Dear Church...Visitors

Dear Church,

This is not a letter to debate the intricacies of doctrine. I'm not going to make a case for which version of the Bible is the most accurate. I don't wish to discuss predestination and free will. This isn't even a diatribe about Starbucks and red coffee cups. This is much more simple. This letter is about a subject that  all churches from the small country church to the mega-church needs to pay attention to,visitors.

 On any given week most churches will have at least one person visit for the first time. Those visitors could be people who are coming to check out this whole "church thing." They may not know anything about the Gospel. A visitor may be a person looking to connect to a body of believers, a church home. Every visitor has a different story.

My husband and I have been visitors at many churches over the years. Michael was a pastor's kid, so he has visited plenty of churches throughout his life. Since getting married we have struggled to find a home-church. We desperately desire to be part of a church. We don't want to just attend. We want a place to be a part of. A place to serve and strengthen our relationship with God. 

Here are four tips to help your church become more welcoming! 

1. Make a digital connection before Sunday morning
 People are online. I am willing to bet that a huge percentage of people looking to attend a church do some kind of online research before they even arrive at your door.  Having an online presence is important.  It doesn't need to be an elaborate website. A public Facebook is acceptable. Basic information such as location and service times are the most important. Please, Please, Please keep the information updated. It can be frustrating to show up at 10:30, when the service times were changed to 9:30 and 11:45 over a year ago and the website doesn't reflect the change. That Women's Ministry calendar from 2008 can come down too!

 Before visiting a new church I  wonder what to wear.Is it a dress and suit place? Do people wear jeans? Come as you are? Being totally honest here, I would feel uncomfortable sporting jeans in a room full of people wearing suits  and dresses.We shouldn't worry about what we are wearing, but we do it anyway. Be honest, just give people a heads up before they arrive.

2. Where am I going? I have questions!
From the moment people arrive in the parking lot people want to know where to go. If your church offers guest parking,make sure people can find it. Are the locations of the service and children's ministry obvious? I have gotten lost in a large church looking for the service. Laugh with me, it really happened!  Let people know where to go!

Another particularly important part of navigating a new church is knowing where to go if you have a question and who to talk to. At a church we recently visited, the guest service volunteers wore clever t-shirt with a question mark and the simple phrase, "Got Questions?"  That same church had a huge question mark hanging over their information desk. They made it very clear where to go if you had questions.

Another church we checked out recently  had a great bulletin. They listed the upcoming events and service opportunities in the church. There is lots going on, which is excellent. At the end of the blurb about the Operation Christmas Child program it mentioned to contact, Betty Jones for more information. Who is Betty Jones?  How do I contact her? Double check that an e-mail or phone number is given for any person listed as someone to contact.

3. Making a room inviting

The first time I attended my church in Vermont, I received the star treatment. The associate pastor's wife saw me looking around nervously. She came over introduced herself and she chatted with me for a while. She warmly asked me if I would like to sit with her during the service. She wasn't pushy or over bearing. Just friendly. After the service she introduced me to some people in the church, including others around my age.

The church I worked at in California was home to one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. He greeted everyone with a warm small. Most weeks he would pass out mini-loaves of banana bread to new faces. The way he did it was almost magical. He had the gift of reading people. He could instantly pick out the people he could joke around with a little bit. Others he could sense were more comfortable with a quiet hello and a smile.

At another church that I worked at was very strategic about placing welcoming people around the sanctuary. Volunteers were stationed in sections for six week rotations. The volunteers didn't wear a special badge or t-shirt. This group wasn't publicized. The goal of this group was to keep an eye out for new faces. They would talk to people  to get to know them better.  A friendly face in the crowd. They connected people and helped them get involved. It was all very natural. Volunteers were trained and given ideas, but each person put their own special twist on things. One wonderful lady invited two families, couples, or individuals each week to join her and her husband the following Sunday for lunch after church.  I really want to do this.

Everyone wants to connect and wants to belong. Even introverts want to connect. Find the friendly and welcoming people in your church. Challenge them to help you create an environment that is naturally friendly.  Remember that extroverts aren't the only people who are friendly. Invite introverts to help you better understand ways to connect other introverts.

4. Follow Up
Every church that I have ever been to has had some way to collect information about people who are attending. The real issue is not how you collect that information, but what you do with that information afterwards. If it's possible, try to make some kind of connection within five days. Send an e-mail or letter. Some people may feel comfortable receiving a text message.  After one visit, I received a lovely hand-made card with a personal message. Another church sent me a fun letter with a $5 gift card to a local gas station.  Don't just collect the names. Follow up increases the likelihood of a return visit.

Church leaders, what do you do to create a welcoming environment?

Church visitors, what do you want churches to know about how to become a welcoming place?