Written by CCK Communications Specialist, Jessica Marston
Imagine with me for a minute …
It’s Sunday morning and you are walking into your local Disciples church for the first time. You’ve done your research. You’ve taken the time to look the church up online, perused its social media pages, you even listened to an online sermon or two. You are finally ready to visit the church in person and determine if it is the right fit for you.
The excitement is building as well as the nerves. The church looks good on paper, but is it the right one? You pull into the parking lot and make your way to the front door.
What do you see? Are you greeted by eager members? Do they direct you to more information about the church? Can you easily find where you need to go? Do you feel welcome as family?
Disciples believe everyone has a seat at the table. We believe in being welcoming and inclusive to everyone who walks through our doors. But how are we putting that into practice? What do visitors truly see when they walk into our churches for the first time?
What most churches fail to see is that being a welcoming church starts long before visitors step foot into your church building. Visitors have already looked at your church website and social media pages. They have talked with their friends and colleagues. Then, once they do come, they will form an opinion about your church within the first five minutes of arriving – before worship has even started.
This is where your church communications team can help. With a little planning and intentionality, your church can develop a welcome table that is informative, builds connections, and most of all welcoming to everyone who step through your doors. Having a strong and effective digital communications ministry plus a strong welcoming team will help visitors become family.
So what do visitors want to see?
They want you to greet them at the door with a warm smile. They want you to be aware of their presence and welcome them into your family of believers without feeling like you’re putting them in the spotlight. They want to feel noticed with a personal yet non-invasive follow-up sometime during the week.
If that isn’t enough here are seven specific things visitors will notice:
- Welcome Center/Connection Table: Having a centrally located welcome center or connection table, provides an opportunity for members to assist visitors locate classrooms, restrooms, and other facilities as well as help them connect to other church activities they might be interested in.
- Meet and Greet Time: When done effectively and intentionally, research shows visitors perceive members as more friendly and welcoming. However, it can negatively single visitors out, put them on the spot, and can exclude visitors as members turn to greet only their friends.
- Music: Regardless of the style of music you choose, visitors will look for people leading music with joy and passion. Is there an energy to it that invites visitors in or is a funeral dirge?
- Contact/Connection Cards: These cards are a great non-invasive low-pressure way to help visitors connect with church events that fit their interests. Remember, just because you have a passion for a particular group, bible study, event, etc. doesn’t mean everyone shares your view. Research also shows that if you collect this information, visitors expect you to use it to connect with them.
- Small Group, Bible Study, and/or Sunday school information: It is hard to find the right class and/or group when you don’t even know what the classes are. Have a listing of class names, descriptions, meeting location and time, and the leader’s name available. Additionally, post signs to direct visitors to the correct room.
- Coffee Stations: When done effectively and intentionally, coffee stations couple be an opportunity to show hospitality and get to know visitors in a more informal setting. Caution: it can also be seen as a member’s only club.
- Fellowship time that builds relationships: Part of being a family means building relationships with new members and visitors. Get to know your visitors on a personal level. Find out what their interests are. Listen to what their needs and desires are before offering solutions and shoving flyers at them. Remember, just because you are passionate about something doesn’t mean everyone is.