Being A Welcoming Place

Being a welcoming church is an important transition point for people ready to transition from seeks to members.  It’s essential to get off to a solid start with guests and to create a welcoming atmosphere. However, in our experience, guests often feel like travelers to a foreign land when they step inside the church. Being welcoming is essential to church guests and potential visitors, but being friendly isn’t enough. People are looking for beyond-the-surface connections.  A 2020 Barna study revealed friendships’ vital role in transitioning a seeker to a member.  One of the more controversial findings of the study was that members of a church are far more likely to believe they are friendly than guests who visit their church.  When asked about their experiences visiting a new church, the guests indicated that the interactions seemed phony and forced.  Almost all the visitors interviewed said the forced “turn-and-say-hi” segment did not help them connect with people.  They felt that it was often awkward and isolated.

Making your church friendly to guests and unchurched people will require more than a loud lobby or scheduled greeting times. We must carefully observe the guest experience and pay attention to their body language and natural paths as they enter. We need to help them find their way into friendships. Most churches leave too much to chance. This mini-course will give you the knowledge and tools to assess your congregation’s impact on first impressions.  The participant will learn how to organize a “First Impressions” team to improve the process of welcoming first-time guests.