Podcast Episode #460
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There are several things you can do in worship services to improve the experience for guests and members. Today we discuss five such things—four of which cost nothing.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Poorly done announcements can really derail a worship service. Video announcements can help eliminate that risk.
- The most strategic place to have a greeter is in the worship center talking to people who are already seated waiting on the service to start.
- Churches should avoid insider language because it confuses guests and makes them feel unwelcome.
- Keep these two principles in mind in your church: use what communicates best and what communicates to guests.
The five improvements we discuss are:
- Use video announcements (Pro-Nounce)
- Allow for text questions after the sermon
- Make the offertory time meaningful
- Make certain no guests sit alone
- Avoid insider language
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Becoming a Welcoming Church.
Hey Thom,
Making certain no guests sit alone is a good idea but some guest want to set by themselves at least when first attending the services.
Outsourcing announcements simplifies things, and allows for consistent production value. What about the fact that the face on the video is a stranger and not connected to the church?
That is my concern about video announcements as well. We are a small church and having a professional video with faces that nobody knows would probably come off as too “slick”. We do greatly limit our announcements – at most only 1 or 2 for things that apply to the entire church.
Pat and Electra,
That’s a great point. Unless your church is very small, your congregation will get used to it. Our churches use us because we solve a challenge for them, week in, week out. We would love to help you out with a free trial.
Michael Valletta
pro-nounce.com
Electra,
All I can say is, give it a try. Your congregation will let you know.
I totally agree regarding announcements, my preference would be to eliminate them all together, though I understand the challenges this may pose for some.
Speaking for myself, as someone who is searching for a church, I dislike it immensely when someone comes and starts talking to me after I have been seated. I use that time to prepare for worship. When a person I do not know comes and speaks with me it interrupts that process and makes me feel targeted.
Just my thoughts for what they are worth.
This may sound like stating the obvious, but was just in a meeting about this yesterday. One that may not be mentioned as it can be embarrassing: preach Jesus, not the book of the month or management principles or church growth principles or how to do church or any one of a plethora of topics that DO have to be discussed by the church, and do have to be considered by leadership, ELSEWHERE.
Just not during the church service itself. If a visitor arrives, hopefully spiritually hungry, the service is not the time to explain to members to leave the good parking spaces for visitors, or a lengthy explanation of why you do the music you do, or to preach cultural relevance. (All those may need to be taught during teaching sessions.)
Just. Preach. Jesus.
As embarrassing as it is for the church as a whole to hear, our recent relo and church search made it clear to us some are forgetting the One we serve and focusing on the mechanics of serving.
Or as Paul says ” … preach the word …”.
Before the worship service’s prayer time attendees are given an opportunity to text prayer requests and concerns to a minister who screens these requests and concerns and shares them with the congregation before prayer is offered. These requests and concerns are also posted on the church’s website and Facebook page.
In Anglican churches guests need help using the Prayer Book and the hymnal in worship services since most churches still use these tools in public worship, even churches that use multimedia projectors.
THank you for this podcast
Every Guest deserves our very best, every visit. Make it easy to be a Guest and always say thank you. The last time a guest is a stranger, is the first time they visit.