Five First Time Guest Habits That Churches Need To Ditch

6/1/2020

LIGHTSTOCK

Before being called into full-time Church Communications ministry, I spent about 15 years working in the customer service industry for two major clothing companies. (Yes, that’s 15 Black Fridays and 15 Christmas seasons.) Oftentimes I was forced to endure — er, I mean, attend — mandatory meetings and training sessions designed to better enhance my skills as a retail employee. I’ll be honest: I utterly loathed these so-called meetings. I can’t tell you how often I thought to myself, “I’ve been doing this for over a decade. Why do I need to drag myself out of bed to attend a 7:00AM meeting on a Saturday morning?” Not even the free doughnuts and coffee made up for sitting through two hours of mind-numbing content, cheesy corporate videos, and monotonous lectures from managers who didn’t want to be there any more than I did.

But the truth is that even the most seasoned and experienced employee needs to be reminded of the basics from time-to-time while simultaneously remaining open to learning new and innovative ways of seeing and doing things. And one thing folks in the customer service biz are learning now more than ever is that people place an extremely high value on convenience. In fact, I would argue that, when it comes to businesses and restaurants, COVID-19 has caused people to value convenience more than community or relationships, at least for the foreseeable short-term future.

You don’t have to look much further than Chick-fil-A and Starbucks to see what I mean here. One caters more to convenience, one more to a community atmosphere. I’m a regular connoisseur of both, but sadly my local Starbucks hasn’t allowed customers to sit inside at tables (community) since the start of COVID. Sure, you can still walk in and place an order, but once you’ve received your beverage, you have to leave. No more coffeehouse atmosphere office sessions for me. Of course Chick-fil-A just opened up a third drive-thru line and kept moving those cars right on through. Why? Because they prioritize efficiency and convenience.

And so do church seekers and first time guests. They aren’t a part of your community fellowship yet.

With that in mind, here are a few habits churches need to ditch if they want to have any chance of seeing guests return for a second visit:

#1. Refusing To Enhance Complex Parking Lots, or Repair Dilapidated Ones

Yes, this is actually habitual for some churches out there. If I’m new to your fellowship and I’ve finally mustered up the courage to attend your physical building in-person for an actual service, the last thing I should have to worry about is figuring out where to park. If you’re a large church with multiple lots and spacing designations, this might mean you need parking team volunteers to direct cars to the appropriate spaces as they arrive on campus.

If you’re a small church where a parking team isn’t necessary, then you should, at the very least, regularly assess your lines and spaces, pavement, and asphalt checking for potholes, cracks, and crevices. Take care of those issues when you have the financial means to do so. Your visitor needs a nice and neat parking experience. Elderly folks, especially those who might be using wheelchairs, canes, or walkers, will take note of the parking lot conditions, whether consciously or subconsciously. Also, if you have parkings lots on either side of your building — which could potentially confuse a first-time guest — you might consider investing in signs that denote which one they should utilize and where they should enter the building.

Remember: I can probably forgive a little first-time confusion on where to park and enter. I might even forgive having to ask for directions to your main sanctuary or worship center. But if I step in a hole and twist my ankle — or especially if my grandma does — there’s a good chance that I will not be coming back to your church.

#2. Making The Greeting Time Super Awkward

Believe it or not, most first-time guests want to crawl in a hole and die during an in-service greeting. This is especially true for introverts (like me) and guests who aren’t with an accompanying friend or family member. I’ve been a pastor’s son my entire life, and I’ve never been a fan. No matter how enthusiastic and talkative your people are during this portion of the service, it’s honestly not the best way to make a visitor feel welcome. If your church is anything like mine or many of the churches I have visited, the “greet those around you” time can easily become a “huddle up with your friends and make lunch plans” time. This is particularly true in small churches where everyone knows everyone. Visitors wind up being neglected and since they don’t know a soul, they sit there awkwardly staring into space until the next portion of the service begins.

I’m not suggesting you ditch your greeting segment altogether (although some churches have done so and with good reason.) But I do believe many guests view this time as phony, cheesy, rehearsed, and completely unnecessary, especially if they have already been properly greeted and acknowledged upon coming into the building (and hopefully they have.) A simple handshake and a smile from a staff member or welcome team volunteer will often do the trick. Don’t go overboard by spotlighting your visitors or by expecting them to interact with people during a greeting time.

#3. Neglecting The Kids Facilities

No parent wants to leave their child in an unclean or unsafe nursery or children’s area. If your church doesn’t place a high priority on the wellbeing of kids, don’t be shocked when that new young family decides they’re never coming back. If you don’t value your own facilities, why should they trust you to value anything else?

#4. Ignoring The Church Website

Most of your visitors will have already checked you out online before deciding to set foot inside your physical building. And after they leave your service, they may pull the site up again looking for additional information. If you haven’t kept your site updated and well-designed, they just might write you off. (If you’re reassessing your website, see my previous blog post.) Important items they’ll be looking for: service times, street address, and an updated calendar of weekly events.

#5. Failing To Follow Up

If I attended your church for the first time — and especially if I filled out a Connect Card while I was there — a follow-up e-mail, text, or phone call thanking me for being at the service goes a long way in showing me that you care about me as a guest. It adds a personal touch long after I’ve left the premises. Whatever communication method you choose to use, make sure it’s conversational, cordial, and professional. At small churches, a personal phone call from the pastor can be huge for a first time guest.

Sadly, these five issues — which linger in far too many churches today — are only the tip of the iceberg. I could easily write another post outlining five or ten more. If your church is struggling in these areas, I’m willing to bet you're struggling with guests as well.

But, let me hear from you. What did I miss? What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment thread.

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