I made a fascinating discovery this week. I found a local business that doesn’t want new customers. I didn’t say they didn’t need new customers. They don’t want new customers. In fact they don’t want new customers so much that they avoid and discourage new customers.
In your church you want new customers – right? Do our visitors feel that?
In your church or mission, we don’t use the term ‘customer’. We refer to our new customers as visitors, guests, seekers or friends. Many of these new friends do their annual visit at Christmas, Easter and Special events. That is great. But why don’t they come back on a regular basis?
Church Boards rarely focus their time on external issues. Our research suggests that 70% of visitors don’t return to your church because they didn’t feel welcomed. They received the Sunday Bulletin. An Usher shook their hand. But, the people they sat close to ignored them. Every church has a culture, a tradition, the way we have always done it. As a visitor, you are unaware of the culture and you don’t know how to break in, where to hang a coat and find the wash room.
Visitors want to feel a connection. We are in a generation where thriving churches have and live Vision, Mission and Value statements. This public information, is shared on Social Media identifying the Community, Mission and Helping roles of the church. Have you ever seen a visitor ‘customer’ satisfaction survey? You’ve heard of mystery shoppers. How about a mystery visitor to check out your church. Most hotels and venues place a high value on visitors. Does your church do the same? Do you have a Guest Services person to answer questions and encourage visitors to feel, no really feel, a part of the family?
Visitors want and need to experience, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27 NIV)
Leadership is … being friendly and designing your church to welcome and encourage visitors.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Leadership Coach
Jethro Group
ldkjethrogroup@gmail.com