Attracting Guests to Your Church

It Takes Guests to Grow! How many guests to you need? Ministry Rule: A church needs the same number of guests each year as it has in average worship attendance.

Worship attendance 100 Annual loss -10 Subtotal 90 15% Retention Rate of 100 +15 Total Net Attendance 105

Worship attendance 450 Annual loss -45 Subtotal 405 15% Retention Rate of 450 +68 Total Net Attendance 473

Build a Great Commission Conscience Ministry Rule: Three out of five church leaders (60%) should have a G. C. C.

God Wants Fruitfulness! A Process for Fruitfulness. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

Make Disciples Going Baptizing Teaching Salvation Identification Sanctification Evangelism Assimilation Education Believing Bonding Maturing Finding Them Keeping Them Building Them

What You Can Do About It. Talk about it in leadership meetings. Review and renew the purpose and mission of your church. Preach on the topic of the Great Commission.

Focus on People Close to Home. Ministry Rule: Ninety-one percent of people attend church within twenty minutes of their own home.

What You Can Do About It. Advertise within your ministry area. Offer events for people in your immediate communities. Follow-up with guests within a 20 minute drive of your campus.

Target Existing Social Networks. Ministry Rule: The most fruitful way to reach new people is through family and friends.

What You Can Do About It. Train 10% of people in Friendship evangelism. Offer regular events where members may bring friends. . . other than worship services.

Encourage everyone to write a prayer list. Ministry Rule: People reach out to family and friends they pray for on a regular basis.

What You Can Do About It. Preach “Making Friends for Jesus.” Conclude the series of messages by asking people to write a list of people they will pray for in the coming year.

Notch up your Sunday services. Ministry Rule: You have only one chance to make a first impression.

What You Can Do About It. Improve your sermons. Raise the quality of the music. Refresh the interior of your buildings. Modernize the children’s areas.

Offer regular outreach events. Ministry Rule: Your people need safe events where they may invite their friends and family.

What You Can Do About It. Examples: Holidays: Sports: Family/Parenting: Marital Issues:

What You Can Do About It. Examples: Special Interests: Kids Events: Five Best Days: Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, After school starts in fall, fall festival.

Use appropriate Side Door events. Ministry Rule: To survive and thrive, churches must create connections with people in the community.

What You Can Do About It. Examples: Start groups for those who Ride Motorcycles Have children in military Own RVs Are Newlyweds Enjoy reading books Are Unemployed

What You Can Do About It. Examples: Are Fishermen Are Single mothers Enjoy Exercise Are raising grandchildren Are in a blended family Are married to a spouse who travels frequently.

Follow Gary L. McIntosh at . . . Twitter – @drgmcintosh Internet – www.churchgrowthnetwork.com

Welcoming People When They Come

Three Important Facts People seldom think about our church. People think about us only when they enounter us. People extend their impression to our church

Ten Momemnts of Truth Receiving an invitation to church. Driving by the church building. Walking to the front door.

Ten Momemnts of Truth 4. Entering the front doors. 5. Meeting people. 6. Experiencing atmosphere and services. 7. Entering the sanctuary.

Ten Moments of Truth 8. Participating in the worship service. 9. Exiting the building. 10. Contacting people the next week.

Follow Gary L. McIntosh at . . . Twitter – @drgmcintosh Internet – www.churchgrowthnetwork.com

Integrating People Into Your Church

Understand the principle of Suspects and Prospects. Suspects are . . . First-time guests. Prospects are . . . Second, Third, and Fourth-time guests.

Follow the Five Principles of follow-up. A Friendly contact. A Personal contact. A Prompt contact. A Non-threatening contact. A Continual contact.

A Four-Step Plan Develop a Welcome Team Use many hosts. Parking hosts. Lobby hosts. Worship hosts. Coffee hosts.

Develop a Follow-up Procedure Give higher priority to second-time guests than first-time guests, and to third-time guests than second-time guests. Ministry Rule: The more times people return the more receptive they are.

Guests Who Stayed Visits Non Growing Growing 1 9% 21% 2 17% 38% 1 9% 21% 2 17% 38% 3 36% 57%

Find a way to track guests. Write three letters or emails. Provide a gift to first and second-timers. Invite third-timers to a class or SG.

Develop Pathways of Belonging Ministry Rule: Guests need to have a clear path to become involved.

What You Can Do About It. Use “Dinner Eights.” Invite second time guests to a pastor’s dessert. Offer a “Get Acquainted Class.” Offer a “New Member’s Class.” Offer a “New Believer’s Class.”

Development a Monitoring System Use a spreadsheet system. Employ computer check-in for children’s ministries. Ask worshipers to register attendance every Sunday.

Follow Gary L. McIntosh at . . . Twitter – @drgmcintosh Internet – www.churchgrowthnetwork.com