The church should be a welcoming place where new visitors feel free to explore and meet new friends. Since it's been a while since most of us have been new visitors, some of us have forgotten the basic ways to put ourselves in the shoes of a new visitor, and how to make new visitors feel welcome. By learning how to welcome new members and introduce them to your church, you can make the experience unforgettable and avoid some of the common mistakes that potential members lose.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Introducing Visitors to Your Church
Step 1. Appoint certain people to welcome visitors
The process of welcoming visitors should begin as soon as they park in the parking lot. Going to church can be a daunting experience for many, so you should make sure new visitors feel as welcome as possible. Therefore, it is common for churches to place greeters in the parking lot, to make sure visitors know where they need to go and don't get scared before they even reach the church building.
- Select friendly and welcoming church members for this task. This can be a great way to give very excited young members something to do before the convention, or to make senior members feel valuable.
- Make sure the greeter avoids accusatory or unwelcome words, such as "What are you doing here?" or "What do you need?" Instead, assume that everyone is in the right place. Say, "Hello! Welcome! How are you today?" Listen and help.
Step 2. Introduce yourself
Don't put pressure on visitors to introduce themselves and make first-time contact. Visitors should feel comfortable enough to relax and sit back if they wish, or chat and make friends if they are interested. Take the pressure off by introducing yourself and your family, and getting the names of the visitors.
Treat visitors as people, not as “visitors.” No one wants to go to a place where they expect to be welcomed, only to be made to feel isolated or in a separate category. Ask them questions and get to know the visitors to make them feel welcome. Find general topics to discuss and help them feel welcome
Step 3. Take the visitors to have a look
Many church members forget what it feels like to visit a church for the first time. Most newcomers aren't interested in deep things like doctrine and sermon content-they just want to know where to park and where to sit and listen. They just want to feel welcome. Go slow and focus on helping visitors feel comfortable and making the experience easy and stress-free.
- Make sure visitors know where they can park, where to get a cup of coffee, and where to hang coats. Have a handout outlining the day's devotional and be willing to answer any questions.
- Take them to look around the church building, if there is time. Show visitors the room where the convention will take place and other interesting amenities, if they seem interested. A little background story about the history of the congregation is also interesting for new visitors.
Step 4. Let visitors know they can join without forcing them
Many churches have different procedures and steps on how to join a church, and you should not assume that all visitors know how to join, or whether or not they should ask for the information. Make the information available to visitors, but don't make it mandatory and don't force it.
- Ask visitors if they are interested in the information by asking questions and finding out what they are looking for. If a person visits because he is visiting relatives in that city and actually lives in another area, there is no point in forcing the material on him. Make them feel welcome, but don't worry about promoting your church to them.
- This can be a rather difficult step in welcoming visitors, as you don't want to assume that every visitor will be interested, but the easiest way around this is usually to have visitors fill out a guestbook so you can have their contact information and can follow. -up later.
Step 5. Know when to stay away
Everyone is different, and some visitors may just want to enjoy the talk and not want company. If the experience is enjoyable for them, they will come back and you can get to know them more later. Don't assume that silent or uninspired visitors mean they are unhappy or uncomfortable, they may just want to take the service quietly. Identify visitors who may have this tendency and stay away. Greet them and introduce yourself, so they will have a name in case they want to ask questions and find out more.
Part 2 of 3: Making This Experience Unforgettable
Step 1. Have a genuine conversation
Welcomers should practice their ability to listen actively and make real and genuine interactions with new visitors. Open yourself up to new people and help them feel welcome by showing an interest in where they're from, what they're looking for, and who they are. Know the names of the visitors and remember them.
Step 2. Help visitors connect with church members
Perhaps the most effective way to make a new visitor feel welcome is to help him form connections with regular members. One of the main reasons why people feel intimidated in a new church is that they don't know anyone. That fear will quickly dissipate once they have established new relationships with church members, so do your best to help the process work out.
New visitors to a church should meet with the pastor of the church before they leave, if they are interested. Introduce them to the pastor after the service. If the visitors are not interested, do not push
Step 3. Invite new visitors to sit with you
After introducing yourself, invite new visitors to sit with you and your family, so that they feel welcome, as if they had made a new friend at church. Seeing a full church auditorium for the first time can be intimidating for new visitors, but if you help them reduce one more thing that's stressing them out, the experience will be a lot better for visitors.
Step 4. Provide child care during the service
Many larger churches provide in-church child care services during services, so it's a good idea to provide this to new visitors and help facilitate the process if they have children and are interested in using the service. This can be an embarrassing thing to ask, and some visitors may not even know this service exists.
If visitors feel uncomfortable leaving their children in daycare at a church they've never been to before, that's not unreasonable. Even if it's unusual, try to accommodate visitors as much as possible
Step 5. Invite new visitors to church programs and events
Sunday morning Bible study classes and weekly church get-togethers are great occasions to which you can invite new visitors. You can also invite them to upcoming one-off events, such as weekend picnics or holiday shows. Make them feel welcome and included by providing them with the information.
Invite visitors for a meal or other gathering after the service. If meals or other after-service get-togethers are common in your church, make visitors feel welcome by inviting them and including them at the event, as if they were already members of the church. Even informal get-togethers at the buffet restaurant near the church can give visitors the opportunity to get to know the congregation and feel welcome. This could be what the visitors are looking for
Step 6. Do a follow-up
Send follow-up letters to visitors if you get their contact information from the guest book. You don't need to automatically register them for the church's weekly newsletter and newspaper, but sending a short letter stating how much you enjoyed their previous visit will be a great way to invite them back to church.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Step 1. Don't pressure visitors to join immediately
Even if you know that visitors are looking for a new church and are considering joining, don't hand them a pile of documents five minutes after they hang up their coats. Focus on making the experience enjoyable and stress-free for visitors and let them decide whether to become a member or not. Be available to answer questions and help, but the decision should be their own.
Step 2. Don't seat visitors in the front row
Too excited about the new visitors will usually make them uncomfortable. No one wants to be made to feel like they're some kind of zoo animal the first time they're in a church full of people they don't know. Don't make this worse by sitting them in the front row where everyone can see them.
Step 3. Don't make visitors introduce themselves
Forcing visitors to stand in front of a room full of people they don't know and talk about themselves is a great way to keep them from coming back to your church again. Try not to make visitors stand and talk for any length of time, even if you mean to make them feel welcome. If you feel the need to state this, say something generic like, "It's great to see new faces today!" But don't direct too much attention to new visitors and make them feel uncomfortable.
On the other hand, some visitors may like to talk and have some things to share. Encourage them to do it enthusiastically, if they show interest. Prayer requests and other opportunities to contribute should be made available to visitors, if they wish
Step 4. Do not ask the receptionist or deacon to “check” the visitors
Some churches ask receptionists to walk around during services to record attendance and record visitors who may not be present, as a way of targeting them later, after the service. Try not to make visitors feel like an intruder whose identity is being checked by the police. If visitors just want to attend the service and leave after, they should feel free to do so.
Step 5. Don't have a welcome song
It's hard to believe, but some churches make a rather elaborate welcome ritual, including a welcome song, when a new visitor arrives. Talk about awkward. Avoid this practice.
