Regional Synod News August 1, 2016

One of the things we talked about in the Consistory at Reformed Community Church in Venice, FL, is effective church guest follow-up.  RCC is a small community church but guests show up to attend the worship service almost every week.  We spent some time training the Elders and Deacons on guest follow-up using a resource by Jonathan Howe, who serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources.  There is often a first point of contact at a church, but what is the roadmap for  follow-up?  If the church has no roadmap in place, how are the guests to know what is next for them?  Howe talks about seven ideas for effective church guest follow-up.  So here are his seven ideas which can be used for  an on-boarding process or assimilation plan for new visitors to your church.

1. “Thank You Email.  This is the simplest form of follow-up.  First-time guest emails can easily be the template for use time and again.  It’s always best, however to personalize the email from week to week.  Always address the guest by name, try to reference the sermon title from the service they attended, and mention any upcoming events they might be interested in.  Your guest thank you email should go out no later than Monday afternoon following a Sunday visit.
2. Phone Call from Pastor or Staff Member.  If your church collects more information than name and email address, then take your contact to the next level.  A phone call from the pastor for first time guests is almost always welcomed.  If you are in a larger church, these calls might have to be split up between staff members simply due to the volume and ministry level.  For instance, your minister to children or preschool can call guests who had kids in the nursery, the student minister can call guests with kids in the student ministry, etc.  It’s always best to have someone with knowledge of specific ministries contact guests who may express interest in that ministry.  These calls should take place before the next church gathering.  Don’t leave guests waiting for answers to questions they may have.
3. Church Information.  If you have an address for a guest, consider sending an informational packet and letter from the pastor.  Again, personalize these as much as possible.  The content really depends on your church and what you want to emphasize.  If at all possible, tailor the content in the informational packet to the guest’s interests.  It wouldn’t make sense to send a college-aged newlywed couple information about an upcoming senior adult trip.
4. Appreciation Gift.  In his book “Fusion”, Nelson Searcy advocates for a small gift card or a book for first time guests.  I absolutely love that idea.  It costs less than you think, and makes a greater impact than you can imagine.  A $5 gift card to a local coffee shop is a great way to say thank you to a guest who visits your church.
5. Note to Kids.  Churches don’t often send mail to kids, but it is simple to do and makes a big impact on both the kids and the parents.  Purchase or write a quick thank you card to children who visit your church’s student or kids ministry.  This shows that you are investing in all generations of the church and want to help everyone grow in his/her faith regardless of their age.
6. Invite to a Gospel Conversation.  This might be the most important follow-up of all.  If we’re failing to have gospel conversations with guests, we’re failing at the Great Commission.  We’re called to make disciples, not church members.  Make sure sharing the gospel is central to your church’s guest follow-up plans.
7. Membership/Discovery Class Invite.  Once you’ve had that gospel conversation, it’s time to discuss next steps.  An invite to a church membership or discovery class is the natural progression.  It allows you to express both information about your church and expectations your church has of members.”

So how does your church follow-up on guests?  Maybe you already do all of these things and more.  So what would you add of your own to this list?  Great hospitality in a church is a sign of health and following up on guests is a great way to make disciples.

— Wayne Van Regenmorter

Gil Rendle: Leadership Means Pushing People to Purpose – Gil Rendle has spent four decades working with issues of change and leadership in the United Methodist Church as a pastor and consultant.  As he prepares to retire from his current role, Rendle reflects on his career helping Christian leaders in congregations and denominations.  One of the biggest changes is that he no longer thinks it’s useful to develop basic principles for all congregations to follow, he said. In this cultural moment, leaders don’t take people from Point A to Point B.

Creating a Learning Culture – Most leaders in the church take the simple route of a sermon delivering his or her vision to church members and expecting it to take hold. But that pattern does not take into account the way most adults learn. This article explores what it means to creates a culture in which members receive information rather than actually learn, initiate and innovate. What would it mean to focus our Christian institutions on what we need to learn, rather than what we already know that we are going to share? How much more effective might we be if we think of ourselves first as learners rather than lecturers?

Silo Mentality: Breaking through to Creativity – We have great leaders.  They just don’t work together collaboratively. What we accomplish together is sometimes less impactful than the sum of our individual parts, because we spend precious time and energy protecting individual or departmental turf. This is silo mentality.  What kind of creative breakthroughs could we have if we changed this?

Taking Time from the Day-to-Day to Take the Long View – Most leaders have heard and have benefited from Ron Heifetz’s insistence that leaders need “balcony time,” when they step back from the metaphorical dance floor of their daily obligations to take the long, strategic view.  While leaders intuitively know the truth of what Heifetz says, it can be hard to find the time to climb into the balcony to reflect on an institution’s life and priorities. But, for many leaders, the deeper obstacle to taking time on the balcony is not finding time but feeling permission to do it.

Making the Shift from Consumer Christians to Committed Disciples – Reggie McNeal writes, “You know things must change.  They can change.  Your church and its impact on the community depends on it.  But how do you make the shifts necessary to effectively lead consumers to become cross-shaped disciples?”