Growth Points with Dr. Mc

Attract Guests

On Your Mark — I consulted with a church a number of years ago that kept an average of 15% of it’s first-time guests. That’s actually a good number. Unfortunately, the church had only 24 guests in an entire year, so they only kept 4 people! This illustrates a common pattern. A church does a good job of keeping people once they come, but doesn’t have enough people coming to grow.

Get Set — When you desire to host a party at your homes, you make up a list of people to invite. Churches must do the same if they hope to attract and keep newcomers. Here’s a few ideas to get you started.
1. Encourage word of mouth invitations. Word of mouth is the best way to attract guests to a church. When satisfied people give testimony to others that your church is a great place to attend, you will have all the guests you need.
2. Develop both a Facebook and Instagram page. Think of your Facebook page as a static brochure. List the basics about your church (worship times, programs, events, staff bios, and links to find out more.). Think of your Instagram page as a peak inside your church. Use pictures of people enjoying events, participating in ministry activities, and testimonies of satisfied people. Provide links so viewers may engage with each ministry opportunity and learn more.
3. Reward those who invite and bring others. After a church dinner, it’s customary for the cooks to be thanked for preparing a fine meal. Be sure to applaud those who work hard at inviting new people, too. Consider hosting an appreciation luncheon or dinner for those who have encouraged others to come.
4. Create no-threatening entry points. Growing churches typically have a minimum of three non-threatening entry points for newcomers. Ask your people to list the names of unchurched friends. Then have them list things their friends are interested in, such as, sports, classes, crafts, etc. Group the various interests together, select the three largest groupings and create three new ministries around them.
5. Improve your church’s welcome. Begin using the 5-Minute Rule. Ask your regular people not to talk with friends or do any church business following the worship service. Instead, encourage them to look around for five minutes and welcome anyone they see whom they don’t recognize . As soon as you finish the last song or benediction, tell people to “remember the 5-Minute Rule.”

Grow — Growing churches average 4-5% of the total Sunday morning attendance being newcomers. Look over your records for the past one or two years and determine your percentage of newcomers. If you average less than 5% of your worshippers being guests, it’s time to work on attracting guests to your church.

-Gary L. McIntosh, Ph.D.
Author of The Ten Key Roles of a Pastor

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You can read this article, and access additional ones, on Dr. McIntosh’s website: www.churchgrowthnetwork.com