Podcast Episode #558
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Every church thinks they’re a guest friendly church. But as we discuss today, guest friendliness is not something at which every church excels.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Church signs need info on them, but there are really just three essentials: church name, worship times, website address.
- If your church has a digital sign, you have to consider the length of the rotation of information.
- Don’t think that “everyone knows ______” at your church because almost always, everyone doesn’t know.
- Some churches aren’t just not guest friendly, they are also not guest desirous.
The six failures we discuss are:
- It had no website.
- No service times on sign.
- “Our church is always open.”
- “Everyone knows the times of our service.”
- Didn’t consider the impact of special events on guests.
- It failed to see the opportunities.
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
- Invite Your One
- Eight Things Your Church Website Must Have
- Church Website Checklist
- Church Guest Checklist
- Church Signage Checklist
Rainer on Leadership is a member of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast Network
Episode Sponsors
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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 Scrappy Church.
Hi Thom and team, my name is Bill Effler. I am a native Californian and ordained PCUSA pastor living in south eastern Tennessee and teaching pastoral students at a university with Church of God roots. (There has got to be a bad joke there somewhere).
I am writing this morning to simply thank you for all that you share. Your material is consistently solid and truly offers practical direction the reader. I also wanted to offer to you any service that I could possibly make available to you. That could be writing, consulting, availability to a vast storehouse of experience that I have with future pastors who are now millennials.
But again, for this morning, thank you for your writing and encouragement to the body of Christ that seeks to be a shinning light in a perverse world.
My best to you,
Dr. Bill Effler
weffler@leeuniversity.edu
423–364-9439
Thank you, Bill.
There was one church I went to, I attended for 3-4 months before I figured out where the restrooms were. Churches are notorious for assuming people know things. They say it’s time for Sunday school, and they point toward a long dark hallway that somehow leads to the classroom. They set up coffee without explaining if any of it is decaf. They announce an upcoming small group event that sounds interesting, but then it’s held in “conference room B” at “the usual time” and you’re told to “bring the workbook.”
What’s worse is when they do this five minutes after they asked new visitors to raise a hand! You know I’m in the crowd yet you’ve already forgotten me!
Something I would like to see addressed is: How do large churches (over 500 in attendance) know when guests are in attendance? How do the “greeters” recognize a guest? We visited a large church recently and no one knew we were guests, there are too many people for even regular attenders to know if someone is new. Just curious.
The one things at this service that I didn’t appreciate was the “greet your neighbor” time, those are awkward for guests.
Some churches have a special coffee place/table for guests. There are signs that show you where to go. You can chat with a greeter who gives you more than a handshake.
At one church I joined many years ago, the pastor’s mom invited me to sit with her. She explained who everyone was. I attended that church (and tithed) until I moved away.
Pardon me for saying, many people do not talk to me in my church so the “greet your neighbor” adds insult to injury. No thanks.
In any church where I’ve ever been a member, whether large or small, less than half the congregation socialized with me.
I believe, there is one thing that should be added to the list of website failures , is that if you post a video, make sure there is written text below covering your sermon or webcast. There are folks that cannot hear and folks that don’t have the audio capabilities.
Thanks!