ARTICLE Helping Guests Feel at Home 5 churches' bright ideas for a warmer welcome. James Appleby, Gene Appel, Merle Mees, Wayne Ogimachi, Jim Tomberlin
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6 Ounces of Security
We employ four strategies to make our church more welcoming.
Hospitality time. We have a 20-minute segment between our two services
when we provide coffee, juice, and donuts in our lobby. Greeters and hosts
mingle and welcome people with cup in hand (one greeter remarked, "It's amazing
how a six-ounce cup provides a sense of security for a 180-pound male").
Response cards. Our worship bulletins have perforated tear-offs that
members and guests are asked to fill out and place in the offering plate.
It has spaces for all kinds of quick interaction (such as "My decision today,"
"I'd like information," "Prayer need"), which we try to respond to quickly.
Show people where to park and which door to enter. Place greeters at the entrance to direct people toward the auditorium, where they are handed a program that clearly outlines the order of events. Ushers guide people to open sections rather than specific seats, so they can claim their own space.
Keep anxiety to a minimum with the service itself. Use the first 30 minutes for programming ...
For a church to be intentional about welcoming visitors, people have to be equipped and involved at all levels. Here's what one congregation does:
1. Encourage a hospitality mindset. About four times a year I give a "manners talk" to the congregation. I encourage them to invite visitors to sit with them, introduce them to others, offer directions, and ask them to lunch. I remind the church what it's ...
Enlarging the Family Church 7 principles to guide change in the small congregation. Kathy Callahan-Howell, Gary Farley, Martin Giese
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Three veterans of small churches (Kathy Callahan-Howell of Cincinnati, Ohio; Gary Farley of the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board; and Martin Giese of Park Rapids, Minnesota) offer advice on how to grow in numbers without losing that precious family feeling:
Take time to win trust. Gary. In a small church, different people can lead parades around different things. Good leaders have sense enough to ...
Welcoming Women to Church Cultivate a church culture that is welcoming and loving—others will sense its presence. Linda Riley
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Churches that plan to attract and keep visitors must consider how women's perceptions and priorities differ from men's. A couple's decision to join a church is often based on the wife's impressions, instincts, and intuitions. Here are some key areas that you may not be monitoring—but should.
Do They Care for Each Other?
While men may focus on the relevance of the message and the quality of programming, ...
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