly. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared a list of helpful hints reflecting on his visits to a number of churches over the last seven months. He recommends congregations: have plentiful signage on the outside and inside, offer user-friendly websites, and help newcomers easily locate parking and restrooms. So What? Rainer's recommendations Read More …
visitors
Church Size & First Time Guests (#0805)
Faith Perceptions recently released the latest edition of their church index, which provides insight into the experiences of first time guests. More specifically, the findings are based on 1,152 separate and unique church services attended by the company's mystery guests (think mystery shoppers for church attendance) between early 2008 and June 1, 2012. The overall results for each church size are shown below (p.6). So What? Large churches (those with average weekly Read More …
Is Your Church’s Website Visitor Friendly? (#0714)
Most people visit your church's website before visiting your congregation's physical campus. How welcoming is your site for prospective visitors? Tyler Walworth recently suggested assessing your site in light of questions visitors will likely ask including: Where is the church located? Who is the pastor? What should I expect? Will I be singled out as a visitor or pressured in any way? How do I join? Do I have to join? Should I know anything before I arrive? So What? A Read More …
Learning from Other Congregations (#0469)
Warren Bird, Research Director for Leadership Network and co-author of 24 books on various aspects of church health and innovation, blogged about the feedback he received from a recent focus group of pastors who shared their "great ideas for great churches," which include: Gifts for first-time newcomers Partnering with the local YMCA Shaping the Culture of the City Intentionally Multi-Ethnic Churches Citywide Youth Group Planting Churches to Reach People Like You So Read More …
Truly Welcoming Visitors on Easter (#0342)
In almost every congregation, Easter is the most attended Sunday morning of the year. Many congregations feature additional services to provide these religious consumers with the greatest number of options possible and to ensure that there is room (especially parking and seating) for everyone. Most parishes seek to do what they can to ensure visitors have a positive experience and are likely to visit again. Toward that end, I suggest: Providing an extravagant welcome is not Read More …
Reality Check: A Typical Mainline Church in 2010 (#0305)
The Research Services Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) just released the 2010 Survey of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Congregations, which was part of the Faith Communities Today (FACT) 2010 study of 10,000 congregations from 100 Christian denominations and other faith groups in the United States. The data was provided by leaders of 706 PCUSA congregations. Among the statistics worth noting: The median worship attendance for all Sunday morning services is 70 people Read More …
Preparing Visitors for Communion (#0181)
Preparing Visitors for Communion/Eucharist/Lord’s Supper Most congregations celebrate Communion/Eucharist/Lord’s Supper in their corporate worship services on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, once a quarter, etc.). While those who attend regularly know what to expect, newcomers do not. As guests are seated and begin to prepare for worship they may note the elements and wonder: Is everyone welcome at the table or only those with certain beliefs or membership? Should Read More …