Assimilation

Thom Rainer has written a wonderful little book on how a church can better welcome guests. It is based on both long time consulting experience and extensive research. It is a book I believe every church leader would find helpful and I encourage you to read it and share it with other leaders.

For example, when they asked actual guests why they would not return to a particular church, their top ten answers were (in order):
1. The stand-and-greet time in the worship service was unfriendly and awkward.
2. Unfriendly church members.
3. Unsafe and unclean children’s areas.
4. No place to get information on the church.
5. Bad church website.
6. Poor signage.
7. Insider church language.
8. Boring or bad church services.
9. Members telling guests they were in the wrong pew or chair.
10. Dirty facilities.

The positive side of this was when they asked guests who returned:
1. Someone asked the guest to sit with her.
2. People introduced themselves to the guest.
3. There was clear signage.
4. There was a clearly marked welcome center.
5. The kid’s loved the children’s area.
6. The children’s area was secure and sanitary.
7. Guest parking was clearly visible.
8. The church did not have a stand-and-greet time.
9. The members were not pushy.
10. The guest card was simple to complete.

There are many specific ideas for churches to improve their guest services. Two helpful tools are given at the end of the book:
1. A “Church Facility Audit” your leadership can fill out.
2. A “Secret Guest Survey” form you could have a guest complete. For example, get a friend from another church or area to visit your church un-announced and complete the Secret Guest Survey for you. Then you go do it for them.

I encourage you to buy and read the book. Then share it with other leaders in your church. “Becoming a Welcoming Church” by Thom S. Rainer. Published by B&H (Broadman and Homan) 2018.